Feb.1,2018Contacts: RosemaryStewart,CPAR,r22stewart@gmail.comMattMehalik,BreatheProject,mmehalik.aqc@gmail.comKirkJalbert,FracTracker,jalbert@fractracker.org

AmbridgeWaterAuthorityAsksDEPfor60-days,PublicMeetingtoAddressTechnicalConcernsonShellFalconPipeline’sPlannedCrossingofRawWaterLine

Ambridge,Pennsylvania–TheAmbridgeWaterAuthorityhasissuedastatementinoppositiontothelocationoftheShellFalconPipelineandrequestedthattheDept.ofEnvironmentalProtectiongivethewaterauthority60-daysandapublicmeetinginAmbridgetoaddressconcernsfromtheauthorityandits30,000watercustomers.

AmbridgeWaterAuthorityGeneralManagerMichaelDominickissuedthefollowingstatementtothepublictoday:

“TheFalconPipelinewillnotcrosstheAmbridgeReservoiratanypoint,howeveritdoespassthroughourwatershedandintersectswith3bodiesandstreamsofwaterthatflowdirectlytoourreservoir.Itwillalsointersect,atsomepoint,withourrawwaterlinespanningfromtheAWAreservoirtoourplant.

AWAdidnotgiveanyeasementormakeanyagreementwhatsoeverwithShelloranybodyelseregardingthelandwherethispipelineisscheduledtobebuilt.Wehaveinfactturneddownnumerousoffersandagreementsofthisnatureandwillcontinuetodosoinordertoprotectourreservoir.AWAonlyownsthelandwithinandaroundourreservoir.ThereisalotofotherlandinourwatershedownedbymanyotherpropertyownersthatAWAhasnocontrolover.Wecanonlycontrolthelandweown,whichisthereservoirandthelandsurroundingit.

AWAissendingaletter,similartothatofCPAR(CitizenstoProtectAmbridgeReservoir)andTheBreatheProject,addressedtotheDEP,thatrequeststhe“reviewtime”forthisFalconPipelineprojectbeextendedfrom30to60daysandforapublicmeeting.

AWAalsoissendingaletterexplainingthatourreservoirisouronlysourceofrawwater.Wevalueitincredibly,andwewilldoeverythinginourpowertoprotectit.Thatsaid,theFalconpipelineplanstocross3streamsinourwatershedthatdirectlyflowtoourreservoirandalsointersectatsomepointwithourrawwaterlinefromourreservoirtoourplant.Thisisnotacceptabletous,andwewilldoeverythinginourpowertotryandhavethepipelinerelocatedoutsideofourwatershedandawayfromourmainandonlyrawwaterline.Itisveryunsettlingandhonestlydangeroustoimaginethispipelinebeingconstructedasithasbeenproposed.

WehavereachedouttoStateRepresentativeRobMatzieandhopetoworktogethertodoeverythinginourability,toprotectandensurethesafetyoftheAmbridgeReservoirwhichprovideswatertojustunder30,000citizens.

WerealizewehaveaveryrareresourceinourreservoirhereatAWA.Ican’tstressenoughhowmuchwevalueit,andhowmuchwevaluebeingabletoprovidethequalityofwaterwedo,toourcustomers.Notmanycitizenshavearesourcelikethisanymore.AWAwilldoabsolutelyeverythinginourpowertoprotectourreservoir,andourcustomerswhoconsumeAWAwater.”

AWA’sresponsefollowedPittsburgh-basedFracTrackerAlliance’spublicreleaseofanenvironmentalassessmentanddigitalmapswithdetailsoftherouteofShellPipelineCo.’sFalconPipelinethatwillfeedShellAppalachia’sethylenepetrochemicalplantinPotterTownship,Pa.ShellrecentlyfiledconstructionpermitswiththeDEPtobuilda97-milepipelinethatwillfeedtheShellPetrochemicalPlant.Thepipelinewilltraverse22townshipsinPennsylvania,WestVirginiaandOhio.Shouldthepipelineleakorexplodeatanypoint,multipleareaswillbeparticularlyatrisk,especiallyinthe“blastzone”whichiswithin1,000feetofthepipeline.Theseareasinclude:some550familyhomes,20businesses,240groundwaterwells,12publicparks,5schools,6daycarecenters,majorhikingandbikingtrailsincludingtheMontourTrail,16emergencyresponsecentersandtributariesandawaterservicelineoftheAmbridgeReservoir.CitizenstoProtecttheAmbridgeReservoir(CPAR),theBreatheProjectandtheAmbridgeWaterAuthorityareamongmanywhohaveaskedtheDept.ofEnvironmentalProtection(DEP)formoretimeforatechnicalreviewoftheapplication.ThecurrentdeadlineisFeb.20,2018.ThegroupshavealsorequestedapublicmeetingwiththeDEPinAmbridgetoaddresstheseconcerns.TheAmbridgeReservoirsupplieswaterto70,000businessesandcustomersinBeaverandAlleghenycounties,includingproviding30,000customerswithdrinkingwater.Sunoco’sMarinerEast2pipelinehasshownthatinadequatepermittingprocessesandoversight,lackofadherencetopermittedactivitiesonthepartofindustryandinadequategeotechnicalstudiesatproposedhorizontaldirectionaldrillingsites(HDDs)canhaveacatastrophiceffectonnearbygroundwaterwells,streamsandwetlands.AccesstotheFracTrackerMaps:Projectlandingpage:https://www.fractracker.org/projects/falcon-public-eia/Pressrelease:https://www.fractracker.org/2018/01/wingspan-falcon-pipeline/AboutAmbridgeWaterAuthorityAWAisamunicipalauthorityservingAmbridgeBorough,HarmonyTownship,EconomyBorough,BellAcres,BadenBorough,Edgeworth,Leetsdale,LeetTownshipandNewSewickleyMunicipalAuthority.Itwasthefirstrunningwatersystembuiltin1824westoftheAlleghenyMountains,pipedfromtheAmbridgeReservoir.AboutFracTrackerAllianceStartedin2010asasouthwesternPennsylvaniaareawebsite,FracTrackerAllianceisnowanationalnon-profitwithregionalofficesacrosstheUnitedStatesinPennsylvania,theDistrictofColumbia,NewYork,Ohio,andCalifornia.Theorganization’smissionistostudy,map,andcommunicatetherisksofoilandgasdevelopmenttoprotectourplanetandsupporttherenewableenergytransformation.Itsgoalistosupportadvocacygroupsatthelocal,regional,andnationallevel,informingtheiractionstopositivelyshapeournation’senergyfuture.www.fractracker.org

#