Chester Mayor and opponents of LNG testify at state hearing in Chester

Testifying before the Pennsylvania House Environmental and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, Chester Mayor Stefan Roots, joined by numerous environmentalists, spoke out against the yearlong plan by Penn LNG to build a liquefied natural gas facility in the City of Chester, Eddystone Borough, or Marcus Hook.

- Lorraine Lavender-Sams

State Representative Greg Vitali convened the hearing, fearing that the project would proceed without public input.

Despite promises of the facility's potential for jobs and economic growth for the city, opponents continue to point out the very real catastrophic dangers that a facility such as LNG is proposing would pose to the densely populated areas of Chester City, Eddystone Borough, and Marcus Hook. Penn LNG's plans for the 100-acre liquefied natural gas facility on the Chester waterfront aren't sitting well with the city's mayor, residents, and several environmental groups.

Opponents cite the facility's lack of preventative safety measures in the event of an explosion, and the exacerbation of pollutants in a community already overburdened with environmental injustices.

Franc James, CEO, and Robert Baer, President of the Philadelphia Building Trades Union, were invited to attend the hearing but declined. The Minority Chair also declined an invitation to serve as a testifier at the hearing.