Protesters shut down construction on Mariner East
EDGMONT >> About 40 activists pulled the plug on Sunoco’s Mariner East pipeline construction for about an hour Saturday morning, idling about a dozen pipeline workers.
About a dozen community advocates carried signs and a bull horn, and entered the construction right-of-way at Meadow and Shepherd lanes, while another three dozen sang protest songs, chanted and held signs high. Sunoco/ Energy Transfer, which is building the multi-billion dollar project, was forced to temporarily shut down drilling operations.
Police threatened community advocates with misdemeanor arrest and finger printing if they did not stay outside barriers.
“I’m not out here to decide, I’m here to tell you the law,” a state policeman told a spokesman with the group. After about an hour and a half the activists moved to a spot behind the barrier.
The action was part of a “Cease and Desist” movement by demonstrators opposed to the Mariner East project, which will transport hundreds of thousands of barrels of volatile liquid gases through densely populated neighborhoods to a facility in Marcus Hook. The group has complained about delaying tactics to court proceedings by the company. They based their action on the belief that the company was in violation of a “Notice to Cease and Desist notice of Violation,” written by Catherine Ricardo, zoning officer. The claim the pipeline builder has been in violation of the order for seven days since June 7.
Sunoco has pushed back a hearing on the alleged violations three times, most recently to Dec. 17 and has not yet paid a $500 per day, or $3,500 fine.
Ricardo’s missive states that Sunoco has been “working out of permitted construction hours.”
Construction work, and operating tools or equipment, is not allowed between the hours of 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., Monday through Thursday, and 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. on Fridays, after 7 p.m. on Saturdays and no time on Sundays or legal holidays.
Luke Bauerlein, one of the organizers of Saturday’s rally, called loudly and passionately for cease and desist.
“Residents have experienced trauma from poisoned water wells, inadvertent returns spilling into clean water wells and recently sinkholes have opened up,” he said. “In the face of those violations and a lack of enforcement from the township, citizens are enforcing cease and desist on behalf of the community.”
Sinkholes have occurred along the pipeline route several times in Middletown in the past few months, as well as in West Whiteland in Chester County.
Lora Snyder is an Edgmont resident and said the movement adds “a sense of community.”
Existing pipelines in the same right-of-way are now in use. Snyder is concerned for the community’s safety regarding clean water and fears the risk of explosions with highly volatile materials running through existing 90-year old pipelines. She also worry’s about the newly formed sinkholes
compromising the almost century old pipelines.
Fran Shelton is known as a “Mama Bear” and is an activist from Media.
“It’s a national issue with the rights of citizens everywhere to determine their future,” she said. “These are our neighbors.”
Lynne Brown of Edgmont said this was her first rally and she couldn’t believe that “the big oil companies are running the world.”
Uwchlan Township’s Connor Young said the event was a success since it shut down construction.
“We did what Edgmont Township was not able to do,” he said.
When completed and fully operational, the Sunoco Mariner East pipeline project will ship highly volatile liquid gases such as propane, methane and butane, 350 miles from Marcellus shale fracking sites in Western Pennsylvania,
Ohio and West Virginia to the former Marcus Hook Refinery in Marcus Hook for international export.
Construction weaves 22 miles through the heart of Chester County and 11 miles through western and lower Delaware County.
Activists have fought the project that runs through many high-density areas, including backyards, as well as in close proximity to 41 schools and several retirement communities.
The activist’s songs included one with the following lyrics:
“I went down to the pipeline and took what they stole from me … Ain’t nobody gonna walk all over me.”
Demonstrators mouthed, “We’re takin’ it into our hands today.”
A Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety spokesperson submitted the following statement: “Edgmont Township and its residents have been the victims of at least three serious Sunoco hazardous liquids pipeline accidents. Edgmont’s failure to enforce its Cease and Desist Orders on Sunoco is deeply disturbing.”
A spokesperson for Sunoco/Energy Transfer did not immediately return a request for comment.