Kate Shunney
An interstate project to connect a natural gas pipeline from Southern Fulton, Pa. to northern Morgan County has work continuing at multiple sites, including horizontal directional drilling under the Potomac River.
A biweekly status report on the 3.4-mile natural gas extension project says that contractors for the pipeline project have made a stream crossing with the 8-inch pipeline, are drilling at the Potomac River crossing and began drilling activities along I-68 during the last week of January.
The reports are submitted by Columbia Gas Transmission to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) as part of their federal permit requirements.
According to a spokesperson from TC Energy of Canada, the project partner with Columbia Gas, the horizontal directional drilling under the Potomac River will stretch .8 miles (4300 feet) and should be done by March.
“We have a fulltime Environmental Inspector on site; we are also using a drone to provide an additional layer of environmental monitoring,” the company said.
The company declined a request by the newspaper to visit drilling or construction sites, citing safety regulations.
TC Energy officials said there are about 100 people employed by the Eastern Panhandle Expansion Project and the capital cost of the pipeline extension is approximately $24.97 million.
