NWAGD votes to aid Winfield in economic development-related gas line relocation

HAMILTON — The Northwest Alabama Gas District, also known as Northwest Gas, serves more than 20,000 customers across the state, with a special new customer recently added through the construction of the newest Pilot Travel Center in Winfield on Interstate-22.
Due to ongoing development near the new travel center, a six-inch high-pressure gas line will need to be moved. Discussion held at the NWAGD’s February board meeting included matters of safety, customers served by the line and whether the district could help offset some of the cost the City of Winfield will face in moving the line, as the new construction falls under the economic development category.
The board is made up of six mayors belonging to the cities which incorporated the gas district more than seven decades ago, including Winfield, Hamilton, Hackleburg, Guin, Haleyville and Sulligent.
Winfield Mayor Randy Price began the discussion by noting, “On Highway 129, where we put the Pilot in, and we’re now prepping for new construction, we’re having to do a turning lane on 129 off of I-22. By doing that, we realized we have a gas main that will be in the way.”
Price said he’d talked to NWAGD General Manager Heath Reed about the need to move the line. The gas line was previously moved when I-22 was built.
“But now that’s being developed, and we have a section that needs to be moved completely out of the way and buried about 10-feet-deep,” Price noted. “I need to see if the board is willing to move that high pressure gas line out of the way of 129 traffic.”
Reed said smaller moves are done in-house by the gas district itself, but this relocation would have to be handled by a contractor as it concerns a six-inch high-pressure steel line.
“We don’t have the forces or the equipment to do it with,” Reed said. He noted the gas district had run a cost estimate, which he shared with the board, but which the newspaper chooses not to print so as not to interfere with the bid process.
Guin Mayor Phil Segraves was the first board member to speak up, noting the matter “is a safety issue.”
Price also explained if the line had not been moved when I-22 was constructed, it would be a much larger issue at this time. But he also expressed concern the line didn’t seem deep enough to him, currently.
“This is our line that feeds Haleyville and Bear Creek,” Reed said.
Asked by board member and Sulligent Mayor Scott Boman if the gas district would pick up a load from Pilot on natural gas, Reed said they would, and they’d already run the service.
“It’s a decent load at 2 million BTU per hour,” he said.
Segraves asked if the relocation would qualify for industrial access funds. Reed said he did not think so. Price noted the city did have an ATRIP grant, but the grant does not cover utilities.
Price also said, during the current construction process, they were already having to maneuver around the gas line.
Reed said the gas district would need to move about 1,500 feet of gas main to get it out of the way of the new development.
Board member and Hackleburg Mayor Darryl Colburn said he could see the area being developed even more in the future. He later noted, “We (member municipalities) all own this company and want everyone to flourish and do the best they can. If we can help each other, we need to do so.
“I feel like anytime we can improve our infrastructure in the region, it not only improves our chances to recruit retail and industry, but also helps make the gas district stronger.”
Price noted the landowner is very open and pro-active about more development, and is the “sole reason the new Pilot is coming in.” He noted the owner had rough cut land up to Highway 47 and has had a lot of interest in the spots where he’s clearing, which includes some Brilliant property.
Boman asked, based on the new Pilot, how long it would take the gas district to recoup the cost of moving the line.
Reed explained--just strictly off their load--it would be about 25 years, as the Pilot station itself is not a large natural gas load. Reed also noted he was not counting future development, which might be more realistic.
Price said he could foresee, maybe, another hotel and some restaurants coming to the area.
Board member and Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri remarked on the line being a major feed to his city. Reed noted again the feed also serves Bear Creek.
Segraves again expressed concerns about the current gas main location being a safety issue. He noted if the line were to be damaged during construction, it would affect the communities being served by the line.
“I think we have to do it,” Segraves  said, later adding, “The line served other communities that had the potential to interrupt the residents and businesses of those communities if an accident occurred. The right thing to do to minimize the risk was to relocate the line.”
Reed said he’d had gas district personnel on-site every day during the construction process just to protect the line.
Sunseri made the motion for the gas district to contract to have the line replaced.
Reed said the gas district would solicit proposals from contractors they had dealt with previously, as certain qualifications are needed to work on gas lines.
“It doesn’t have to be moved today, but I think we need to go ahead and move it for the second phase of our project,” Price said.
Segraves seconded the motion, and the vote by the board was unanimous. Price said he may need to abstain, but the board clarified they were only voting to solicit proposals.
Colburn noted this was not completely, nor directly, a Winfield project, but affects the entire area.
Sunseri confirmed, “If it’s a major line coming in, we don’t really have a choice. Our lines are on the right-of-way.”
Boman, currently the board chairman, noted later, “From my position as a board member, just like everyone else, I support economic development in our region, and although there is an upfront cost to the district to relocate the existing line, it will open up opportunities in the future for the district to gain additional customers.
“Couple that with the potential safety risk related to the current line, it makes sense to go ahead and address the issue now rather than later. Accordingly, I supported the district bearing the cost 100 percent. Development in our region, regardless of where, is good for us all!”
Price concluded the discussion by noting, “There is no way to put a price on a life,” citing future safety concerns once more and his desire for the new line to be installed deeper than the current line is.
Reed said he would obtain the estimates and put together a bid package and provide the board with more information in the future.
“We are committed to the economic development of our region,” Reed said. “Relocating this gas main will help to facilitate future development of this intersection.”