PA Sen. Carolyn Comitta Calls For Pipeline Halt, Permit Hold

WEST CHESTER (October 5, 2021) – State Senator Carolyn Comitta, Minority Chair of the Senate Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, issued the following statement regarding this week's announcement that Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro is filing criminal charges against Energy Transfer Partners for environmental crimes related to the Mariner East pipeline project:

"In light of these serious criminal charges against Energy Transfer Partner, I am calling for an immediate halt to the Mariner East pipeline project and for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to issue a moratorium on all permits."

Comitta joined a chorus of elected voices calling for the halt in the days after the charges were announced. Read a story with statements from other Chester County elected officials here.

"These charges allege a pattern of behavior from Energy Transfer that put our environment, our communities, and our very public health and safety at significant risk. Worse yet, according to the charges, Energy Transfer repeatedly and willfully failed to oversee, notify, and report inadvertent returns, spills, and contamination of streams, waterways, wells, and sources of drinking water.
It is now imperative that the project be halted and the investigation continue, to determine the complete scope of the impacts of these alleged crimes," Comitta's statement said.

Comitta thanked Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan for their work that aims to hold Energy Transfer criminally accountable.

She said, "I am committed to working with the Attorney General’s office, DEP, local officials and stakeholders, and my colleagues in the legislature to ensure stronger oversight, tighter regulations, and stiffer penalties."

She underscored that Pennsylvanians have a constitutional right to "clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment."

Responding to Shapiro's call on Tuesday for legislation that will do more than impose fines on companies that pollute and cause harm, Comitta said, "We need better laws, increased oversight, and more resources to protect those rights and to protect our communities, families, and natural resources."

Make sure you know what's happening in your town. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss any local news: https://patch.com/subscribe.