Pa. attorney general files criminal charges against Mariner East 2 pipeline developer
Friday, October 8, 2021
Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed criminal charges against the developer of the Mariner East 2 pipeline for waste spilled during the construction of the project on Tuesday, a day after postponing the announcement, according to The Daily Reporter.
Shapiro made the announcement at Marsh Creek State Park in Downingtown, where the original news conference had been planned for and where Sunoco Pipeline LP spilled thousands of gallons of drilling fluid last year.
Energy Transfer, Sunoco’s owner, faces 48 criminal charges, most of them for releasing industrial waste at 22 sites in 11 counties across the state. Furthermore, Shapiro said Energy Transfer contaminated the drinking water of at least 150 families statewide.
Learn more: The Daily Reporter > Pipeline developer charged in connection with contamination
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.