Local residents and politicians wanted construction halted, at least until the company completed a cleanup of Marsh Creek Lake. All Rights Reserved. Read more Michael Bryant / File Photograph by Naureen Malik and Aaron Clark, Bloomberg Published Sep 2, 2021 Other grassroots activists have staged tree sits and other protests to halt Mariner East IIs construction at a Camp White Pine in Huntington County. Philly police say Kingsessing mass shooting suspect was shooting aimlessly, Industrial lot targeted for new affordable housing complex in North Philly, An amazing tool: Wilmingtons first dual language trail celebrates bilingualism and inclusivity. In its recent fourth-quarter earnings call, Energy Transfer said that commissioning of the Mariner East lines will boost its overseas exports. The agency said it would review the charges "and determine if any additional actions are appropriate at this time.". An Energy Transfer spokesperson has said the company operates its Mariner East pipelines safely. The Mariner East project consists of three pipelines carrying highly volatile ethane, propane, and butane: the 8-inch Mariner East 1 line; the 20-inch Mariner East 2 line; and the 16-inch Mariner East 2x. I really believe that the governor wants to push this project through.. The 306-mile pipeline project would carry 275,000 barrels a day of butane, propane and other liquid fossil fuels from Ohio and West Virginia to the Atlantic coast for export. Energy Transfer has also been assessed more than $24 million in civil fines, including a $12.6 million fine in 2018 that was one of the largest ever imposed by the state. The new information led to the filing of two additional charges, Shapiro said. The construction of the Mariner East pipelines is credited with an estimated $9.1 billion in tax revenue and economic impact to the state. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. "This was a major incident, but understand, it wasn't an isolated one. In December, Sunoco Pipeline, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer and the builder of the pipeline, agreed to pay $4 million to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, StateImpact Pennsylvania reported. Homeowners who say their water quality was impacted by the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline have until Aug. 19 to request free water testing as a result of the settlement of the . State Sen. Katie Muth, a Democrat who represents parts of Chester and Montgomery counties, said she was infuriated by the new permits allowing construction at Marsh Creek and called for the testing of public and private wells along the entire route. Op-Ed: The New Landscape for Fighting Fossil Fuel Infrastructure, Environmental Groups Sue to Block Unconstitutional New Law Allowing Fracking in Ohio State Parks, Fossil Fuels 101: Everything You Need to Know. Del-Chesco United intends to use this temporary halt to continue to call for the Mariner East risk assessment which Gov. Energy Transfer says it has completed the troubled 350-mile-long natural gas liquids pipeline, two years behind the initial schedule. The lines carry Marcellus Shale gas from western Pennsylvania to the companys 800-acre terminal in Marcus Hook, Delaware County, where the bulk of the product is shipped to Scotland to make plastics. Construction of the Mariner East 2 NGL pipeline. Public safety advocates said that they considered Wednesdays order a partial victory. Mariner East 1 has a capacity of 70,000 bpd and Mariner East 2 and 2X are expected to have a capacity of about 300,000 bpd. The 1,784-acre park in Chester County hosts more than 1 million visitors each year. The Mariner East pipeline system transports propane, ethane and butane from Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale gas fields in western Pennsylvania to a refinery processing center and export. Back in August Sunoco was ordered to pay more than $350,000 in penalties for violations related to the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline in eight Pennsylvania counties. More directly, Sunoco has a checkered record nationwide when it comes to hazardous materials pipeline spills. All contents copyright 2021 Associated Press. Theyve been laboring for years on this pipeline because they know even greater opportunities are possible at the Marcus Hook Industrial Complex and beyond once everything is up and running. His response offers the bigger (and truer) picture about ME2 safety. Mariner East pipeline system is expected to enter full service to transport up to 370,000 barrels of NGL a day with the completion of the 20-in diameter Mariner East 2 pipeline in the first quarter of 2022. Mariner East pipeline is set to be completed in 2022, after years of 8/6/2021 By Jeff Awalt, Executive Editor HOUSTON (P&GJ) Energy Transfer said it has completed a phased expansion of Dakota Access Pipeline that boosted capacity to 750,000 bpd from 570,000 bpd even as it waged a legal battle for DAPL's survival. Sunoco Pipeline LP will dredge at least six inches of sediment from Ranger Cove, part of Marsh Creek State Park in Downingtown. The project has caused dozens of drilling mud spills into wetlands and waterways across the state, led to dangerous sinkholes in Chester County, and polluted drinking water supplies across the entire length of the project. Energy Transfer also operates the Dakota Access oil pipeline, which went into service in 2017 after months of protests by the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and others during its construction. The only activities allowed will be those associated with ensuring the shutdown is done safely and without further environmental damage. Sections remain unconnected, held up by litigation . We are open-minded, Warren said. The risks of transporting hazardous materials along the Delaware River, in particular, remains a concern. The comments, delivered in a series of three-minute speeches stretching over almost two hours, reflected continuing public rifts over the troubled and long-delayed project that pumps natural gas liquids more than 300 miles across 17 southern Pennsylvania counties to a Delaware County terminal, where most of the fuel is exported for plastics manufacturing. HARRISBURG Several state legislators are asking the commonwealth's top law enforcement officer to seek an emergency injunction halting the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline. Relying on luck is not enough.. A grand jury report cites numerous spills of drilling fluid at the construction site at Glen Riddle. (Copyright 2021 by The Associated Press. The approval of the modification for the . A worst-case scenario explosion could bring a fireball with an even larger radius, a study by commissioned by a local safety coalition found last year, prompting one school to start conducting safety drills. Energy Transfer started work on the $2.5 billion Mariner East 2 expansion in February 2017 and planned to finish the 350-mile (563-km) pipeline in the third quarter of 2017, Reuters reported, but state agencies stopped work several times, delaying that start until December 2018. Christina PK DiGiulio lives by Marsh Creek in Chester County and used drones to document construction. Middletown Township has been refusing to produce the records for nearly a year, asserting they were exempt from disclosure under the states open records law. The pipeline runs through Chester on its way to Marcus Hook. (Not a member? When a leak occurs, they sink and can easily ignite and explode. 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The Pennsylvania Access line would connect Midwest refineries to central Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley, and upstate New York. Opposition to the Mariner East project has been particularly fierce in the densely packed suburbs of Philadelphia, where its foes say the pipes carrying highly volatile natural gas liquids pose a safety threat while not providing energy to Pennsylvania residents. State regulators have periodically shut down construction. On October 5th, 2021, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro charged Energy Transfer with 48 counts of environmental crimes for its construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- The corporate developer of a multi-billion-dollar pipeline system that takes natural gas liquids from the Marcellus Shale gas field to an export terminal near Philadelphia was charged criminally on Tuesday after agrand jury concludedthat it flouted Pennsylvania environmental laws and fouled waterways and residential water supplies across hundreds of miles. Energy Transfer has also been assessed more than $24 million in civil fines, including a $12.6 million fine in 2018 that was one of the largest ever imposed by the state. State regulators had discovered that Sunoco was drilling under streams without permits when a spill contaminated a high-quality creek in Berks County, Pennsylvania, the order notesand then found unpermitted construction at over a half-dozen other locations along the pipelines route. This project was flawed from the beginning.. Environmental activists and homeowners who assert their water has been fouled say that fines and shutdown orders have not forced Sunoco to clean up its act. Please give today. Stream WHYY-FM, read the top stories from WHYY News, and listen to the latest podcast from WHYY Digital Studios anytime, anywhere. WHYY thanks our sponsors become a WHYY sponsor. Putting the Mariner East 2 pipeline into operation means increased risk of a catastrophic explosion in densely populated communities in Southeastern Pennsylvania., Kerslake said there are no good emergency plans in the event of a leak. The company has previously said it intends to defend itself. The spill, which happened in August 2020 during construction of the troubled pipeline, contaminated wetlands, tributaries and part of the 535-acre lake. Court: Town must turn over emails to gas pipeline builder He predicted that total natural gas demand will increase by 40 percent over the next decade, driven mostly by manufacturing and power generation. "Thirty-five people signed up to testify . Hallelujah! Mariner East pipeline construction leaves hundreds without water in Delaware County. In October, Energy Transfer, the developer of the multi-billion-dollar pipeline project, was charged criminally after a grand jury concluded that it flouted Pennsylvania environmental laws and fouled waterways and residential water supplies across hundreds of miles. The ruling was far from a total victory for residents and local officials who had sought additional measures to protect children, older people, and those with disabilities. Sunoco ordered to dredge lake, pay $4M over Mariner East 2 pipeline spill It is a truly sad day for Pennsylvanians.. More supporters than opponents showed up last Wednesday for the state Department of Environmental Affairs public hearing on proposed modifications to the last few miles of the Mariner East 2 pipeline a sign, some say, that passions over the project have cooled as it reaches its final stages. Our elected leaders need to stop kicking the can down the road and take real action to protect families and communities put at unacceptable risk for this out-of-state corporation to profit from shipping fracked ethane overseas for more plastic junk. Between now and then, clubs will finalize their evaluations and try to determine signability. DOWNINGTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A pipeline developer will dredge part of a contaminated lake and pay more than $4 million for spilling thousands of gallons of drilling fluids at a popular state park. As we said on the earnings call, construction of the final phase of the Mariner East project was completed this month and commissioning is in progress, she said in an email Friday. Energy Transfer subsidiary Sunoco Pipeline LP has been installing two new pipelines to take natural gas liquids from the Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia. In this file photo, Mariner East 2 pipeline construction crews work in the backyards of homes on Lisa Drive in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, on May 2, 2018 after sinkholes opened in the . (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File). Shapiro's news conference was originally rescheduled for Monday, but was abruptly postponed after the state environmental agency provided last-minute information to the attorney general's office. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? To date, DEP said Energy Transfer has paid more than $20 million in fines for polluting waterways and drinking water wells, including a$12.6 million finein 2018 that was one of the largest ever imposed by the agency. Its a scare tactic. Mariner East Pipeline Construction Complete In Eastern PA This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Energy Transfer, the owner of the multi-billion-dollar Mariner East pipeline system, also opposed their release. In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver. Update, 9 a.m. Oct. 5: The news conference is now scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday Oct. 5. . The company faces a fine if convicted, which Shapiro said was not a sufficient punishment. WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. Mountain Valley Pipeline fast-tracked in debt ceiling deal worries 2022 Pipeline & Gas Journal, 2022 Gulf Publishing Holdings LLC. WHYY provides trustworthy, fact-based, local news and information and world-class entertainment to everyone in our community. Mariner East project is finished, after delays, much damage - WHYY Middletown Township on Friday appealed the judges ruling to Commonwealth Court, days after a similar appeal by Energy Transfer. Harrisburg resident's charges dismissed in alleged Mariner East 'buy-a After being in service for only a week, the pipeline ruptured during a landslide, engulfing a hillside in flames and forcing evacuations. Until somebody permanently halts this project, our environment and our lives continue to be in danger," Gross said. According to an update by builder and owner Energy Transfer issued yesterday, the company is in the process of commissioning and bringing the remaining bits online. Given the companys record, she questioned whether Sunoco would adequately follow the DEP orders new requirements. Delay in Mariner East 2 pipeline construction Sign up for our email newsletter! [2] Combined with Mariner East 1, the 16-inch pipeline will carry 345,000 barrels of natural gas liquids per day. Stream WHYY-FM, read the top stories from WHYY News, and listen to the latest podcast from WHYY Digital Studios anytime, anywhere. The pipes contain natural gas liquids (NGL) including ethane, butane and propane. Resolutions passed by eight local governments along Mariner East IIs route observe that over the past decade, Sunoco Logistics has spilled hazardous materials 296 timesmore often than any other operatoraccording to federal pipeline safety regulators. Mariner East 2 pipeline announces much-anticipated completion An analysis by FracTracker found that over 100,000 people live within a quarter mile of Mariner East IIs proposed path. U.S. Rig Count Down 9th Week in a Row, M-U Holds, Haynesville -6, Court: Columbia Pipe Shareholders Shafted in Sale, TC Energy Liable, PA House Votes 102-101 to Study Marcellus-Busting Severance Tax, Tulsa-Based Superior Pipeline Changed Ownership and Name, Bidenistas Reject Radical Calls to Phase Out O&G on Public Lands, Liberty Energy CEO Calling Carbon Dioxide Pollution is Outrageous, Other Stories of Interest: Mon, Jul 3, 2023, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy Tours Encino Utica Well Pad in Ohio, Enviro Groups Pressure PA Gov. Want a digest of WHYYs programs, events & stories? / CBS Philadelphia. The projects permits originally anticipated that construction would be done by 2016. This is not the first time Mariner East II has been halted. In-depth analysis and commentary on today's biggest news stories as only the BBC can deliver. Mariner East 2 pipeline has provided hundreds of well-paying jobs to Pennsylvanians since the beginning of the project. "Maybe they just have to stop hesitating and use it.". He released agrand jury reportthat includes testimony from numerous residents who accused Energy Transfer of denying responsibility for the contamination and then refusing to help. We received an order this morning from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection that instructed us to suspend construction activities in Pennsylvania with respect to Mariner East 2 until reauthorized by the Pennsylvania DEP, Energy Transfer Partners spokesman Jeff Shields said in a statement. Check out some previous Patch coverage on the pipeline issue here. News of the completion of the controversial multibillion-dollar Mariner East pipeline system that connects the vast Marcellus Shale gas field in western Pennsylvania to an export terminal near Philadelphia is misleading, according to a Chester County activist and a state lawmaker. Mariner East 2X went into partial service in the fourth quarter of 2020, and though the full system was expected to be completed last year,Energy Transfer announced in its earnings call Wednesday that construction was complete. The August 2020 spill at Marsh Creek was among a series of mishaps that has plagued Mariner East since construction began in 2017. Rerouting order not a fatal blow for Mariner East 2 pipeline, analysts Contact Us / Closed Captioning Information, Public File for KYW-TV / CBS Philadelphia. The pipeline system transports propane, ethane and butane from the enormous Marcellus Shale and Utica Shale gas fields in western Pennsylvania to a refinery processing center and export terminal near Philadelphia. All rights reserved. Attorney General Charges Pennsylvania Pipeline Developer In Mariner The state Public Utility Commission temporarily shut down the operation of the Mariner East 1 pipeline in 2018 over safety concerns. Energy Transfer is very cagey about this, said Kerslake of the completion announcement. Additionally, Mariner East 2 has provided an estimated $9.1 billion in added economic value to the state. Contact Us / Closed Captioning Information, Public File for KYW-TV / CBS Philadelphia. This happened all across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," said Shapiro, a Democrat who plans to run for governor next year. A parent thinks so. To contact staff writer Michael P. Rellahan call 610-696-1544. That Chester County section was one of the last parts of the line to be completed. A felony count accuses the operator of willfully failing to report spills to state environmental regulators. This latest assessment brings the total financial penalties assessed to the company for Mariner East construction to more than $13 million. ME2 runs hundreds of miles across the state, from eastern Ohio all the way to the Marcus Hook refinery near Philadelphia. Reposted with permission from our media associate DeSmogBlog. HOUSTON (PGJ) After numerous delays and environment-related issues, Energy Transfer announced its Mariner East pipeline system construction is complete and commissioning is in progress. Elise Gerhart and her mother Ellen, a retired public school teacher, have said the company attempted to illegally cut trees on their land to clear the pipelines path. They have been demanding revocation of Mariner East's permits. In last week's letter, the three legislators urging Shapiro to invoke the Clean Stream Act in seeking a court injunction stated that Energy Transfer's ongoing violations of state permits and regulations is "exactly what was anticipated by the Clean Stream Act's empowerment of the abatement of suits.". The DEP has issued more than 120 notices of violations to Energy Transfer, which has paid more than $20 million in fines and assessments since construction began in February 2017.