Community Impacts ofMariner East Pipelines

Prepared for West Cornwall Public MeetingNovember 21, 2014

Presented by Sam Koplinka-Loehr, Clean Air Council

Presentation Overview

• Introduction• Mariner East 1 & 2• Pumping Station Specifics• Air Pollutants and Public Health

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

• New Pipeline50 milesWestern PA

• Existing Pipeline 300 milesOver 80 years oldOldest pipelines 4%

Mariner East 1 Basics

Source: 4% of US gas transmission pipelines were built before 1940Canary LLC CEO Dan Eberhart http://canaryusa.com/aging-us-pipelines/

• 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

Sunoco Logistics’ Plan

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

• Sunoco Logistics is currently before the PUC requesting exemption from local zoning laws for pumping station buildings

• Current PUC process will determine whether or not pumping stations are “reasonably necessary for the convenience and welfare of the public” as well as whether Sunoco Logistics is a public utility

Public Utility Commission (PUC)

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

Sunoco Logistics Pipeline Incidents

Mariner East 2

Just the Beginning

Details

Sunoco Logistics Claims:• Mariner East 1 will be operational by Fall 2014

with 70,000 barrels per day of ethane and propane

• Mariner East 2 will be operational by 2016 with 275,000 barrels per day of natural gas liquids

West Cornwall Pumping Station

Previous Spill History

Emission Sources at Pumping Stations

• Electric Pump Motors• Flaring of gas during maintenance operations

and constant flaring of fugitive emissionsSource: Data and images from State-only operating permit filed with DEP

Flare Design

• 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 Volume

• Flare will operate 24/7, igniting fugitive emissions from the motor and pipeline seals

Flare Frequency

• Equal to 5 constantly idling school buses

Fugitive Emissions: Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

• 35.8 tons of carbon annually, equal to:– Annual carbon sequestration from 26 acres of forest– Burning 34,884 pounds of coal

Carbon Emissions

Taking Action to Protect our Communities

• Zoning Appeal• DEP Hearing– 500 requests– Follow-up with

Tom Hanlonthanlon@pa.gov

Zoning and Air Permit

Contact Info

• Sam Koplinka-Loehr, CAC Shale Gas OrganizerSKL@cleanair.org

Questions?