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Mariner East Pipeline Protesters “Put First Responders at Risk”

Mariner East 2 Pipeline protesters illegally block work

In a new column on the City & State – Pennsylvania magazine website, Bruce Castor unloads on “unruly protesters” who, by their actions, endanger the lives of first responders called out to rescue them when they go too far in attempting to block the Mariner East pipeline project. Castor calls on these dunderheads to “fully educate themselves on pipeline safety” and reconsider engaging in illegal protests against ME2. Who is Castor? Bruce L. Castor Jr. was appointed as the first solicitor general of Pennsylvania in 2016 and served as acting attorney general later that year. He has also served as district attorney and county commissioner in Montgomery County, PA. He is a heavyweight in the PA legal community.
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Mariner East 2 Pipeline Replaces Small Section, Antis Have a Cow

smart pig

As part of the process of installing and commissioning a new pipeline, like the Mariner East 2 pipeline, the builder (Energy Transfer in this case) runs a “smart pig” (a pipeline inspection gauge) through the pipeline to ensure there are no defects or issues. ET’s smart pig detected a potential problem in a newly installed (not yet operational) segment in East Goshen Township in Chester County, PA. So ET alerted the local One-Call and then dug up the spot, replaced the pipe, and covered it up again, which only took a few days. Meanwhile, anti-fossil fuel fanatics went into hysteria mode when they learned of the fix.
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3 SEPA Legislators Ask AG Shapiro to Illegally Shut Down ME2 Pipe

What is it about leftist Democrats that compels them to want to control everyone else’s lives (but their own)? Pennsylvania State Sen. Katie Muth is one of the worst offenders of this disorder. So too are PA State Rep. Dianne Herrin and Rep. Danielle Friel-Otten. The trio of Dem ladies are asking the odious PA Attorney General, Josh Shapiro (who is running for governor) to “halt construction of the Mariner East Pipeline.” Why? Because they don’t like it.
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Extremists Illegally Block ME2 Pipe Construction in Chester County

Better Path Coalition Protesters in Chester County, PA

Once again the left shows its true colors. When they can’t win by launching multiple, frivolous lawsuits, when they can’t win by pressuring weak politicians, and when they can’t win by parading around in front of leftwing “mainstream” media behaving like silly arses, the left reverts to engaging in criminal activity. A couple of protesters illegally blocked work on the recently resumed project to finish up the Mariner East 2 pipeline in the Marsh Creek Lake area. The two locked themselves together into the bucket of a backhoe early Thursday morning, cheered on by ten others.
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Bitter Antis Admit Defeat – ME2 Pipeline to be Completed in 1Q22

In early December the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) agreed to allow Energy Transfer to change the way it will install the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline in the Marsh Creek Lake area in Chester County, PA (see PA DEP Approves ME2 Plan to Finish Pipe Thru Marsh Creek Lake Area). Two weeks later the DEP issued the necessary permits to allow construction to commence (see PA DEP Issues Revised Permits for ME2 Pipe Near Marsh Creek Lake). The Marsh Creek Lake work is the final big project to complete ME2. Needless to say, anti-fossil fuel zealots are distraught. Antis get funny when they get upset.
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PA DEP Issues Revised Permits for ME2 Pipe Near Marsh Creek Lake

One week ago MDN told you that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) signaled, via a listing in the weekly issue of the Pennsylvania Bulletin, the department’s intent to issue or reissue remaining permits for erosion and sediment control needed to finish up work on the Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline (see PA DEP Signals Reissue of Erosion & Sediment Permits for ME2 Pipe). One week later (this past Saturday), the DEP posted another notice in the PA Bulletin issuing permits for ME2 in the most contentious and critical portion of the project to finish up–the area near Marsh Creek Lake and State Park in Chester County.
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PA DEP Signals Reissue of Erosion & Sediment Permits for ME2 Pipe

In August of this year, co-CEO of Energy Transfer, Tom Long, said “the final phase of the Mariner East Pipeline is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021” (see Energy Transfer: Mariner East Volumes Up in 2Q, Project Done in 4Q). So much for that prediction. A few major hurdles were recently scaled in order to finally complete the project, including a slight reroute in the Marsh Creek Lake area (see PA DEP Approves ME2 Plan to Finish Pipe Thru Marsh Creek Lake Area). However, there are still a few other locations where work needs to be buttoned up across the state as well.
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PA DEP Approves ME2 Plan to Finish Pipe Thru Marsh Creek Lake Area

Yesterday MDN brought you the news that the Pennsylvania Dept. of Environmental Protection (DEP) along with the state Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) jointly fined Energy Transfer’s Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline project $4 million and is requiring it to perform another $4+ million worth of work at Marsh Creek Lake where construction last year caused an accidental spill of 8,000 gallons of nontoxic drilling mud (see PA Charges Mariner East Pipeline $8M+ to Fix Marsh Creek Lake). Lost in all the hoopla over the big numbers for fines and fix-it work is the fact (whispered by the DEP) that the DEP is agreeing to and allowing ME2 to complete its work in the Marsh Creek Lake area–the final major area of construction for ME2.
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PA Charges Mariner East Pipeline $8M+ to Fix Marsh Creek Lake

While drilling in Chester County in August 2020 in the Marsh Creek State Park area, Energy Transfer’s (ET) Mariner East 2X pipeline experienced an “inadvertent return”–nontoxic drilling mud coming up out of the ground where it’s not supposed to (see Mariner East 2X Construction Causes Another Drilling Mud Spill). In this case, an estimated 8,100 gallons of non-toxic drilling mud came up in a small section of the 535-acre Marsh Creek Lake. It was a costly episode for ET. The state has just announced a gun-to-the-head “agreement” with ET that has ET paying a $4 million fine, spending another $4 million (or more) to dredge and fix the area, and $341,000 in civil penalties for permit violations.
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PA PUC Dismisses Case Against Mariner East Pipe “With Prejudice”

So many lawsuits and appeals of actions have been filed against the Mariner East pipeline system (being built by Energy Transfer and its subsidiary Sunoco Logistics) we’ve lost count. Dozens? Hundreds? Who knows! We try to highlight some of them–the more important ones that have the potential to slow or stop work on the 99% done system. Here’s one not even on our radar that got completely dismissed last week: Wilmer Baker and Rolfe Blume vs. Sunoco Pipeline L.P.
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Antis Out of Options After Latest PUC Ruling re Mariner East Pipe

Is the glass half empty, or half full? Last Friday MDN told you that the Pennsylvania State Public Utility Commission (PUC) issued a list of 14 new requirements for the Mariner East Pipeline projects, for all three pipelines–ME1, ME2, and ME2X (see PA PUC Continues to Dump on Mariner East Pipes – 14 New Todos). In essence, the PUC slapped yet more bureaucratic red tape on the project. At least that was our take. Call it the glass half empty view. We spotted a mainstream media article bemoaning the fact that with this latest PUC ruling anti-drilling zealots who have hounded the project for years are now pretty much out of options and resigned that the project will get completed in the next month or so. That’s a great big glass half full!
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PA PUC Continues to Dump on Mariner East Pipes – 14 New Todos

Anti-drilling zealots have hounded the Mariner East (ME) pipeline project from its beginning, attempting to block the completion of the third and final pipeline (ME2X), due to be done by the end of this year. One of the ways the zealots have attacked is via repeated charges brought to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), the agency that oversees and regulates the intrastate ME system. In addition to unloading on Energy Transfer’s (ET) Revolution Pipeline system yesterday (see today’s lead story), the PUC also issued an order yesterday with some 14 actions (we call them todos) that ET must complete with regard to finishing construction of the ME system. Some of the todos deal with the ongoing operation of the ME system.
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Philly Suburb Appeals Judge’s Order to Turn Over ME2 Pipe Emails

In October the owner of the Glen Riddle Station Apartment complex in Delaware County, PA convinced a county judge to order the release of emails between officials in Middletown Township and Energy Transfer, owner of the Mariner East pipeline system (see Apt. Complex Owner Hopes to Find Dirt in “Secret” ME Pipe Letters). The Glen Riddle apartment complex owner is hoping he can find some minor, obscure statement in the email exchanges to reignite opposition to finishing the third and last Mariner East pipeline that runs across his property. Last Friday Middletown Township appealed the judge’s ruling to PA Commonwealth Court, days after a similar appeal filed by Energy Transfer.
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PA Democrats Call for Shutting Down Operational Mariner East Pipe

A group of hardened leftist Democrat Pennsylvania legislators, in a coordinated attack with the state’s horrible Attorney General, Josh Shapiro, are making a play to shut down the fully operational Mariner East pipeline system. Two weeks ago Shapiro, who is running for governor next year, indicted Energy Transfer’s Mariner East 2 (ME2) pipeline project with 48 so-called environmental crimes (see Corrupt PA AG Shapiro Charges Mariner East 2 Pipe with 48 Crimes). The very next day nine PA legislators sent a letter to Gov. Tom Wolf (fellow Dem) asking him to revoke permits that allow all three ME pipelines to operate.
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Apt. Complex Owner Hopes to Find Dirt in “Secret” ME Pipe Letters

Last Friday the owner of the Glen Riddle Station Apartment complex in Delaware County, PA convinced a weak county judge to order the release of emails between officials in Middletown Township and Energy Transfer, owner of the Mariner East pipeline system. The Glen Riddle apartment complex owner is hoping he can find some minor, obscure statement in the letters to reignite opposition to finishing the third and last Mariner East pipeline that runs across his property. How selfish.
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PA AG Uses Stories of Minor Accidents to Indict ET for Pipe Crimes

Last week we told you about the uber-sleazy Attorney General in Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, handing down an indictment with 48 counts against Energy Transfer over (mostly) drilling mud spills–accidents that were previously addressed and handled by the state Dept. of Environmental Protection (see Corrupt PA AG Shapiro Charges Mariner East 2 Pipe with 48 Crimes). Shapiro is using the case to promote himself in his run for governor. What a sleaze. The worst part is the collusion by the media in picking out isolated sob stories to pretend there’s been a pattern of misbehavior on the part of ET.
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