Commonwealth Court Silences Senator Andy Dinniman

Today the Commonwealth court of Pennsylvania, led by Judge Mary Leavitt, issued an opinion on Senator Andy Dinniman’s complaint against Sunoco Pipeline LP. finding the Senator unable to establish legislative or personal grounds to litigate against the pipeline company.

As a result the court determined it would reverse and remand a previous determination barring Sunoco LP from operating and constructing portions of its Mariner East 2 project.

Specifically, the Honorable Mary Leavitt wrote “…we hold that Senator Dinniman lacked either legislative or personal standing to file the Complaint and petition for emergency interim relief against Sunoco, and the PUC erred in so holding. Accordingly, we reverse the PUC’s decision and remand this matter to the PUC to dissolve the interim emergency injunction and dismiss the complaint.”

This decision brings to end an extremely frivolous lawsuit in which Senator Dinniman grasped at straws in hopes of slowing or halting the legally – and rigorously – permitted Mariner East 2 project.

Senator Dinniman was only successful in wasting the taxpayer’s money, which he used to fund this frivolous lawsuit. The courts have upheld this legally permitted project at every opportunity and it is time that these few anti-pipeline activists understand this and allow the project be completed so that Pennsylvanian’s receive the full benefits this project will provide.