FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 15, 2008

CONTACT: MARTIN INDARS
PHONE: 610-692-2112
mindars@pasenate.com

WEST CHESTER (Aug. 15) – State Sen. Andy Dinniman called “unacceptable” the federal government’s approval of a pipeline project in his district and has vowed to strongly oppose it.

Dinniman has called a meeting of affected property-owners for Monday, August 18, to discuss the different options in response to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s Thursday approval of the Transcontinental Corp.’s Sentinel Expansion Project, which goes through East Caln, West Whiteland and East Whiteland in his district. The meeting is open to all property-owners affected by the project and other interested parties and will take place at the senator’s district office at 1 North Church Street in West Chester at 7 p.m.

“I am very troubled by FERC’s approval of Transco’s project,” Dinniman said. “I don’t believe FERC has taken into consideration all the environmental and property concerns that I, residents, and Chester County officials have voiced over and over again.”

Dinniman said FERC’s approval of this project is disconcerting not only to those who live near this project but also to residents who live near two other gasline projects proposed for Chester County.

Mid-Atlantic Express is seeking federal approval for an 88-mile natural-gas pipeline that would cut through West Marlborough, East Fallowfield, Newlin, West Bradford, Uwchlan, Downingtown and West Vincent. In addition, the Dominion energy company is contacting property-owners in West Vincent in preparation for a pipeline it intends to install there.

“These projects represent an usurpation of federal power over state and local power. Residents and local governments are losing their property rights to companies that many residents say they do not trust,” Dinniman said. “Pennsylvania has a proud tradition of making land-use decisions on a local level through township agencies and programs like Landscapes. And these projects are contrary to the open-space and environmental priorities of the townships and people of Chester County.

“We will do everything possible to prevent this from happening. We have fought too long and too hard to preserve the open spaces of Chester County to allow these pipelines to diminish our quality of life,” Dinniman said. “For years we have all worked to make Chester County the greenest spot in the Mid-Atlantic region, yet federal policy is trying to make us pipeline central.”

For more information, call Senator Dinniman’s office at 610-692-2112 or e-mail mindars@pasenate.com.

###