Here in Pennsylvania, we are blessed to be sitting on top
of one of the largest reserves of natural gas in the world. The shale
revolution has helped our nation produce necessary amounts of natural gas in
order to meet our energy needs, and production levels are only expected to
increase.
Now, America, with the help of well-trained and
experienced union workers, needs to build the infrastructure that is necessary
to deliver these resources to residential, commercial, and industrial
consumers. Pipelines are needed to bring natural gas liquids, such as propane,
ethane, and butane, to our hospitals, schools, power plants, and our homes for
everyday use. And they are needed to provide a reliable and affordable
feedstock for regional manufacturers.
Pipelines are the safest and most reliable mode to
transport energy resources, according to the Pipeline Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration. For more than a century, pipeline systems have safely
and reliably delivered energy resources to every corner of Pennsylvania and our
country, partly thanks to highly trained and skilled workers at the
Steamfitters Local 420
Members of Steamfitters Local Union 420 have played a vital
role in helping build out our current energy infrastructure. Local 420 has
jurisdiction over 10 counties in southeastern Pennsylvania for the
installation, maintenance, and repair of large piping systems. We are trained
in every step of the pipe-fitting process, including all forms of welding,
brazing, soldering, plastic fusion, and all other methods of joining together
pipe.
Our training, safety, and accreditation programs are the
gold standard for the modern pipeline industry in the United States today.
The United
Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting
Industry of the United States and Canada spend $250 million a year
in training programs. These efforts involve approximately 300,000 journeymen
and apprentices in more than 300 local training facilities. We are
career-oriented individuals, proud of our heritage, with superior training, and
open to the many opportunities available in our field. We offer good-paying
jobs and benefits and are active in our communities in a variety of ways.
As Pennsylvanians, we are also stewards of the
environment. Just like everyone else, we want to ensure that our lands and
waterways are clean and safe for our children. The protection of people,
property, and the environment are top priorities for me and my union members.
That's why our crafts have spent countless hours studying and training the
foremost safety standards and practices. We know how to build these projects
right — for the environment, our land, and for public safety.
For these reasons and more, we support the Mariner East projects. (A state Department of Environmental Protection hearing on
the portion of the project running through the southeast happened on Aug. 10.
The DEP has a schedule of additional hearings.) The Mariner
East project is critical to the repurposing of the Marcus Hook Industrial
Complex, which could help establish the region as the northeast hub for
distribution of natural gas liquids to commercial markets domestically and
globally.
As a result of this investment by Sunoco
Logistics — a company with deep roots right here in Pennsylvania —
we will have one of the safest, most advanced systems for natural gas liquids
transport in the region.
Union members are trained and ready to build Mariner East
2, and ensure it's done safely. As residents of Pennsylvania, we welcome the
economic benefits, tax revenue, and affordable energy this pipeline will bring
to the Commonwealth. This project will be a lifeline to good union jobs with
family-supporting pay, and it deserves our support.
Source: NewsWorks
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