Demonstrators rally against pipeline
Dozens of people protest in West Chester against pipeline in their neighborhood
WEST CHESTER » Typically, demonstrators wave protest signs and chant outside the Historic Courthouse, but on Tuesday it was a different story.
About three dozen peaceful demonstrators rallied prior to a Commonwealth Court hearing across the street from the Justice Center, three blocks west of the Historic Courthouse.
Supporters of West Goshen’s ordinances raised their voices against the Sunoco Mariner East 2 pipeline, while supporting the suit. Pipeline construction is underway in several Chester and Delaware county municipalities.
A pair of planned 350mile Mariner East pipelines would zig-zag in the same right-of-way, from Marcellus Shale sites in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, to the refinery in Marcus Hook. The existing Mariner pipeline was placed in the right-of-way during the 1930s. The pipeline passes near churches, schools, businesses and homes.
At Tuesday’s 40-minute hearing, in the Court of Common Pleas, no decision was made. Judge Mark L. Tunnell said he will likely rule later this week whether to uphold West Goshen Township’s 2014 zoning ordinances forbidding construction of pipelines in residential neighborhoods.
West Goshen resident Tom Casey helped launch the action against Sunoco. Casey said that Sunoco plans call for new pipelines to cross his property. Prior to heading inside to the courtroom, he talked about the demonstration.
“It’s nice,” he said. “It’s the process that we’ve all come to know and love and it shows this project is bigger than any one community.”
Justice Center employees and motorists couldn’t help noticing the demonstrators waving several colorful signs.
Signs included, “Mariner East 2 Pipeline Blast Zone,” “Defend what you love,” and “SuNOco.”
Supporter Charles Williams was cheered when he drove by with a huge mock pipeline stretching from one end of his pickup truck bed to the other.
A couple demonstrators used a bull horn, while leading lively chants.
“Hey, hey/ ho, ho/ ME2 has got to go,” was likely heard inside the Justice Center.
“4-3-2-1/ This deal is not done,” chanted the demonstrators.
Lex Pavlo lives in the Bow Tree subdivision in East Goshen. He said Sunoco is storing equipment about 50 feet away from his property.
“My home is my nest egg and it might be pretty difficult to sell it over the next couple of years,” he said. “Big companies think they can railroad things through, but when we stand up we’re going to find out pretty quickly how our elected officials respond to constituent’s concerns.
“That’s how they get there. We vote them in.”
Eric Friedman is with the Middletown Coalition for Community Safety.
“The risks of this project have been proposed on a largely unsuspecting public,” Friedman said.
Uwchlan resident Wade Lee said his property rights are being abused.
“This is about a large corporation, with political influence on both sides,” Lee said. “People are starting to realize this impacts everyone and they’re waking up.”
As the 45-minute demonstration was breaking up, West Chester police advised several demonstrators that they could not use a bullhorn, or amplification, without a permit, West Chester Police Lt. James Morehead said.
Morehead also said that police asked for identification from three demonstrators.
Morehead said usually a permit to amplify at events is applied for ahead of time.
“Sometimes it’s not an issue,” he said.
A complaint from inside the Justice Center was phoned in at 9:17 a.m. and an officer responded at 9:18 a.m.
West Chester police were first aware of the peaceful rally after receiving a call from the Chester County Sheriff’s Office, according to Morehead.