Council calls on Governor Wolf to institute a moratorium on the operation and transmission of HVL pipelines
Delaware County Council passed a resolution in support of the public safety concerns surrounding current and proposed HVL pipelines in the County during its public council meeting held on June 12.
The resolution, titled “Resolution in Support of Public Safety” notes that the safety and welfare of the residents of Delaware County are of the utmost concern and responsibility of Delaware County Council and calls on Governor Wolf to institute an immediate moratorium on the operation and transmission of all Sunoco current and proposed highly volatile liquids (HVL) pipelines in Delaware County, continuing until there is a credible and practicable public response program and emergency response plan that accounts for the unique hazards of the HVL’s and the density and immobility of vulnerable populations within the impact radius.
The resolution comes after measures had been taken by Council to assess the safety of the pipelines running through the County. In 2018 Council commissioned a risk assessment of Sunoco Pipeline’s proposed Mariner East 2 HVL pipeline. The assessment was conducted by Texas-based G2 Integrated Solutions and released publicly in November 2018. The study evaluated potential accident events, the consequences, and the likelihood of such events, and estimated risk measures.
In February 2019, Delaware County Council authorized County Solicitor Michael Maddren to file a motion to intervene in a lawsuit initially filed by seven residents of Delaware and Chester counties. Delaware County requested that the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission grant its petition to intervene and authorize its intervention and participation in the consolidated proceedings as a full and active party.
Delaware County Council joins and supports the bipartisan calls from fourteen members of the General Assembly representing Delaware and Chester Counties, who on March 11, 2019, wrote to Governor Tom Wolf, “We respectfully reach out to you today to urge you to take action to preserve the health, welfare, and safety of our constituents who live, work and raise their families in the high consequence areas of Chester and Delaware Counties within the potential impact radius of the Mariner East pipeline project.”
The 2019 resolution adopted by Council can be found here: www.delcopa.gov/pdf/2019-6Resolution.pdf