The discharge is not toxic, but it can hurt stream life. And people who live near the work site are fed up with a project one says moves ‘full steam ahead’ no matter the consequences.

The court upheld an earlier ruling that the buildings in West Cornwall Township should not be assumed exempt from typical construction permitting due to public utility status.

The study says a pipeline “release” such as a small leak or a major rupture was likely to occur once every 79 years along a 35-mile stretch of pipeline such as that through Chester and Delaware counties.

The company said the work in Delaware County is a preventative measure. An independent pipeline consultant said it’s ‘rare’ that a line is dug up and replaced like this.