In their 2016 Year in Review, the Delaware County Times focused heavily on the soon-to-be year that was for the Mariner East II project.
According to the Times, “While the debate over the Mariner East 2 pipeline picked up momentum, so did the progress of the Mariner East 1. On March 9, the first load of ethane sailed from Marcus Hook to Norway and Scotland, supplied by the Mariner East project. The occasion garnered bi-partisan congratulations from Senators and Congressmen, with Gov. Wolf calling it a landmark and saying it has created 290 to 440 permanent jobs statewide. Delaware County Community College responded to the growing industry by announcing in June a new introductory training program for gas distribution, the first in the region to do so…The success of the Mariner East 1 did not the slow controversy on the new pipeline. After the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court delivered a 5-2 opinion affirming a lower court’s ruling that the project a public utility, and that planned pipelines to transport Marcellus Shale crude represent a public utility service, granting the ability to acquire private property or easements under eminent domain, members of the Middletown Coalition for Community Safety began to voice louder opposition.”
With 2016 almost in the books, 2017 represents a pivotal opportunity for the Mariner East project to strengthen Pennsylvania’s, and the Nation’s, energy infrastructure. Avoiding unnecessary delays and moving ahead with the permitting process should be on everyone’s mind as the clock strikes midnight.