Doug Jackson, 202.495.3045 or doug.jackson@sierraclub.org
HARRISBURG, PA -- StateImpact Pennsylvania is reporting the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) Bureau of Investigation and Enforcement (Bureau) has asked its full commission to force fossil fuel giant Sunoco to shut down its Mariner East 1 liquid gas pipeline. Sinkholes have formed in Chester County, PA close to construction activities for two Mariner East 2 pipelines. The Mariner East 1 carries liquefied gas across Pennsylvania and Mariner East 2 is proposed to do the same.
The Bureau’s request says Sunoco should “immediately suspend operations of its Mariner East 1 pipeline (‘ME1’) due to safety concerns regarding the integrity of said pipeline as being potentially hazardous to life, property and/or the environment.”
In response, Sierra Club Beyond Dirty Fuels Senior Campaign Representative Patrick Grenter released the following statement:
"Communities across Pennsylvania and the country have known for years the dangers fracked gas pipelines pose. To keep communities safe, Sunoco’s Mariner East 1 should be shut down immediately, and the PUC should investigate and re-evaluate the Mariner East 2’s approval and the plans for the proposed Falcon fracked gas liquids pipeline. These pipelines are bad for our health, climate and communities and have no place in Pennsylvania when clean energy sources are already abundant and affordable."
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3 million members and supporters. In addition to helping people from all backgrounds explore nature and our outdoor heritage, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.