The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on Thursday gave the green light for work to resume on Sunoco’s Mariner East 2 pipeline. This project remains critically important for Pennsylvania, so DEP and the company should be commended for working quickly to resolve issues that resulted in the January shutdown.
According to Econsult Solutions, projects associated with Mariner East will generate a one-time economic impact of nearly $9.1 billion in Pennsylvania and support 57,070 jobs during the entire construction period — the equivalent to 9,520 jobs each year for six years — with earnings of $2.7 billion. The report also states that the Mariner East projects could generate an estimated $122 million in total to the commonwealth over the length of the construction period.
Just as important as the economic benefits are, so are the environmental and community safety issues, which the DEP order reinforces. This latest DEP review adds another layer to the immense regulatory and public scrutiny that this project has undergone, and the action by DEP proves that regulators are being an effective watchdog to ensure the safe, responsible development of this project, which remains a shared priority for everyone.
If you are writing about today’s DEP order, 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:
“The restart of this project is good news for the workers who were idled and hoping for a speedy resolution after construction was halted, and good news for commonwealth residents who are eager to realize the benefits of one of the state’s largest energy infrastructure projects. DEP’s action proves that regulators are being an effective watchdog to ensure safe, responsible development. With the stop-work order lifted, this project can get back on track and Pennsylvania’s skilled laborers can get back to work.”
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.