Pennsylvania possesses an abundant reserve of natural gas. Pennsylvania could experience an economic boom if that gas is used and the proper infrastructure built. Expansion cannot be accomplished alone; every sector must cooperate to achieve this goal. This past week, state representatives toured the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex and heard from community members just how much the region had benefited.
A recent piece in Pivot Today detailed that Anthony Gallagher, Business Manager for Steamfitters Local 420 said, “We’ve benefited astronomically” and that “his members have earned more than $185 million working more than two million hours on the Mariner East 1 and 2 pipeline projects. Those earnings have solidified the union’s health and retirement plans, in addition to the employment of hundreds of workers.”
The ports of Pennsylvania also benefit from natural gas infrastructure. Since Sunoco’s $3 Billion investment in the Mariner East pipelines, ship traffic and port activity have gone up. “With the deepening of the Delaware River nearing completion, “Everything is in place to grow the port,” said Jonathan Kemmerley, president of The Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware.”
New energy and infrastructure jobs offer an opportunity to keep communities intact. David Spigelmyer, the president of the Pittsburgh-based Marcellus Shale Coalition, the region’s largest shale development trade association, said, “This is a generational opportunity at our fingertips to keep our kids at home.”