Rack up a big win for the opponents of Mariner East 2.
Yes, they won a big battle. But can they win the war.
Sen. Andy Dinniman, D-19, of West Whiteland, one of the fiercest critics of the way the state has handled oversight of this project, is vowing to turn up the heat just a day after the state Department of Environmental Protection shut down all construction on the project across the state until Sunoco officials can satisfy the state that they have a plan to abide by all permitting procedures.
And we also heard from two of our state senators, Republicans Tom Killion, R-9, of Middletown, and Tom McGarrigle, R-26, of Springfield. They sounded a lot like Republican U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan did the day before. They're in a tough spot on this thing. They love the jobs and the economic boost this project represents, but they also need to listen to residents who continue to voice their complaints about the way the plan was handled and the safety problems they insist it represents.
You can get all the latest details here.
Meanwhile, on our editorial page, I offered an opinion I am sure is not going to be especially popular with those who want to shut this thing down.
It is not that I don't see their point.
Do I think it's a good idea to put Mariner East 2 - carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of ethane, propane, and butane at high pressure just a few hundred feet from local schools, such as Glenwood Elementary in Middletown? Absolutely not. Would I want it in my backyard? Again the answer is no.
But I still don't think this thing is going to be stopped.
First off, it's almost completed.
Second, there is just way too much money involved in this project.
I could be wrong. Won't be the first time - or the last. Hell, I'm still trying to believe that two Democrats actually were elected to Delaware County Council.
But my guess is that Sunoco Pipeline L.P. will quietly go about complying with whatever conditions the state insists on, and this project will be completed, even if several months later than the company had hoped.
Pipelines - including one already carrying the very same materials as Mariner East 2, albeit in smaller amounts, have been part of Delaware County forever.
Is Mariner East 2 a bit of a different animal because of the materials involved? Yes.
Is there a better, safer way to transport these materials? Probably not.
I look for Mariner East 2 to continue.
And the protests to do the same.
You can read our editorial here.
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