Dominion Transportation Inc. has sued Myersville, Maryland, for refusing to issue a permit for construction of a 16,000 hp (12 MW) compressor station.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has approved the station, which is part of Dominion’s US$115 million Allegheny Storage Project. The work includes storage and transmission upgrades in Ohio, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The Myersville town council rejected the compressor station last August, ruling that it would be inconsistent with the town’s commercial zoning for the vicinity.

Dominion sued Myersville in U.S. District Court in Baltimore, arguing that FERC’s authority to regulate interstate natural gas pipelines preempts the town’s zoning laws. No court date has been set on suit, which seeks a declaratory judgment.