Company wants to drop charges against 8 pipeline protestors

Katie Colaneri

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Katie Colaneri is a reporter for StateImpact Pennsylvania and WHYY in Philadelphia covering energy and the environment. Before joining StateImpact, Katie worked as an investigative and enterprise reporter at WBGO in Newark, New Jersey. She covered some of New Jersey's biggest stories including the devastation and aftermath of Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, as well as the day-to-day triumphs and struggles to revitalize state's largest city. A native of New Jersey with roots in South Central Pennsylvania, Katie holds a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College.

January 16, 2015 | 10:42 AM

Courtesy of Michelle Johnsen

Chief Carlos Rivera of the North Arawak Tribal Nation is arrested protesting the Atlantic Sunrise pipeline in Conestoga, Pa. on January 5.

Lancaster Online reports PPL, the utility company that owns the property where eight pipeline protestors were arrested last week wants the charges to be dropped.

They were part of a group of about 40 demonstrators who temporarily shut down a testing site for the proposed Atlantic Sunrise pipeline.

More from Lancaster Online:

“It was not PPL’s request that the protesters be arrested. We felt in this case that the right thing to do would be to just let the charges drop,” George Lewis, PPL’s director of corporate communications, said Thursday.

Lewis said the Allentown-based utility called John Fiorill, Southern Lancaster Regional Police chief, last week and asked how to drop the charges.

Fiorill suggested PPL make the request to drop the charges at the eight defendants’ preliminary hearing set for Feb. 5 before District Judge Joshua Keller in Millersville.

Lewis said a PPL representative will be there to do just that.

According to Lancaster Online, all eight people who were arrested are free on $1,000 bail.