Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
LEGISLATORS HEAR OF WATER WOES
Pipeline neighbors blame builder for fouling drinking water
HARRISBURG » “All I want is good water,” said military veteran and Johnstown, Cambria County, resident Ron Shawley.
Shawley told three elected officials, reporters and the public during Wednesday morning’s event at the state Capitol Rotunda about living 20 feet from a pipeline.
Shawley blamed Mariner East pipeline builder Sunoco/Energy Transfer for fouling his drinking water during ongoing pipeline construction at the event, “Standing for the Right to Clean Water: Stories from the Mariner East Pipeline Project.”
“I was led to believe that this gas company would take care of me,” Shawley said.
Shawley claims that the pipeline builder went off-course while digging and laying pipe and hit his well.
“If you work with us, we will work with you,” he said he was told by the pipeline builder.
Shawley, and two others who spoke at the rally, hail from across the state and live nearby to pipeline construction. They have refused to sign nondisclosure agreements. Shawley was told that if he signed he would give up his right to speak with politicians or the media.
Shawley called for Gov. Tom Wolf to put a stop to construction since the governor “must certainly know what is going on” with at least 150 wells fouled statewide.
The 1930s-era active pipeline right-of-way stretches 350 miles from Marcellus shale deposits in Ohio, West Virginia and across the breadth of Pennsylvania, to the Marcus Hook Refinery in Delaware County. The pipeline is designed for the shipment of the by-product of fracking for overseas production of plastics.
State Rep. Dianne Herrin, D156th of West Chester, state Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-155th of Uwchlan and state Sen. Katie Muth, D-44th of Royersford spoke at the Capitol Steps.
The three elected officials called for the Department of Environmental Protection and Wolf to pull the ME2 DEP permits until what they say are damaged wells are restored, and for fellow legislators to enact tougher laws.
The representatives called for adherence to the state Constitution, which guarantees clean water and air.
Also noted by the public officials was gubernatorial candidate and Attorney General Josh Shapiro’s lodging of 48 counts of environmental crimes following a grand jury investigation. Sunoco/ ET could only be fined, with no criminal time served, if convicted. Herrin wants to see change. “Access to clean water is a constitutional right for all Pennsylvanians, and the reckless behavior demonstrated by Energy Trans
fer during the construction of the Mariner East project has stripped residents of this basic necessity,” Herrin said. “These Pennsylvanians are not expendable.
“We call on Governor Wolf, the Department of Environmental Protection, and the Public Utility Commission to do their jobs, protect our communities’ water rights, and halt all permitting for this project until access to permanent, clean water has been restored to all affected residents.”
Friel Otten said that the stories told Wednesday at the Capitol are typical.
“Energy Transfer has failed, time after time, to meet its requirement to restore damaged private water supplies, and the administration and the DEP have failed, time after time, to hold them accountable,” Friel Otten said. “Once again, I am calling on this administration and the DEP to pull Energy Transfer’s permits, stop further construction of this pipeline, and uphold their duty and responsibility to restore our citizens’ constitutional right to clean water.”
Muth said that many private wells were decimated, with Sunoco/ET acting in an unacceptable manner and shamefully.
“This can be fixed,” Muth said. “Do your job.
“Corporate polluters have run these (Capitol) halls for decades. The gig is up! You can’t run from us anymore.”
Third generation Sun Oil retiree Fred Custer, a West Chester resident, said that Sun Oil had been very good to him.
He also said that his water and the water of two neighbors was impacted. The neighbors had to hookup to Aqua public water at a cost of $10,000 each. Sunoco/ET refused to foot the bills.
“There is a cause and effect,” Custer said. “You do something, you get something.”
“Could it be a coincidence that the water wells dried up while digging was going on? Of course it couldn’t possibly be them,” Custer said about Sunoco/ET. “We are not looking to get rich off of this corporation.
“There is a complete lack of corporate responsibility. This is not the company I worked for.”
Patrick Robinson, of New Florence, Indiana County, sits in a wheel chair due to a partial loss of limbs which he blames on Sunoco/ET. During 2017, his water became contaminated two days after drilling started.
“I’m pro-pipeline,” said the veteran. “I actually believe in them … if done properly.
“When is the job going to be done? When is it going to be corrected? Do the job right the first time and it won’t cost as much.”
Sunoco/ET Spokesperson Lisa Coleman commented on the event: “The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has determined that there has been no impact to Mr. Custer’s or Mr. Robinson’s water supply related to our construction. Our investigations have come to the same conclusion. Mr. Shawley has established legal representation so I cannot comment at this time.
“During the constriction of our pipelines, we treat any potential impact to landowners’ private water supplies with the utmost concern. In the event a concern is expressed by a landowner, Energy Transfer has established protocols to investigate, test, and — if necessary — provide temporary alternative water supply as a matter of good faith to our neighbors as we did for Mr. Robinson.”