Energy Transfer’s Plea Is A Long Time Coming, Chesco Lawmaker Says

MALVERN, PA —State Rep. Kristine Howard said she is thankful that Sunoco Pipeline LP, a subsidiary of Energy Transfer, has agreed to correct environmental issues caused during the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline, which crosses through Chester County.

“The people of Chester County have waited a long time for this,” Howard said in a statement available Tuesday. “Energy Transfer has a long history of mistakes and violations and has a complete disregard for both the environment and health and well-being of the people of Pennsylvania.”

Howard represents the borough of Malvern and Charlestown, East Caln, East Goshen, East Whiteland, West Pikeland, and West Whiteland townships.

Energy Transfer entered a no-contest plea Friday, the day the company’s preliminary hearing was scheduled in Dauphin County Court.

The plea also included issues related to the Revolution Pipeline, a 42.5 mile pipeline in Beaver and Allegheny counties.

According to the agreement, Energy Transfer will pay $10 million toward projects to improve the health and safety of water sources.

The agreement also calls for an independent evaluation of potential water quality impact for homeowners near the pipeline and restoring or replacing the impacted private water supplies.

Howard said that one of her first acts when she took office in January 2019 was to ask Attorney General Josh Shapiro to investigate the environmental problems associated with the pipeline.

The pipelines pass through 17 counties across Pennsylvania, including in the densely populated Philadelphia suburbs, where safety issues and water pollution impacted thousands.

In October 2021, Shapiro’s office charged Energy Transfer Partners with 48 counts of environmental crimes, including violating the Clean Streams Act.

Howard said she introduced several bills to increase penalties on polluters and give the attorney general more power to prosecute polluters.