Pipelines Remain Safest, Most Efficient, Environmentally Sound Means to Transport Energy Resources

HARRISBURG, Pa. – For more than a century, pipeline systems and related infrastructure have safely and reliably delivered energy resources to every corner of Pennsylvania and across the nation, said members of the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance (PEIA). Strict regulations and the use of skilled labor ensure these projects will continue to be developed safely and responsibly.

The state Senate and House Veterans Affairs and Emergency Preparedness committees convened a joint hearing in Harrisburg to hear testimony from several groups about pipeline safety.

“The energy industry is a generator of enormous wealth, and as output grows, so too must our capacity to safely transport these resources,” said Trish McFarland, President of the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. “The evidence makes clear, in study after study, that pipelines are the safest, most efficient and environmentally sound means of transporting our energy products, and the hearing today helped to reinforce that reality.”

“Using local trades on pipeline infrastructure ensures that the most qualified, best trained professionals are hired to safely build pipelines. It also ensures that the pipeline will meet and exceed state and federal regulations,” said Abe Amoros, State Legislative Director at Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA!), which has more than 25,000 members in Pennsylvania.

“Every pipeline project must be designed according to the most stringent standards,” said James T. Kunz, Jr., Business Manager for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66, which covers 33 counties in western Pennsylvania. “Projects like Sunoco’s Mariner East 2, which was among the projects discussed at the hearing, must have detailed safety and mitigation procedures in place to ensure safe construction and long-term operations. That’s a fact.”

“Just as a diverse collection of groups and organization came together to form the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance, so too must all residents cooperate and work together to ensure we modernize our infrastructure and advance the safe, responsible development of pipelines that will fuel our economic growth as a commonwealth,” said Jeff Kotula, President of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and a founder of the Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance.

The Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance was launched June 8 by the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, along with the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA!) and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 66. There are more than a dozen members today. Membership today totals 30 members statewide.

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The Pennsylvania Energy Infrastructure Alliance is a broad-based coalition of labor, agriculture, manufacturing and other business interests that support private investment to modernize energy infrastructure and ensure reliable access to low-cost energy to power our local economy and ensure the utmost safety and health of our communities.  As the safest mode to transport energy, we believe that investing in new and existing pipelines will benefit our communities through new job opportunities, new industries, and new access to affordable energy over the long-term.  Learn more at: www.paallianceforenergy.com.

Contact: [email protected]

(717) 571- 5687