Where twice they have failed, Sunoco/ET now wants to use a new and more invasive and intrusive drilling method to hammer the controversial Mariner East pipeline through the area of Lisa Drive in West Whiteland, Senator Dinniman said.

“Enough is enough. How many do-overs will this company get before we face a real safety or environmental catastrophe?” Dinniman said. 

Pennsylvania’s new $34 billion budget and spending plan threatens to undermine any progress the Commonwealth has made in recent years in protecting the environment and promoting sustainability, Senator Dinniman said.

“The budget is detrimental to our environmental programs & policies,” Dinniman said. “In fact, significant funds were diverted from important environmental programs, natural gas drillers again dodged a severance tax, and local entities are now blocked from banning single-use plastics.”

School programs that teach young people about the value of local watersheds and watershed protection will receive $8,600 in state grant funding, Senator Dinniman announced.

“The protection and conservation of our water resources are crucial to our lives and our way of life,” Dinniman said. “These programs help prepare the next generation of Pennsylvanians to value and safeguard the clean and pristine waterways that are vital to our environment.”

Senator Dinniman announced that applications are now available for the new PA Forward Student Loan Program.

“The average student loan debt for a Pennsylvania undergraduate student is $38,000,” said Dinniman. “This new, borrower-friendly program aims to help bridge the gap for many students and young people who have already exhausted grants, gifts, scholarships, and other funding sources.”