Sunoco responds to safety concerns

WEST CHESTER >> Sunoco/ET representative Lisa Dillinger responded to a query posed by a reporter concerning whether Sunoco thought the pipeline was safe with the following response: “Thousands of miles of pipeline, new and old, have been safely operating all over the state of Pennsylvania for decades, including the numerous service lines that bring natural gas directly to homes. Energy Transfer is one of many pipeline operators and builders in the state, operating nearly 3,000 miles of pipeline within Pennsylvania. It is always our primary goal to operate our pipelines to the highest safely standards. Pipelines remain an integral part of Pennsylvania’s economic development because of their role in the state’s oil and gas industry — encouraging capital investment and the creation of jobs.”

She also added, “We have built the Mariner East 2 pipeline to the highest standards, and have communicated

those standards to the public through our website, newsletters, emergency response trainings, media relations, and meetings with local officials and schools. Just recently, Paul Metro, manager of the safety division in the PUC’s Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement, explained in a letter to three school superintendents that all of our safety methodology has been inspected and meets or exceeds requirements by both the PUC and PHMSA. For example, we performed two hydrostatic tests on the repurposed and upgraded 12-inch line that is being used for ME2 and worked with the PUC on the best placement for safety valves.”