Homeowners and Townships Across 17 Southern Tier PA Counties Affected by Mariner East 2 Pipeline Developer’s Actions
PHILADELPHIA, November 29 (Williams Cedar Law Firm) – On October 5th, Pennsylvania Attorney General Joshua Shapiro slapped Mariner East 2 Pipeline developer Energy Transfer, the corporate successor to Sunoco Pipeline, with 46 counts of environmental crimes following a grand jury investigation. The charges stem from conduct during the construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline.
The charges assert that Energy Transfer failed to report the loss of drilling fluid that contained unapproved additives and leaked into surrounding area fields, backyards, streams, lakes and wetlands. The contamination of local drinking water and to homeowners properties can have dangerous long term health hazards. One homeowner testified to the Grand Jury that her daughter was hospitalized due to high concentrations of e.coli and coliform in her water following drilling on her property.
The harm done by Energy Transfer should be alarming, because it has damaged properties and put the health of many at risk…While the Attorney General pursues charges against Energy Transfer, those it has affected should know they too can work to hold the company accountable.
“Energy Transfer Partners severely impacted the forested wetlands, streams and pond on our property in Huntingdon County with the construction of the Mariner East 2 and 2X pipelines,” said Ellen Gerhart, Huntingdon County resident and Williams Cedar client. “We’ve fought since 2015 to hold ETP accountable but we can’t do it alone. Hopefully the charges brought by the Attorney General’s office will begin to hold this serial violator accountable for its destructive actions.”
This is not the first lawsuit that Energy Transfer has faced with respect to their construction of the Mariner East 2 Pipeline. In 2017, a group of individuals hired the Philadelphia-based environmental and civil rights law firm of Williams Cedar alleging that Energy Transfer had violated their rights over the construction of the pipeline.
Christopher Markos, a lawyer with Williams Cedar, added, “The harm done by Energy Transfer should be alarming, because it has damaged properties and put the health of many at risk. We have been involved with legal challenges to Energy Transfer for a long time, and have a long history of helping the victims of corporate polluters. While the Attorney General pursues charges against Energy Transfer, those it has affected should know they too can work to hold the company accountable.”
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