Eastern Shore Pipeline

The proposed pipeline expansion would extend further into Wicomico County and into Somerset County, passing through Salisbury, Maryland to reach the termini at University of Maryland Eastern Shore and Eastern Correctional Institution.[1][2] Somerset is one of three counties in Maryland that does not have access to natural gas.[3] Maryland officials also stated that the pipeline could be expanded south into the Eastern Shore of Virginia.[1] While Maryland has banned the process of fracking statewide, the state allows pipelines carrying fracked natural gas to be built.[4] In 2018, the Maryland Public Service Commission approved $100 million in spending on fracked natural gas infrastructure.[5][6]

The proposed expansion would connect with existing pipeline in a pigging facility in downtown Salisbury owned by Sharp Energy. A 10-inch (250 mm) diameter length of piping measuring 6.8 miles (10.9 km) would then extend to a proposed Metering and Regulation Station in Eden, Maryland, running alongside U.S. Route 13. From there, a 9.7-mile (15.6 km) length of 8-inch (200 mm) diameter pipe would continue along Route 13 to Eastern Correctional Institution and a Mountaire Farms processing plant. University of Maryland Eastern Shore would be connected midway down this stretch.[7]

The pipeline has received significant pushback from local organizations due to primarily environmental concerns, including the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN), Lower Shore Progressive Caucus, and Sierra Club.[11][12][8] The fact that the proposed pipeline would run through primarily minority communities has also been cited as a reason against its construction, with a representative of the CCAN calling the pipeline "an insult and an injustice to those communities."[13]

Critics of the pipeline state that it will encourage fracking outside of the state and is dangerous to both humans and the environment.[14] Environmentalists see the pipeline as a step in the wrong direction, investing in infrastructure that is not as clean as it could or should be. The pipeline's lifetime is also of concern among critics, as it may interfere with Maryland's long-term energy cleanliness goals.[8] The Chesapeake Climate Action Network has expressed concerns that installing the pipeline may trigger a chain reaction of new pipeline construction, further damaging the environment.[15]

Supporters of the pipeline's construction claim that the pipeline will bring jobs and economic growth to Somerset County and the surrounding area. Multiple state representatives, including State Senators Steve Hershey and Mary Beth Carozza, support the pipeline as a relatively clean source of energy that will bring development to the area.[16][17] Other officials, including the Somerset County Development Commission Director and Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce President, support the pipeline as well.[18]