Rack another victory for the foes of the Mariner East 2 pipeline project.
And, in a way, a huge step for two-party rule here in Delaware County.
Yesterday, Delaware County Council voted 3-1 to seek bids for a risk assessment study on the massive, $2.5 billion project of Sunoco Pipeline. When it's up and running, the company plans to deliver as many as 250,000 barrels a day of ethane, butane, and propane liquid gases across the entire width of Pennsylvania, from the Marcellus Shale regions, to a distribution center at the site of Sunoco's former refinery in Marcus Hook.
Opponents don't think this is an especially good idea, citing the potential for dangers, including a route that takes the pipeline through densely populated neighborhoods, literally right past schools and senior centers.
Unions, lots of elected officials, the chamber of commerce all support the potential economic benefits of the pipeline, including hundreds of good-paying, family-sustaining jobs. Sunoco insists the pipeline is being constructed - and will be operated - to the highest standards in the industry.
But the state Department of Environmental Protection shut down all construction on the project for more than a month after finding persistent, "egregious" problems during construction, as well as one incident where the company was found to be using a controversial technique known as Horizontal Directional Drilling in an area where it was not permitted to do so.
Last week it was announced Sunoco Pipeline would pay a $12 million fine; in return the state lifted the ban on construction.
Opponents clearly are not satisfied.
Earlier this week officials out in Uwchlan Township in Chester County announced they would enforce their local zoning laws in an attempt to halt construction.
The 350-mile pipeline will traverse about 25 miles across the heart of the center Chester County, as well as another 11 miles across western Delaware County as it snakes its way toward Marcus Hook. The path is basically contiguous to Mariner East 1, Sunoco's old original oil pipeline, which has been retrofitted and is already delivering much of the same materials across the region.
Here in Delaware County, critics have been showing up at County Council meetings for the last month, pushing officials to do a risk assessment study.
Council had given an initial OK several weeks ago, before getting bogged down in the details of the study, as well as a little politics.
Remember, this is a new era of government at the Media Courthouse. After their victories at the polls in November, two Democrats now sit on the county's ruling body, something that has not happened since the mid-'70's.
Amazing what a little bipartisan rule will do.
Wednesday the citizens who oppose the pipeline got their wish.
Republican Council Vice Chairman Colleen Morrone joined Democrats Brian Zidek and Kevin Madden in approving the move to seek bids for the study. Republican Michael Culp voted against. Council Chairman John McBlain abstained, noting he did not want there to be any appearance of a conflict since his law firm has done some work for Sunoco Pipeline, although McBlain himself has not.
Now Council very well may have signed off on the risk assessment study without those two Democrats sitting at the table. But I kind of doubt it.
Then again, Morrone lives in Concodrd, near the heart of much of the unrest centering on the pipeline. A grassroots organization, Middletown Coalition for Community Safety, has been holding rallies and protesting the pipeline for more than a year.
I still think the pipeline is going to happen. It's too far along and there is too much money at stake to stop this thing now.
But I've been wrong before. And make no mistake, those who oppose it are not going to go away.
Having said that, I think the risk assessment study is a good thing.
And the process used by Delaware County Council to approve it is even better.
Two-party rule.
What a concept.
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