A day after proclaiming the environmental catastrophe caused to Marsh Creek Lake, pipeline activists seemed unconcerned……and took their kids paddling in at the site of the cleanup. Even they don’t believe their own rhetoric.
There is no doubt that the site of drilling mud due to an inadvertent return getting into the Marsh Creek Lake is not a pretty site, but it is highly doubtful the reality of the situation isn’t near as dire as some have claimed.
On Tuesday, anti-pipeline activists were saying that water supplies had been impacted, which the Department of Environmental Protection stated yesterday was in fact, not true.
These activists have some pretty deep pockets backing their work. Last month it was revealed the support that one, Ginney Kerslake has received from out of state and national groups in dark money for her losing campaigns. The Clean Air Council and Delaware Riverkeeper have never seen an anti-progress lawsuit they didn’t want to engage in. And have even been slapped down by judges for their litigious tactics. Today, some are participating in a digital town hall, hosted by the national fringe environmental group, Food and Water Watch.
The fact is, inadvertent returns are not unexpected. They are covered in the permits granted by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The hope and intention is always that they do not occur, however the pipeline operator, its contractors, and crews have been onsite since the incident. They have contained the spread, are in the process of cleaning it up, and plan to have it restored, all with the strict oversight of the DEP.
Mariner East is a critical infrastructure project that ensures the safe transport of energy resources. Products such as propane and ethane that are central to the manufacture of locally sourced personal protective equipment and medical supplies as we continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and could be central to the manufacture of domestic PPE reducing reliance on foreign sources.