W. Whiteland OKs 24-hour pipeline work

WEST WHITELAND » The township gave permission for Sunoco/Energy Transfer to direct bore drill beneath Route 100, 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for work on the Sunoco Mariner East pipeline, according to the township’s website.

The work will stretch from Coeway Lane on the east side of Route 100, just south of Target, and end by UFC Gym on the west side. Sunoco reported that the work should take about a month.

Mimi Gleason, township manager, said she was able to grant the waiver for day and night con

struction after talking with supervisors, a resident and several business owners. She said the township was told by neighbors to “please get them out of here as quickly as possible.”

She also said that as a condition of the waiver if any business or homeowner is affected to let the township know and the township would “re-evaluate.”

Instead of horizontal directional drilling, Gleason said that direct bore drilling will weave beneath the roadway.

She compared the two methods.

“Direct bore drilling is not as loud and is contained to the area,” Gleason said.

State Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19th, of West Whiteland, calls the township home.

“We have worked hard and continue to work hard in Chester County to ensure a high quality of life for all of our residents,” Dinniman said. “Now, with Sunoco’s around-the-clock bore construction in West Whiteland, hundreds of West Whiteland residents will be impacted by this obtrusive level of noise.

“Why does it seem like Sunoco is in such a rush to complete this project? Could it be that they are trying to complete the project before new regulations on projects like this are imposed? Safety and citizen concern should always be higher priorities than the speed of a pipeline project’s completion, especially one which involves hazardous chemicals. Citizens deserve better.”

The project falls within the legislative district of state Rep. Kristine Howard’s, D-167th, of Malvern.

“The safety and wellbeing of the community is my top priority, and to that end, my office is in constant communication with West Whiteland Township regarding the Pottstown Pike boring project. We are working together to ensure the process is carried out in the safest and least disruptive possible manner.

“Additionally, I am working with Gov. Wolf and fellow Reps. Carolyn Comitta D-156 of West Chester, and Leanne Krueger, D-161 of Nether Providence, on new legislative initiatives to increase pipeline safety and accountability, including one that would mandate pipeline operators provide residents and municipalities advance notification regarding drilling activities.”

Ginny Kerslake will face off against Howard in the April Democratic primary and released the following statement: “We have already seen in West Goshen how disruptive direct bore construction for Mariner East is to residents even inside their homes over one mile away. With this waiver, West Whiteland residents are facing direct bore, not just Monday to Saturday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. but at any hour of the day and night including Sundays for an expected month.

“There are hundreds of residents living in close proximity and potentially thousands of others that will be impacted by direct bore at Coeway Lane. It is extremely disappointing that our township has granted this waiver to Sunoco without giving these impacted residents the opportunity to comment and ask for concessions from Sunoco.

“While we are all tired of the prolonged construction which has been rife with problems, the greater concern is the ongoing threat to public safety that Mariner East presents: There is no credible plan to warn and protect our families, schools and communities when there is a leak.”

Heather Gerber lives near a direct bore drilling site.

“Living across the street from the pumping station on Boot and Greenhill roads in West Goshen has been a horrible nightmare. Although the traffic tie ups and dirt have been going on a year and a half the noise started last spring. It basically ruined our whole summer, and many of my neighbors feel the same,” she said.

Drilling only occurs during the day near Gerber’s home.

“The hum of machinery pours out of the pumping station, which has no sound barriers up, six days a week. It was so loud it could be heard in our home with all the windows closed and the air conditioning running. If you were outside you would have to talk loudly to converse.”

Noise is not Gerber’s only complaint.

“Also, often there were days you felt vibrations throughout our home on all the floors. Outside you felt like you were in a large factory. Forget enjoying the sounds of summer hearing the birds and other wild life. We had planned a huge party for my parent’s 70th wedding anniversary, but since the event would be on a Saturday and the noise was six days a week, we had to have it elsewhere at a great expense instead of our own backyard. Again, it ruined our whole summer.”

Gerber said the noise intensified.

“I thought it could not get worse, but then a few weeks ago the pounding started, every five seconds, and at least five times louder than the other noise. It woke me up abruptly as I thought something had crashed, a car, a plane. I could not believe this continuously pounding noise was coming from the pipeline. So I assume the residents here will not get to enjoy their own properties for yet another summer.

“The difference is this pounding is so loud it upset my pets, and being outside is unimaginable.”

Gerber said she can’t move out.

“Think it cannot get worse? We wanted to put our home on the market last spring to move closer to my aging parents, but had to delay this knowing our market value has dropped and anyone hearing that loud noise or feeling the vibrations will certainly not be interested in our home. The pipeline is costing our family dearly in memories and financially. We are just one family, one home. How many nightmare stories are there out there? I assume thousands.

“I wrote a letter to my township officials which resulted in a secretary answering me telling me they would check it out. Of course I never heard back. No one even attempted to come and see what I was experiencing, or bothered to call me. I am gravely disappointed in my township.”

The Sunoco Mariner East pipeline weaves 350 miles across all of Pennsylvania. Hundreds of Chester and Delaware County residents have complained that a valid evacuation plan has not been publicly released by the pipeline builder and the pipe follows right-ofway through high-density areas, including close by 40 schools, nursing homes and the Chester County Library.

The pipeline construction runs through Tom Casey’s West Goshen property.

“Speaking as an impacted resident that lives a quarter of a mile from an active drill site, the noise is bothersome at best and a major nuisance at worst causing me to have to leave the area during particularly noisy times,” Casey said. “I couldn’t imagine having to deal with this at 2 o’clock in the morning.

“According to the American Planning Association PA chapter, ‘Noise can cause serious health issues and undermine the quality of life in communities.’

“Pennsylvania municipalities possess health, safety, and welfare powers to effectively address noise issues. Furthermore, municipalities may also risk liability against the municipality for not effectively controlling noise.”

Casey said that any noise can be a bother.

“Noise doesn’t have to be loud to be disturbing. A dripping faucet is not considered loud but it can surely keep someone awake.

“It’s unfortunate that West Whiteland would allow for this type of construction to go for 24 hours a day. The businesses don’t have to listen to the noise at 2 a.m. And the single homeowner they spoke to does not speak for the thousands of impacted residents within 2 miles of the work sites who will be hearing this continuous noise. Townships have ordinances in place for a reason. It takes little for them to enforce against taxpaying residents, so why do they not enforce against Sunoco?”

Lisa Dillinger Coleman, Energy Transfer Public Relations officer, issued a statement Thursday night: “The site of the drill under Rt. 100 is not nearby homes, but next to commercial businesses. With permission from each of the businesses, the township has allowed us to work overnight. We will use sound walls and other measures to mitigate noise and lighting.

“Conducting a continuous 24/7 bore is standard industry practice and increases the likelihood of successful installation. It limits factors that could risk the integrity of the borehole and cause us to re-start the drilling process over again.”