Former two term Pennsylvania State Senator and three term Chester County Commissioner Earl Baker was featured in Penn Live today offering a welcome perspective on the Mariner East 2 project and the Commonwealth’s energy infrastructure industry at large.
Let’s take a look at a few important topics Baker touches on:
Invasiveness: “At some point this year, the disruption caused by the installation of the pipeline will end and the completed Mariner East 2 will run 350 miles from western Pennsylvania all the way to Marcus Hook, Delaware County on the Delaware River. Our community will return to a condition in which there is no visible indication of the pipeline and the view outside my window will return to more mundane happenings. The grass will grow back and the pipeline will soon be forgotten, much like the original Mariner East pipeline, which follows a similar route and has been in the ground since the 1930s.”
Pennsylvania has thousands of miles of pipelines that are largely unseen by the public, Mariner East 2 is no different.
Safety: “Natural gas produced at sites in Western Pennsylvania will pass through the safest and most advanced series of pipeline lengths in the state. The Mariner East 2 project meets or exceeds federal safety requirements at every level. A 24/7 operations center will constantly monitor and instantly identify any problems and initiate any needed responses and communities through which the pipeline passes have been trained on emergency pipeline response.”
The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has been very public in describing the rigor of regulations and review the Mariner East 2 project underwent, as well as overlapping approval by federal regulators.
Jobs: “While 3,000 workers have been employed during the construction phase of Mariner East 2, the economic effects will be enjoyed long after the project is completed. Three to four hundred full-time workers will be employed as the pipeline enters the operational phase. The pipeline itself will transport up to 250,000 barrels of natural gas per day, boosting Pennsylvania’s economy and helping the United States achieve energy independence.”
The Commonwealth’s union workers are critical to energy infrastructure success, and will be one of many to benefit from the Mariner East pipeline system. Still, pipeline opponents are willing to publically harass union members for supporting projects that provide them with good, family – supporting wages.
Lastly, Baker concludes: “The governor, the General Assembly and the Pennsylvania Department of State all agree and have made it clear they want this project to be completed as safely, efficiently and expeditiously as possible. Pennsylvania’s energy future is bright and will be ushered in with the vivid sights and sounds of developing new energy infrastructure.”
The full op-ed can be read here.