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Pipeline task force cites Texas blast and adopts ordinances, urges valve-station upgrades
Summary
The township's pipeline task force highlighted two adopted ordinances addressing carbon dioxide and hydrogen pipelines and recommended physical safety upgrades at an above-ground valve station on the Williams Transco line after reviewing incidents elsewhere; the task force will seek county, PennDOT and legislative support for improvements.
Jerry, the township pipeline task force representative, told the board the task force adopted two detailed ordinances intended to regulate carbon dioxide and hydrogen pipeline operations and to protect public health and safety.
The ordinances, Jerry said, spell out setbacks, leak-detection requirements, emergency-response plans and material-construction standards; one ordinance was approved in March 2024 and the other in July 2024. "A lot of thought went into those ordinances," Jerry said, adding the rules are grounded in research and intended to withstand legal challenges.
Jerry framed the work around recent incidents elsewhere. He cited an intentional vehicle strike on an above-ground valve station in La Porte, Texas, that produced a multi-day fire, and a leak of jet fuel reported north of the township in Upper Mayfield that contaminated well water. "If it happened there, it could happen here," he said, urging preventative steps.
As a near-term priority the task force recommended multi-layered physical protections at a Williams Transco valve station on Paoli Pike near Boot Road and the Goshen Executive Center — guardrail at the roadway edge plus bollards or other barriers closer to the station — and said it will coordinate with PennDOT and local legislators on implementation.
Jerry also described the task force's outreach role: updating the county's pipeline-incident annex, participating in a full-scale pipeline exercise, and sharing ordinance templates with neighboring townships that could adopt similar measures. He encouraged additional public communications, including a dedicated pipeline task force page on the township website and newsletter material to explain differences among pipeline commodities and local safety measures.
Next steps noted in the meeting: finalize recommended infrastructure specifications for the valve station, continue coordination with county emergency-planning staff and PennDOT, and invite state legislators to meetings when appropriate.
The board did not vote on a formal action at the meeting; the task force requested support and guidance to proceed with engineering and agency coordination.
