Community Impacts of
Mariner East Pipeline
Prepared for Delmont Public Library Meeting
Delmont, PA
July 30, 2014
Presented by Sam Koplinka-Loehr, Clean Air Council
Presentation Overview
• Introduction
• Mariner East Background
• Pumping Station Specifics
• Air Pollutants and Public Health
• Jobs Revisited
Photo Source: Bob Donnan: http://www.donnan.com/EPA_Air-Quality_92711.htm
Clean Air Council
Marcellus Shale Program
•
•
•
•
Track current rulemaking and write comments on regulations
Work with residents to comment and testify on natural gas infrastructure
Lawsuits against polluters or agencies
Community actions to achieve goals outside of regulatory pathways
64% of PA is above Marcellus Shale. In 2013, PA had over 6,000 wells
with 3 trillion cubic feet of gas production. These gas products have flooded
regional markets and companies are trying to build pipelines to sell overseas.
Mariner East 1
Mariner East 1 Basics
• New Pipeline
50 miles
Western PA
• Existing Pipeline
300 miles
Over 80 years old
Oldest pipelines 4%
Source: 4% of US gas transmission pipelines were built before 1940
Canary LLC CEO Dan Eberhart http://canaryusa.com/aging-us-pipelines/
Sunoco Logistics’ Plan
• Switch the pipeline direction to pump natural
gas liquids from wells near Houston, PA to the
Marcus Hook Refinery near Philadelphia
• Increase pressure from 800 pounds per square
inch (PSI) to 1400 PSI
• 18 new pumping stations and 17 new valve
control stations
• 70,000 barrels per day, as of 2015 all will be
destined for export to gulf coast and overseas
Natural Gas Liquids - Ethane
• Mariner East will
transport 100%
ethane as of 2015
• Extracted as gas, but
under pressure
becomes a liquid
• Used industrially for
plastics, anti-freeze,
and detergents
• Extremely flammable
Public Utility Commission (PUC)
• Sunoco Logistics has been a “public utility” since
2002
• Two simultaneous issues
– Western PA: Eminent Domain to construct new pipeline
– Eastern PA: Exemption from local zoning laws for stations
• Current PUC process will determine whether or not
pumping stations are “reasonably necessary for the
convenience and welfare of the public”
Sunoco Logistics Pipeline Incidents
Source: PHMSA, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. http://primis.phmsa.dot.gov/comm/
reports/operator/OperatorIM_opid_18718.html?nocache=259#_OuterPanel_tab_2
This is Just the Beginning:
Mariner East 2 and 3
Sunoco Logistics Claims:
• Mariner East 1 will be operational by Fall 2014
• Mariner East 2 will be operational by 2016,
capacity of at least 50,000 barrels/day
• Mariner East 3 will follow thereafter
Pumping Stations
Pumping Stations
Emission Sources at Pumping Stations
• Electric Pump Motors
• Flaring of gas during maintenance operations
and constant flaring of fugitive emissions
Source: Data and images from State-only operating permit filed with DEP
Flare Design
Fugitive Emissions/Leakages
Leakage from Compressor Stations. Source: EPA
Flare Volume
• Maximum expected annual flaring:
– 312,800 standard cubic feet
– Equivalent to 8,696 gallons
– 23 gallons daily
• Could be more if there are maintenance issues
Flare Frequency
• Flare will operate 24/7, igniting fugitive
emissions from the motor and pipeline seals
Fugitive Emissions: Volatile Organic
Compounds (VOCs)
• Equal to 5 constantly idling school buses
Carbon Emissions
• 35.8 tons of carbon annually, equal to:
– Annual carbon sequestration from 26 acres of forest
– Burning 34,884 pounds of coal
Health Impacts from Pollutants
Pollutants from Shale Gas Infrastructure
Dallas Fort Worth
In 2009, the gas industry released more smog-forming
emissions than all cars and trucks in the Dallas metro area
–
New York Times article citing Armendariz’s 2009 report, supported by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/05/27/27greenwire-could-smog-shroud-the-marcellus-shales-natural-3397.html?pagewanted=all
RAND 2013 Air Pollution Study
• Research and Development finds shale gas air
pollution damages already between $7.2 and $30
million in PA.
– Health damages: increased asthma, hospitalization,
premature death.
– Physical damages: agriculture and infrastructure.
Source: http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP50160.html
Potential Health Impacts from Ozone
• Ozone forms from VOC and NOx in the present of sunlight
• Aggravation of asthma, bronchitis & emphysema and
increased susceptibility to pneumonia & bronchitis
• Linked to bladder, breast, and lung cancers, stroke, diabetes,
lung damage, and premature death
• Throat irritation, congestion, coughing, and chest pain
Source: http://www.epa.gov/air/ozonepollution/health.html
American Lung Association, “Health Effects of Ozone and Particle Pollution,” State of the Air, 2011; President’s Cancer
Panel, Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now, 2008-2009 Annual Report (National Cancer Institute,
May 2010).
Cumulative Health Impacts
• Taken together, emissions from shale gas
infrastructure have substantial public health
ramifications.
– In their 2013 study, Lisa McKenzie et al. found
elevated risk of birth defects in populations
residing within ten-miles of gas wells.
– Pennsylvania Auditor General July report says DEP
“unprepared” to monitor gas from fracking
– DOH Employee silencing using list of “codewords”
including “Marcellus Shale,” “fracking”
Source: L. McKenzie http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306722/#tab2
Jobs & Alternative Energy
Pennsylvania Alternative Energy
Portfolio Standards
• Standard dictates
8 percent of
Pennsylvania
Energy to come
from renewables
by 2021
Source: http://cleanenergywins.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/CleanEnergyWins_PolicyRoadmap.pdf
US Solar
Source: http://www.thesolarfoundation.org/sites/thesolarfoundation.org/files/TSF%20Solar%20Jobs%20Census%202013.pdf
PA Solar
• Out of state credits
• Market glut
• Fossil fuel industry
lobbying
Contact Info
• Sam Koplinka-Loehr, CAC Shale Gas Organizer
SKL@cleanair.org
Questions?