Today, Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced a range of criminal charges against Sunoco parent company Energy Transfer connected to the construction of its Mariner East pipelines.

The 48 criminal charges cover activities across the state, from failure to report releases of drilling fluid to the use of unapproved additives. 

The charges come after years of community organizing to stop this dangerous project.

In response, Food & Water Watch organizer Ginny Marcille-Kerslake released the following statement: 

“Today’s announcement confirms, once again, that Sunoco’s dangerous Mariner East pipelines pose an ongoing threat to communities across our state. The Wolf administration championed Sunoco’s corporate interests over the health and safety of neighborhoods that have been turned into sacrifice zones. We have lived with sinkholes, water contamination, construction disturbances, property destruction, and the degradation of rivers and streams. 

“The Mariner East disaster is Governor Wolf’s responsibility. He must stop this right now, and we will continue to fight to make sure that he does. Our communities should not be jeopardized so that a major polluter can have another pipeline to ship dangerous liquids that will be turned into plastic junk.”