Protesters call for halt to pipeline construction
Thirty demonstrators lifted their voices and protest signs Tuesday morning to challenge the Chester County commissioners to put a stop to construction of Sunoco/Energy Transfer Mariner East pipeline construction.
Opponents of the pipeline rallied at the Historic Courthouse and marched, while chanting, to the County Justice Center.
On July 16, the Chester County commissioners requested the Public Utility Commission halt operation of the 90-year-old Mariner East 8-inch and 12-inch lines that run through the county and conduct an independent geological investigation.
That ask is due to the heightened risk of failure presented by sinkholes caused by Mariner East construction near the Chester County Library in Exton, ralliers said. There has been no response from the PUC, and demonstrators say it is time for commissioners
to take action.
The Mariner East pipeline weaves 350 miles from Marcellus shale deposits in western Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio to the refinery in Marcus Hook Delaware County. A pair of new pipelines is being built in the existing right-of-way where an active 90-year-old pipeline that now ships byproducts for fracking to make plastics overseas.
Several sinkholes have developed and flooding is widespread, as Sunoco/ ET digs near the Chester County Library in West Whiteland Township.
Ginny Marcille-Kerslake helped organize Tuesday’s rally and spoke at the courthouse steps.
“(Sunoco/ET’s) construction activities in West Whiteland Township have rendered an even more unstable geology, and we are at increased risk of a catastrophic explosion from collapse of the pipelines into sinkholes,” Kerslake said.
Over 500 residents have emailed the commissioners requesting they take immediate action and file a petition for emergency relief with the PUC.
Luke Bauerlein spoke at the courthouse steps.
“I take the word of the commissioners seriously … and I’m here to encourage them to use their power and petition the state for emergency relief,” he said.
Demonstrators chanted, “Halt Mariner Now!” Police asked the peaceful marchers to not make too much noise because court was in session. The marchers complied.
More than a dozen of those attending the rally spoke to the commissioners at their public session, telling them of the danger they feel the pipelines present to their neighborhoods and asking the commissioners to help stop the construction by filing an emergency petition with the PUC.
The commissioners listened to almost an hour of comments but made no formal response at the meeting, a work session at which votes are not taken. The county, while it can and has asked the PUC to take action against the pipeline, by itself does not have the statutory authority to shut down construction.
Doug McCord of Uwchlan, who identified himself as a civil engineer, said the commissioners should treat the pipeline as a safety hazard, just as the deputy sheriffs who guard the county’s buildings would treat someone trying to enter with a canister of liquid propane.
“The lines must be turned off, purged and stopped,” said McCord. “I encourage you to please use common sense, the same way those security people do.”
Maderas, who lives in the Meadowbrook Manor section of West Whiteland near the pipeline, said she and others felt they had no help besides the commissioners who in July wrote to the PUC about the pipeline dangers.
“It’s a scary thing,” she said. “We’ve gotten lucky so far. We are asking you to please help us.”
Carol Gross of Uwchlan, commenting online, said she was frustrated with the pace of action against the pipeline.
“I want to see some answers,” she said. “I don’t want to see another letter. We have waited long enough. When it (the pipeline) explodes, will you be able to say that you did enough in your power to save us?”
Attorney Mark Freed of the law firm of Curtain & Heefner, which is representing the county before the PUC, spoke at length about the difficulties the county would face if it asked the commission to act against Sunoco without proper data linking the geology underpinning the constriction to pipeline safety. He tried to assure those at the meeting that the county was working hard on their behalf.
“The commissioners are doing the best they can,” said Freed, a Tredyffrin supervisor. “I think we are all on the same page.”