LIMA, PA – This morning, 9th District State Senate candidate, Marty Malloy and Lynda Farrell of the Pipeline Safety Coalition held a press conference in Middletown Township in Delaware County advocating for delay on construction of the Sunoco Logistics Mariner East 2 pipeline. They contend that local residents’ concerns about the pipeline have been left unanswered.
In response, Anthony Gallagher, a Delaware county resident and Business Manager for the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 420 and Bill Adams, president of the Upper Chichester, Penn. based International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 654; members of the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance (PEIA) provided the following statement.
“Sunoco Logistics Mariner East 2 will be built with state of the art technology to ensure the highest regard for safety of the communities it runs through,” said Bill Adams. “Pipelines are the safest way to transport energy resources according to the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline & Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.”
The Mariner East 2 pipeline will be built by local union construction trades workers, with the highest level of training that exists, to ensure that the pipeline is built with state of the art technology to ensure its safe operation. This is not the first pipeline that will run through this community, but I can assure you that it will be the safest.
“Claims by anti-pipeline advocates this morning in Middletown Township are unfounded and meant to do nothing more than to strike fear into the hearts of Pennsylvania residents,” said Anthony Gallagher. He continued, “Sunoco Logistics has been working on this project since 2012 and meeting with landowners and residents along the proposed pipeline route for two years; meeting and exceeding all requirements through the regulatory and permitting process for its construction. They have done this all in good faith and to ask for more meetings and further review beyond this, is an attempt to delay this important project.”
Adams continued: “I would also caution the motives of Mr. Malloy and Ms. Farrell. Malloy is currently running an uphill campaign on an anti-progress agenda and hopes that evoking concern amongst local residents will propel him into the state senate. Additionally, questions have been raised about the intent of the Pipeline Safety Coalition and Lynda Farrell. Shawn McCoy of Inside Sources recently identified a federal investigation that involves her, this organization, and their funding through taxpayer dollars that is in violation of the Technical Assistance Grant program they rely on for funding.”
The Mariner East 2 pipeline will transport energy resources that will provide great benefit to Pennsylvania and our countries efforts to be energy independent. A large number of Pennsylvanian’s depend on propane for home heat in the coming winter months and these resources are essential to revitalize Pennsylvania’s manufacturing sector. Anti-growth, fear mongering by fringe activists is not helpful.