On 12/20/18, just days before Christmas, the PA Department of Environmental Protection announced that it “has approved the pending permit applications for the Shell Pipeline Company Falcon ethane pipeline project.” This announcement takes place in spite of multiple recent explosions and accidents, including a worker fatality announcement yesterday. Citizens gathered at a rally at the DEP office in Pittsburgh back in September to articulate the many reasons why the Falcon Pipeline is a really bad idea, as seen in the video below.
The PA DEP has posted their full announcement below and at the following link: http://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/NewsRoomPublic/articleviewer.aspx?id=21597&typeid=1
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COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA., 17120
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE12/20/2018
CONTACT:
Lauren Fraley, DEP
412-442-4203
DEP Approves Shell Falcon Ethane Pipeline Permits
Pittsburgh, PA – Following an extensive review, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has approved the pending permit applications for the Shell Pipeline Company Falcon ethane pipeline project. DEP has determined that the applications meet the requirements of Chapter 105 (water obstruction and encroachment) and Chapter 102 (erosion and sediment control) of DEP’s regulations. The pipeline is proposed to run through Washington, Allegheny, and Beaver counties. DEP engineers and biologists conducted a technical review of the applications in consultation with three county conservation districts to ensure the applications meet all applicable statutory and regulatory requirements. DEP heard feedback through public comment periods and three separate public hearings on the permit applications, receiving input from nearly 1,500 commenters. “DEP’s due diligence included a robust review which facilitated the public’s participation by encouraging public feedback and access to important information throughout the process,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “Comments and questions received from citizens were reviewed by DEP technical staff who requested additional information from the applicant and included conditions in the final permits to ensure the protection of resources.” Of significant concern to multiple commenters was the proximity of the proposed ethane pipeline to the Ambridge Reservoir and the raw water line from the reservoir that serves the Ambridge Water Authority Water Treatment Plant. The application and permits include appropriate construction techniques and special conditions requiring the permittee to control pollution from construction of the ethane pipeline in the area of the reservoir and other water resources along the pipeline route. In its permit applications, Shell proposed to deepen the horizontal directional drill (HDD) below the raw water line, have a crew on standby in the event of a break in the raw water line, have additional pre-stressed concrete pipe repair joints at the job site, and use other construction techniques to minimize impacts to the raw water line during construction. There were many other public comments considered during DEP’s review, a number of which resulted in modifications to the applications or permit conditions. DEP prepared a detailed comment and response document regarding public comments on the Chapter 102 and 105 permit applications. The Falcon Ethane Pipeline will begin at the MarkWest Houston Processing and Fractionation Facility in Chartiers Township, Washington County and travel through Washington, Allegheny, and Beaver counties before ending at the Shell Chemical Appalachia Petrochemical Complex in Potter Township, Beaver County. A separate segment of the pipeline will connect a MarkWest facility in Cadiz, Ohio and the Utica East Ohio plant in Scio, Ohio to the petrochemical complex in Beaver County. In total, approximately 45.5 miles of pipeline will be located in Pennsylvania, and the pipeline will cross portions of southwestern Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and the West Virginia panhandle. Construction and operation of the pipeline will fall under the jurisdiction of the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Copies of the permit, comment response document, applications, and associated materials related to this project can be found on DEP’s webpage, https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/ProgramIntegration/Pennsylvania-Pipeline-Portal/Pages/Shell.aspx, which has been updated regularly throughout the permitting process.
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This story is developing. Additional news will be added as it emerges. Sign up at https://nopetropa.com/ or http://eepurl.com/cW5NrL to get on the mailing list for future #resistance news and actions. We have lots of work to do.
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