Parents, kids rally against Mariner East 2 pipeline
Concerns over nearby pipeline not going away
“The school is in the blast zone and we have no idea if the emergency plan will work. How do we know if our kids are safe?” — Michelle Strain, the mother of fifth-grade twins “I want to insure there is awareness, and let everyone know there are a large number of people who oppose the pipeline. I want to be certain the message is heard.” — Ed Minnock, whose kindergartener and third grader attend Glenwood
MIDDLETOWN » Saturday may not have been picture day at Glenwood Elementary School, but nearly 50 students posed for their close-ups.
The photo-op with their parents was the first of a series of local events in connection with #StopETP Day, a nationwide demonstration against Energy Transfer Partners (ETP). The Texas-based corporation, which merged earlier this year with Sunoco Logistics, is responsible for the Mariner East 2 pipeline project. The pipelines and an above-ground valve station are under construction 650 feet from the school playground.
“Glenwood has always been a safe place for our children,” said Michelle Strain, the mother of fifthgrade twins. “Now, I am worried every day we send them here whether they will be protected.”
Spanning Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio, Mariner East 2 is a 350mile system to transport natural gas liquids such as propane, ethane and butane to the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex. Glenwood, where work is underway on an access road adjacent to the campus, is one of several schools in Delaware and Chester counties in close proximity to the line.
In preparation for the pipeline and its associated issues, the Rose Tree Media School District held a safety summit in March to analyze the situation and formulate an emergency plan should circumstances require immediate action by the staff and approximately 450 students. A month later, the district and local first responders put the plan into action by conducting a simulated evacuation, walking students, staff and administrators through the steps which would be implemented in the event of a hazardous materials release.
“The school is in the blast zone and we have no idea if the emergency plan will work,” said Strain. “How do we know if our kids are safe?”
The children and many of their moms and dads sported “Defend What You Love” T-shirts, with a picture of a mother bear protecting her cub in front of the school and the hashtag #NoME2 and the Middletown Coalition for Community Safety website on the back. Their handmade posters, with phrases such as “Governor Wolf – Revoke the Permits,” “My School is in the Blast Zone” and “Do Chocolate Milk Instead – not NGLs,” clearly conveyed their stance. The shot, taken by photographer Tracy Nelms, will be mailed to Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf as part of a postcard campaign.
“I went to Glenwood, as did my four children,” Strain said. “Many thirdgeneration families live in this area and there is a sense of concern in the community.”
The early morning picture was followed by an outdoor yoga class at Marcus Hook Municipal Park to raise awareness and demonstrate opposition. At noon, some of the families planned to participate in the “Enough is Enough” rally at Paoli Pike and Boot Road, East Goshen Township. The events were sponsored by the Middletown Coalition, Protect Penn Delco, Goshen United for Public Safety, Uwchlan Safety Coalition, Upper Uwchlan Residents for Safety and West Whiteland Safety Coalition.
“These actions will highlight the need for the governor to immediately address the health, safety and welfare of residents of Pennsylvania, with particular attention to his responsibilities under the Pennsylvania School Code to analyze and prepare for new hazards to school safety,” according to a press release issued by the groups. “Participants will be calling for a halt to all construction due to widespread, unanswered safety concerns.”
Ed Minnock, whose kindergartener and third grader attend Glenwood, was hopeful the picture would be worth 1,000 words.
“I want to insure there is awareness and let everyone know there are a large number of people who oppose the pipeline,” he said. “I want to be certain the message is heard.”