Pipeline construction should remain suspended

I write to share the essence of my statement I filed with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) as a public document to express my objections to continued construction on the Mariner pipelines.

In the immediate term, the costs of this project outweigh the potential benefits, and the responsible position to take is upholding the suspension on continued activities. There are significant concerns about continued movement on these projects that demand resolution before any further activity even be contemplated. The actual and potential harm to local communities, and their citizens, along the pipeline route remains high and significant.

One set of problems stems from the very route of the pipelines themselves. As is, they cut through a number of high consequence areas in Chester County. The population density is quite significant, and the affected areas are filled with dozens of neighborhoods, schools and assisted living facilities. The Chester County of several decades ago when the paths first were designated is worlds away from the landscape doting the county today, and the nature of the shifting changes in the area should be taken into account in evaluating the rational basis for a pipeline route in contemporary times.

Secondly, a plethora of environmental problems continue to plaque communities along the pipelines path. These include ongoing issues with water quality being contaminated, because of construction impacts on homeowners’ wells. Another matter is the repeated rupture and opening up of sinkholes, including in residents’ yards. All of this raises serious questions about the geological stability of the terrain, and does cast doubt on its suitability for the kind of activity associated with the pipelines.

Third, a myriad of safety questions pertaining to the pipeline have yet to be answered in a satisfactory manner. Some of these relate to safety issues during the more immediate term of the construction phase of a pipeline. Others concern post-construction operations of pipelines. As has been well-documented and submitted to the PUC, numerous uncertainties surrounding the pipelines concern the risks of a leak and/or explosion and what has been done and/or can be done to mitigate such.

In addition, if a serious problem were to occur, residents and other responsible stakeholders express, quite rightly, that emergency response plans seem vague at best and highly incomplete at worst. The citizens of the area hold little to no confidence that a plan with foresight has been developed, and one that actually will prove effective, in the instance of a serious event along the pipeline. The potentially affected communities enjoy a fundamental right that public safety matters be addressed in a much more transparent and thorough fashion.

It is worth noting that Chester County residents certainly recognize the state’s and nation’s growing need for energy, particularly from sources that are not traditional fossil fuels, and hardly are motivated by an inherent desire to stand in the way of expanding energy availability. At least nine existing pipelines already cross the county and so local residents, it is fair to say, clearly understand the reality of making accommodations and accepting sacrifices on a reasonable basis for energy needs beyond their immediate jurisdiction.

But there does come a point when enough is enough. At some juncture, pipelines simply do not make sense in certain geographic corridors, given population densities and the extent of development, both of which might have grown and shifted over time. There is a weighted balance at which the costs with respect to public safety, geological conditions, terrain stability, water quality and general environmental protection outweigh the possible benefits of a pipeline route.

The totality of the foregoing couple with other facts and circumstances highlight that the current path of this pipeline runs counter to the best interests of local communities and their public safety, environmental protections and individual property rights. The numerous and ongoing problems with water quality, sinkholes and public safety all point to one inescapable regulatory conclusion: the emergency order of Judge Barnes be upheld.

I therefore renew my call for the PUC and other pertinent state agencies to intervene in any and all pipeline matters that threaten the best interests and quality of life of Chester County residents.

Thank you for taking the time to review these thoughts and provide them the utmost consideration.

Rep. Duane Milne, R-167th Dist. Willistown Township