ETP/Sunoco's Mariner ll East - It's not 'just another pipeline'

We expect our elected officials to act in our best interests.

We expect, as citizens, to be informed of issues in the community. Yet many have no idea the proposed Sunoco/ETP Mariner East ll is coming, and it’s often referred to as ‘just another pipeline’. It isn’t just another pipeline, and keeping residents in the dark about its true nature is dangerous. This pipeline carrying hazardous, highly volatile liquids (HVL) is slated to run through all of Middletown Township, Delaware County, a densely populated "high consequence" area.

We expect that before holding a school safety summit, a Qualitative Risk Assessment would have been completed so that risks were spelled out. Instead, Middletown Township got their feathers ruffled because MCCS (Middletown Coalition for Community Safety) also hired Quest to an independent study, so the Township cancelled their order with Quest, and started the process all over again. Their risk assessment is now expected to be completed by Memorial Day, but was not available in time for school officials to consider before developing evacuation plans.

We expect that our children’s safety not be used as a publicity stunt. Rose Tree Media held a simulated hazmat emergency drill this week at Glenwood Elementary, which is situated 650 feet from the proposed Mariner East ll. This event was covered by Media Patch, with an article written by Leza Raffel, and included multiple pictures of the drill. It noted that this post was contributed by a community member, and the views expressed in this post are the author’s. There was no mention of the fact that on April 28, 2016, Ms. Raffel and her firm, Communications Solutions Group in Jenkintown, was hired at $170 per hour for the purpose of providing communications and public relations services. Superintendent James Wigo was listed as the approval party. Mr. Wigo, lest we forget, had promised to retire in 2017 after fiascos at Springton Lake Middle School and Indian Lane Elementary School.

We expect our elected officials to be fully informed before making decisions. Why then, did Middletown council agree to sign over easements to Sunoco and only after signing, adopt a Resolution of Concern about pipeline safety. Before MCCS was formed, they considered it a great victory that ME2 was going to be along the edge of the Sleighton Park soccer fields instead of running through them.

We expect transparency from our elected officials. Residents have been asking for years for Middletown Township and RTMSD School Board meetings to be broadcast. The answer is always that they will take that recommendation under consideration. That’s not good enough.

If you’d like to more detailed information, please go to MiddletownCoalition.org.

Lori Cartwright Bartholomew
Middletown Resident