BALTIMORE — A proposal in the Baltimore City Council would require a deliberate OK from a homeowner to install an external gas regulator, the device which has garnered controversy within the city in recent months.
The bill, introduced Monday night, "bans the installation of external gas regulators unless you have the express written permission of the property owner," Councilman Eric Costello explained.
"We wanted to leave the homeowner with that option," Costello added.
The bill would, by default, put the regulators inside a building with five or fewer dwelling units.
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Utility company Baltimore Gas and Electric has maintained installing the regulators is safe, saying outdoor installation is “supported by lawmakers, regulators and administrative agencies at the state and federal level, and is an industry best practice."
"We’ve heard this concern from across the city, from every single neighborhood, about these gas regulators—the concerns that BGE has not provided adequate justification from a safety perspective on why these are necessary,” Costello said.
The bill introduced Monday night is not retroactive, meaning folks who currently have external regulators installed outside their homes would not be included.
Costello tells WMAR he’s optimistic the bill passes.
