Chesco Township Accuses Sunoco of Violating Construction Agreement
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A Chester County township wants to stop the construction of Sunoco’s Mariner East 2 Pipeline.
Last week, the company temporarily halted construction of the pipeline near Exton after about a dozen residents in West Whiteland and Uwchlan townships complained that drilling had caused their water to become cloudy and potentially contaminated.
Sunoco pledged to monitor the situation and resumed construction Monday. But now the pipeline has run into another problem in the Chester County: West Goshen Township has filed a petition for an injunction against Sunoco Logistics, claiming it breached a settlement agreement that required Sunoco to notify the township of any plans for aboveground facilities that were not previously approved by the township.
Township officials claim the company violated the agreement when it recently began construction on an aboveground pipeline valve near Greenhill and Boot roads, east of Route 202, at an “unapproved and unagreed-upon location,” according to a spokesperson for the township.
Officials have requested an emergency order to halt construction at that location.
“Construction started in blatant violation of the settlement agreement, without the required notice, erosion barriers, other site construction and public safety protocols, and engineering justification,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement. “As recently as July 6th, Sunoco’s construction vehicles were parked in the township fire department’s parking lot, blocking emergency response vehicles from exiting the property. In addition, the construction began before a hearing scheduled for July 18th could be held at the PUC to address construction-related matters.”
Township supervisors voted unanimously to file the legal action. They allege that, according to construction plans pre-dating the settlement agreement, Sunoco “planned to site an aboveground valve in the township all along while agreeing to contrary terms.”
A spokesperson for Sunoco did not immediately return a request for comment.
Jeff Shields, a spokesperson for Sunoco Pipeline, said the company is “in compliance with the settlement agreement” but offered no further comment.
The company kicked off the controversial $2.5 billion, 350-mile drilling project in February.
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