Anti-pipeline protests have reached a new level of crazy in the last few months. Protesters have tried to bait bears and mountain lions onto construction sites, a state politician likened pipeline workers to Nazis, and vandals admittedly attempted to ruin construction equipment – attempts to harm workers both physically and verbally. Meanwhile, environmental activists and critics are voicing increasingly far-fetched and shrill concerns about unlikely accidents.
By focusing on far-fetched, worst-case scenarios, activists are willfully disregarding the many benefits of midstream infrastructure development. Pipelines are the safest and most efficient way to transport the oil and natural gas that we use every day. In fact, studies show that pipelines are 4.5 times safer than transporting oil and gas by rail. That’s because leaks are less common than train derailments or tanker truck accidents.
This is in part due to the rigorous standards of the pipeline permitting and construction process.
Each proposed project must undergo a rigorous permitting and review process at the local, state, and federal levels before the first shovel touches the ground. This process draws together insights from industry professionals, regulators, and community members to find ways to balance their various concerns and needs. Over the course of the approval process, more than 750 meetings with regulators, elected, and community leaders were held around around Pennsylvania and thousands of comments submitted prior to the project receiving its legal permits.
Industry commitment to the safety of area residents extends long after the planning and permitting stage. Developers have shown that they are committed to working with local partners to ensure that in the unlikely event of an emergency, the first responders on the ground will have the skills they need to handle the situation safely.
In addition to these company-sponsored trainings, emergency officials, public officials, and others have the opportunity to attend the annual Pennsylvania Pipeline Awareness and Emergency Response Training. This program implements nearly 1,100 face-to-face programs each year, reaching more than 71,500 people. Through these programs, and through the numerous “Safety Day” programs hosted by school districts throughout the state, efforts are being made to ensure that everyone, from first responders to public officials, understands pipeline safety.
Activists who worry about the “what if’s” ignore this close partnership between the industry and local first responders. Since 2013, Sunoco has provided trainings for more than 2,350 local first responders across the state through their Mainer Emergency Responder Outreach program.
The focus on supposed risks distracts from the benefits that investing in energy infrastructure brings. Expanding our energy infrastructure today is an important step to ensuring that Pennsylvania has a safe and reliable source of energy for the future.
When completed, the Mariner East 2 pipeline will carry natural gas that plays an essential role in heating homes, generating electricity, and supporting a renaissance of manufacturing in Pennsylvania. About 51 percent of Pennsylvania homes use natural gas as their primary heating fuel. Energy infrastructure projects help keep utility costs low for years to come.
Beyond that, cheap, abundant natural gas is fueling a renaissance in American manufacturing. New pipelines provide the energy needed to power factories and natural gas for cracking plants and petrochemical processing. All of these are creating thousands of new jobs throughout the American heartland.
By investing in energy infrastructure like pipelines, Pennsylvania is positioning itself to continue to take advantage of the shale revolution for years to come.
Looking at New York state, the comparison is clear. New Yorkers are seeing the results of failing to invest in infrastructure. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently declined to issue water quality permits for a pipeline project that would deliver needed natural gas delivery to residential consumers around New York City and Long Island. Already, energy providers are warning that this may lead to a complete moratorium on new natural gas customers, something that has already happened in parts of the state. That means that new houses can’t be built with natural gas appliances and businesses are forced to find other—frequently more expensive—sources of energy. It’s a reality that puts a significant damper on investment in manufacturing and other industries.
Between 2001 and 2011, employment in manufacturing increased by 1.3 percent in Pennsylvania. In New York, it decreased by 3 percent during the same period. Without a stable supply of energy, this trend could continue.
That’s not an employment trend anyone should want to see in Pennsylvania. Through pipeline projects like Mariner East 2, Pennsylvanians have access to a ready supply of clean, cheap, and safe energy—that’s an investment in the state’s future.
Kevin O’Connor is a retired Baltimore County firefighter who also led the Governmental Affairs and Public Policy Division of the International Association of Fire Fighters. He is a columnist and associate editor of Firehouse Magazine.