Customers of the Exxon service station at 1825 Route 309 will soon be able to purchase compressed natural gas at the site bordering Pope Road, near the Nestlé Purina Petcare plant in South Whitehall.

Attorney Andrew Schantz, representing Lehigh Gas Corporation, described the materials that will be installed to convert an existing petroleum fuel dispenser to compressed natural gas at the commissioners' Aug. 15 meeting.

The equipment consists of a compressor, a sphere or tank to hold the CNG, and a dispenser.

"We're offering a new product," Schantz said. "This is a different type of vehicle fuel."

He said the CNG is used in fleet vehicles, school buses, garbage trucks and some Hondas.

"FedEx and UPS are converting to this," Schantz said. "We feel there is a need for it."

The CNG dispenser is planned for the service station, built in 1995, and which includes a 2006 car wash addition, as well as a Dunkin' Donuts.

Commissioners granted a waiver to allow Lehigh Gas Corporation to proceed without going through the land development process.

In other business, commissioners granted approval to Nestlé Purina for construction of a 120,000-square-foot, paved employee parking lot with space for 346 vehicles on the company site at 2050 Pope Road.

The project will include associated access drives, sidewalk and installation of an electrical substation gravel pad site near the entrance to the 114.5-acre property.

Eight additional infiltration-detention basins will be placed to the southeast of the main production plant.

Nestlé Purina has agreed to work with the township public works department on erosion issues along Huckleberry Road.

Commissioners quickly voted on ordinances pertaining to the plumbing code, the International Building Code, the residential code and the Municipal Building Code.

Although these ordinances were approved at a previous meeting, Township Manager Jon Hammer said he wanted to make certain everything was just right and not muddled because of personnel changes.

"I wanted to make sure all documentation was done correctly," Hammer said.

Commissioners heard a request from Thomas Uff, manager of the Board of Authority, for approval of credit expenditures, if needed.

Uff commented on the situation.

"Sometimes, the bills arrive before the revenue does," Uff said. "We should have half our revenue in by now, and we don't. We're OK now, but if something comes up before the end of the year, we need this."

While commissioners who were present could see the importance of granting the additional line of credit, board President Christina "Tori" Morgan suggested delaying a vote on the issue until all members are present.

Commissioners David Bond and Thomas Johns were absent from the meeting.