By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
CANAAN VALLEY – People have been asking about the nature of digging and moving of dirt recently at a worksite located behind the Canaan Valley Volunteer Fire Department in Davis. A phone call to the Columbia Pipeline Group in Charleston revealed the answer. Columbia Pipeline Group Manager of External Communications Scott Castleman said the group is replacing approximately one mile of existing line.
“It is an upgrade to an existing line,” Castleman said. “It will help provide safe and reliable service. The line feeds Canaan Valley Gas and Timberline Resort.”
He said the line also provides gas to local communities.
“Replacing this line will add to the safety and reliability of our system,” Castleman said. “When the weather goes to extreme hot or cold, it puts strain on the utilities. We do not deliver straight to homes, but to local distribution companies.”
Castleman said the project is not technically a modernization program.
“We have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in West Virginia and just right at $1 billion across our system in the last three years on our modernization system to help to counteract the cold weather affects we see in a lot of areas,” Castleman said. “It helps make our system more reliable and helps the delivery of gas.”
Castleman said prep work in the area began in early March and said activities should wrap up by late summer or early fall.
He said landowners that have any questions or concerns about the line replacement in the Canaan Valley area can contact the land team by calling 888-499-3450, which is the landowner hotline. Castleman said during normal work time, there is always someone there to answer the call and track down any answers to questions folks may have.