Friend —

48. That’s how many criminal charges Attorney General Josh Shapiro filed against pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners for repeatedly failing to protect the public and our natural resources in the construction of the Mariner East 2 pipeline.

Most of these charges were for pollution it caused at 22 sites in 11 counties across Pennsylvania, which contaminated the drinking water of at least 150 families.¹

We’re glad to have leaders like Josh Shapiro calling these acts out for what they are: criminal and in need of being held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. We also applaud him for calling on the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to review their current procedures and for asking the legislature to pass meaningful legislation to hold polluters accountable.

Will you join us in sending the Attorney General a huge THANK YOU for standing up to Big Polluters and demanding justice for our neighbors with poisoned land and water?

Add your name to our message thanking Attorney General Josh Shapiro for filing criminal charges against Energy Transfer >>

The Mariner East 2 pipeline has caused destruction to nearby communities time and time again, from dangerous sinkholes to a spill of more than 21,000 gallons of drilling mud into Marsh Creek Lake — and it’s not even built yet. If completed, the pipeline will carry volatile liquefied natural gas below our homes, schools, hospitals, and elder care facilities that could leak and explode at any time without comprehensive safety regulations in place to protect our lives and homes. With accountability lacking, we must use criminal laws to prosecute these environmental crimes and focus on moving our economy towards more sustainable, family-supporting industries.

If convicted, Energy Transfer will be sentenced to fines and restitution, which still won’t be enough. That’s why we also need to call for stronger laws to hold polluting companies accountable and protect Pennsylvanians’ health, in addition to demanding that the DEP toughen up its oversight of the industries they’re supposed to regulate.

From suing the EPA for ignoring its responsibility to control methane pollution, to dropping bombshell reports that detail how Pennsylvania has failed to regulate its shale gas drilling industry and the price our public health and safety has paid for it, Josh Shapiro has proven time and time again that he is making our environment a top priority.

Let’s make sure the Attorney General knows how much we appreciate this huge win for our health, communities, and waterways. Sign our thank-you message today >>

Thanks for all that you do.

Molly Parzen

Interim Executive Director

Conservation Voters of PA