Pipeline waivers awarded in error
UWCHLAN » To drill or not to drill? That is the red-hot question.
A Tuesday evening email from Sunoco/Energy Transfer spokesperson Lisa Coleman stated that Sunoco was granted additional waivers and could restart construction of some sections of the Mariner East pipeline.
Gov. Tom Wolf had declared a halt to non-essential work March 19. On March 25, Sunoco/ET was granted 17 waivers to restart construction.
Fifteen waivers were then approved in both Chester and Delaware counties, including within the Pottstown Pike/Route 100 roadway rights-of-way, near the Target, and beneath the busy highway, in West Whiteland Township.
Coleman emailed the following release on Tuesday: “We have received approvals from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to resume construction activities at additional locations across the state. These approvals are in addition to the activities we resumed in late March.”
Late Wednesday afternoon Coleman issued the following release:
“The Department of Community and Economic Development notified us Tuesday evening, April 7, that the latest approvals we received for additional construction activity in Pennsylvania were delivered in error and that our waiver requests remain under review by the Commonwealth. We are working as quickly as possible to get clarification on the situation and will update you as quickly as possible.
“Meanwhile, we continue the construction-related activity that was exempted and/ or previously approved by the Commonwealth, which allows us to safely secure, stabilize and move equipment as needed to prevent potential impacts to safety and the environment.”
Rachel Wrigley, deputy director of communications for the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development included the following in an email: “One waiver was issued in error to Energy Transfer on April 6. It was pulled back yesterday, April 7 and is still under review. The company has been notified of this.”
State Rep. Danielle Friel Otten, D-155th, of Uwchlan lives about 200 feet away from a drilling site.
“How does a waiver get issued in error?” she asked.
Friel Otten said that the waivers are “pending” but “not denied.” The deadline to submit waiver requests was April 3, but the review of those waivers can extend long after that deadline. There is no time frame for when DCED may issue a decision.
“I hope it’s not a situation where tomorrow or next week they get approved,” she said. “I’m grateful that we didn’t wake up to drills this morning.”
Don Vymazal is a spokesperson for state Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19th, of West Whiteland. Vymazal is also running for state senator to succeed Dinniman, who is set to retire at the end of his current term.
“Confusion and lack of transparency regarding how decisions are made on the permitting of the Mariner East pipeline project is nothing new.,” Vymazal said. “The lack of answers has only been exacerbated by the current public health crisis. Sunoco/ET is adept at exploiting confusion to push this project forward at every opportunity.”
Mariner East 2 will move hundreds of thousands of barrels of volatile liquid gases from the state’s Marcellus
Shale regions to a facility in Marcus Hook, where they will be stored and eventually shipped mostly to overseas markets. The pipeline cuts 23 miles through the heart of Chester County and another 11 miles through western Delaware County. The multi-billion dollar project has sparked intense opposition from the community.
Tom Casey is an activist and noted that Sunoco had originally announced a fall 2016 completion date to finish pipeline construction.
“I find it highly suspect that the waivers, which have now been decided to have been in error, were being promoted by this company as matters of fact,” Casey said. “It would appear that only businesses with connections are getting instant approvals.
“We are all doing our part to keep our communities safe. Why does this one continuously keep getting a pass? Even in a time of a pandemic! Someone from AG Shapiro’s office needs to look into this one.”
Coleman also addressed safety in the Sunoco release: “The safety of our employees, pipeline workers and the communities where we work and operate remains our top priority during this critical time. As we communicated previously, our pipeline systems and facilities that are in service have been deemed as life-sustaining activities and they will continue to safely operate. We are also continuing maintenance work on these assets.
“We also remain diligent in employing updated protocols to keep our employees, contractors and community residents safe and healthy while working on our property and within our pipeline rights-ofway.
“All of our employees and contractors have been directed to continue compliance with social distancing and other mitigation measures as directed by the CDC, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the PA Department of Health.”
Kurt Knaus, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance, said:
“Pipeline and utility work, including critical construction and maintenance, are essential for public well-being. This work must continue, especially where halting work could pose a potential risk to the environment or public health, as is the case with drilling, boring and erosion controls related to this project. The Mariner East pipeline network delivers products that are essential components to things such as transportation fuels and heating fuels as well as the manufacture of medical supplies and personal protective equipment that rely on these byproducts as a feedstock. Every effort is being made to ensure this project is being developed safely and operated responsibly. That means allowing work to continue where it is essential, environmentally sound, and safe for workers.”