A Cumberland County judge has sided with Sunoco Pipeline against three landowners who challenged the company’s right to exercise eminent domain over their property in order to construct a second natural gas pipeline.
In his ruling, Judge Edward Guido threw out the landowners’ claims, accepting the argument from Sunoco that the pipeline will handle both intrastate and interstate traffic and therefore, fell under the jurisdiction of the PUC.
Last year, the PUC ruled that Sunoco’s Mariner East Pipeline project fell under the category of public utility and therefore, Sunoco would be able to exercise eminent domain proceedings should it be necessary.
In a statement following the judge’s ruling, Sunoco said, “We are confident that our negotiations with landowners will continue to produce agreements that are acceptable to all parties and avoid the condemnation process whenever possible.”
“Sunoco Pipeline regards eminent domain as a last resort, for use cautiously only when negotiations with a landowner fail and can impede the successful completion of the project.”