PUBLIC SAFETY

Cumberland County is home to nearly 270,000 residents and spans a whopping 550 square miles. Despite our size and rapid growth, we count on our first responders to “just be there” when things go wrong.  Most of us don’t think about the planning, technology and forethought that go into complex safety activities that are wrought with unexpected, chaotic variables.  Our public safety department is complex and tasked with handling a multitude of human events.  Somehow, despite the chaos, they act swiftly and calmly in emergencies. Our county coordinates essential public safety activities among many governmental and volunteer organizations.

The Sunoco Mariner 2 pipeline crosses Cumberland County. I believe that we must be ready to face the possible risks it poses.  I am alarmed about soil and water contamination associated with the Mariner 2 pipeline, as DEP issued Sunoco well over 100 notices of violations over the last five years. In Cumberland County, those violations and corresponding fines relate to horizontal drilling leaks at Letort Run, and wetlands and tributaries to the Yellow Breeches Creek. Our natural resources are constitutionally protected as are our rights to clean air and water, and they are too precious to squander to contamination, spillage, damage or worse. Additionally, Sunoco continues to avoid meeting with Cumberland County residents to discuss safety concerns.  I live within three miles of the blast zone of this pipeline. It is one of my top personal safety concerns.

As your Commissioner, I will continue to fight to ensure our safety as well as preparation for swift and efficient responses during emergency situations.