Phase
1 of gas line project nears
completion
By
Laura hagan
lhagan@owentonnewsherald.com
Frank Downing has been
working on getting a natural gas line in the county for almost
20 years.
Now, as Phase 1 of the gas line project is being completed and
plans begin for Phase 2, Frank’s dream has become a reality.
Bobby Walker said he would stay on the city council until the
project was complete. That was 20 years ago, and he’s still
a council member today.
While it’s been a dream for many for years, the plans for
a gas line for Owen County really took off about four years ago.
Mayor David “Milkweed” Wotier said when the industrial
building was completed, there were a lot of prospective businesses
wanting to move into the county, but they were shocked to find
out there wasn’t any natural gas available.
“We were the last county in the state to get natural gas,”
Wotier said. “We weren’t seeing any growth or new
jobs.”
Wotier said a lack of a railroad and interstate were also hurting
the county’s growth.
When applying for a state grant to build a natural gas line, Wotier
said that being the only county without natural gas helped Owen
County have a better chance to receive the money.
“That was an ace in the hole for us,” he said.
A grant was received from the state for the natural gas line,
after it was put on the budget as a line item. Senators Royce
Adams and Damon Thayer got on board with the project and helped
get the bill for the grant into the House and Senate. After it
was not vetoed by Gov. Ernie Fletcher, Wotier said he was officially
told that Owen County would receive $5 million from the state,
and $300,000 from the federal government.The check was presented
on Aug. 1, 2006.
Wotier said he believes the gas line will open needed opportunities
for the county, and that the project is moving along.
“We’ve gotten a lot of cooperation,” he said.
“(A lot of people) have shared our vision.”
Phase 1 runs from one and one-fourth of a mile east of Markland
Dam, 22 miles to Actaris. It will allow users to hook onto the
line after the contractors get it flowing sometime next week.
Plans are being made now for Phase 2, which will run from Actaris
to Save-a-lot. Construction on Phase 2 will begin in September.
Wotier said that he, Downing and two engineers from MSE in Lexington
will meet today at 10 a.m. to study the most practical and feasible
route for Phase 2.
One option is for the line to run straight down Main Street, with
connectors every 1,000 feet. Another option is to run the line
down Roland Ave., Seminary Street, then back to Main St.
Wotier said he hopes to have Phase 2 ready for bidding by the
first of August. Contractors must bid on the project. The company
that worked on Phase 1 was Clay Pipeline, out of Manchester.
Right now, people in the county are using propane gas. Those users
are who Wotier believes will be most apt to switch over to natural
gas once it’s available, because it is cheaper. Others in
the county use heating oil. Those users may not make the switch,
because natural gas would cost them more.
Phase 1 was supposed to have been finished by the end of July,
but the project is about a month ahead of schedule.
Though Phase 1 is completed and Phase 2 is about to begin, Wotier
said he is not sure where Phase 3 will run, but he said all involved
are looking to complete the whole project by the end of 2007.
“I think there is a good sense of excitement in the community,”
he said.
With two previous tries at getting a natural gas line in the county,
Wotier said some were skeptical of the project at first. With
the increasing price of steel, the cost went up, and there were
times when the money available couldn’t keep up with the
rising costs.
Downing said everything has progressed on budget as well. The
cost for Phase 1 was $5.1 million. Phase 2 will be significantly
less expensive, costing $500,000.
He said there have been monthly progress meetings, on the fourth
Thursday of every month at City Hall. The contractor, engineer
and inspectors meet and provide updates on the project to Downing
and others. It is also the time when any problems are worked through.
Downing said he speaks with Wotier about the project several times
during the week.
“Everything has run smoothly,” he said. “This
part of the dream has come true.”
As Phase 2 begins, a different type of pipeline will be used.
Instead of the steel pipes used in Phase 1, the line from Actaris
to Save-a-lot will be a 4-inch plastic line. Phase 3 will be a
2-inch plastic line, which Downing said allows for less pressure.
It is also less expensive.
Since he began working on the ideas and planning for the project
in 1990, Downing said the concern and need for the line has been
based on the need for jobs. He said he talked to the state and
asked what needed to be done to bring more jobs into the county.
They told him an industrial park and natural gas would do it.
Downing said his biggest concern is job retention here in the
county.
“Let’s keep what we got and work toward additional
jobs,” he said. “That’s the driving force at
this point.”
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