On March 5, 2015 Sunoco Pipeline submitted a Petition for Leave to Withdraw Pleadings for the nine remaining petitions which sought findings that the Mariner East 1 pipeline pump stations were exempt from local zoning. Sunoco Pipeline alleged that it had obtained approval from the remaining townships or decided to re-engineer the pump stations such that the pump stations buildings would not be required. If the withdrawal is approved by the PUC judges, a delay and a litigation risk would be eliminated for Sunoco Pipeline.
The approval of the withdraw of the petitions would appear to moot, or eliminate, prior rulings of the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. These events appear to eliminate at least one Sunoco Pipeline argument for eminent domain power for the proposed Mariner East 2 Pipeline.
