The plan is for the new pipeline route to the west of the airport to be mostly on city of Dayton-owned land and farmland. It should also offer economic development opportunities for the city of Union. Better access to natural gas would allow for development of light manufacturing and distribution operations, Vectren spokeswoman Chase Kelley said.
There should be no disruption to airport operations or natural gas availability as the project occurs, said Colleen Ryan, president of Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio. Also, the project will be paid for over a period of many years, minimizing the impact to ratepayers, she added.
Vectren said it intends to file for approval with the state’s Ohio Power Siting Board, which could hold public hearings soon.
Access to the three-mile-long pipeline is limited now due to its proximity to runways, taxiways, the control tower and the airport terminal, she said. The pipeline that will replace it will be from six to seven miles long. The original pipeline, which was eight inches in diameter, was installed by a predecessor company in the early 1900s before the airport was built, Ryan said.
Vectren said the pipeline was later upgraded to 12 inches, and several modifications and minor line re-locations occurred within airport boundaries from about 1950 throughout the next several decades because of airport expansion projects.
“This relocation project will greatly enhance the ability to maintain the safety and reliability of this pipeline, ensure we can comply with federal inspection guidelines and eliminate the need to disrupt daily operations with airport grounds staff,” Ryan said.
Pre-construction activities could occur in the spring of 2014 and construction in the summer of 2014, Ryan said. The state board will have ultimate approval of the specific route selected within the planned corridor.
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