A proposed “gas reliability station” in residential Broomall for a PECO natural gas pipeline was OK’d by the PUC, which declared the station exempt from local zoning laws, writes Andrew Maykuth for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The station would reduce gas pressure on the pipeline before It is distributed in neighborhoods.

Residents near the site complained it would be a hazard to public safety.

The gas reliability station was denied in November 2020 by the Marple Township Zoning Hearing Board as incompatible with residential and retail use.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted 3-0 Thursday that a public utility facility is exempt from local regulation.

“PECO has the authority to place the buildings along the pipeline to manage the distribution and supply of natural gas in its pipes as long as the company operates its facilities in compliance with state and federal regulations,” the PUC said in its order.

The site at Sproul and Cedar Grove Roads is next to a fast-food restaurant and near homes.

Residents organized the Marple Safety Coalition and have protested at the site, believing a safer, more suitable location could be found.

A PUC decision can be appealed to Commonwealth Court.

Read more at The Philadelphia Inquirer about the gas reliability facility in Broomall.

Here’s a Fox 29 news report from May 2021 about the resident protests against the location of the facility.