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Public works says crew struck abandoned gas regulator on Zohr Road; no injuries, Duke Energy responded
Summary
Public works reported that crews clearing vegetation along Zohr Road contacted an above-ground gas regulator attached to an abandoned service line. Union Township Fire Department and Duke Energy responded; the third-party inspector called the incident "unavoidable" and no injuries were reported.
South Lebanon public works staff told the City Council that while clearing vegetation along Zohr Road crews struck an above-ground gas regulator tied to an abandoned service line, triggering a gas release that was contained without injury.
The incident occurred during routine property cleanup. Public works reported the regulator sat about a foot above grade and that a bush-hog operator unintentionally hit the device while mowing. Crews immediately contacted emergency responders; Union Township Fire Department and Duke Energy were on scene. A third-party inspector reviewed the event and described it as "unavoidable" based on the circumstances recorded in the field. No personnel were injured and the public-works equipment continued to operate.
Public works said Duke Energy later disconnected the regulator at the main, and that the regulator had not been shown on the utility's maps because the line had been abandoned but not fully removed years earlier. City staff described the event as a prompt reminder to review mapped utilities and vegetation-clearing protocols around known—and unknown—above-ground infrastructure.
Why it matters: The incident underscores risks that can accompany vegetation and right-of-way maintenance when legacy utility infrastructure is present. City staff told the council they will take steps to review maps and work with the utility on removal or clearer marking of abandoned facilities.
What council members and staff said
- Harry (public works) described the event, noting the regulator was above grade about 12 inches and likely would have been struck during routine mowing at some point. "We started to clean that up...and this time I asked them if you could basically remove the whole vertical because we're gonna be excavating that a little now," he said, describing Duke's response to disconnect the line.
- The administrator, Jerry, confirmed the city will follow up with Duke Energy, and staff noted an updated review of right-of-way maps and vegetation protocols is planned.
Next steps
City staff said they will coordinate with Duke Energy to remove or better mark the abandoned regulator and will review internal procedures for right-of-way clearing to reduce the risk of similar incidents going forward.
