Delaware County Council on Wednesday voted to move forward with a “pipeline hazardous analysis” of the Mariner East 2 project to “address the concerns and educate the general public along the pipeline routes in Delaware County,” even though study after study shows that pipelines are the safest, most efficient way to transport energy resources and that these permits are among the most stringent the state has ever issued for this type of construction activity.
Members of the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance attended the meeting and spoke out to ensure residents and officials understand the economic importance of this project as well as the level of regulatory scrutiny the project has undergone. Speaking at the meeting were members of LiUNA and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 542, who made clear that these are “stable, family-supporting jobs for our workers” who are ensuring the safe development of the project. Skill laborers working on the pipeline live in Delaware County, too.
Moreover, as noted by the Steamfitters Local 420, this is not the first and only pipeline to run through local communities. A number of pipelines that currently run through Delaware County carry the very same energy resources that the Mariner East pipelines will deliver. None of them required these studies and all of them are operated safely.
If you are providing continuing coverage about the vote, please feel free to use any of this material as well as the following statement attributed to me, Kurt Knaus, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance:
“This project received unprecedented review over the past five years at hundreds of meetings and hearings with local residents, officials and regulators. Included in the strict regulations that this project must meet are risk assessments that ensure the highest level of safety. The push for additional studies to assess risk is duplicative to the unprecedented regulatory oversight that has already been applied to the Mariner East pipeline and, thus, an unnecessary use of taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars. Today’s pipelines are built with the most up-to-date technology to ensure safety.”
For more than two years, the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance has advocated for the safe, responsible development of critical infrastructure and boosts in economic activity.