News Room

Congressman Richard E. Neal lauds economic growth of Easthampton, and Columbia Gas capital projects.

Springfield, MA., Congressman Richard E. Neal visited Easthampton today for a media conference hosted by Columbia Gas of Massachusetts. The conference was held on Union Street, Easthampton, the site of a five hundred thousand dollar capital project by Columbia Gas, one of several major projects the company has scheduled in Easthampton.

Introduced by Mayor Michael A. Tautznik, Congressman Neal spoke on the economic  resurgence of the city of Easthampton, and on the major investment in capital improvements to the natural gas delivery system in Easthampton that Columbia Gas will be undertaking this year.

The capital improvements by Columbia Gas are part of the company’s long-term infrastructure replacement and system improvement initiatives, replacing older gas mains and services with new plastic pipes, improving  system safety, reliability, and capacity to serve new customers.  In 2012, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts will undertake capital projects totaling $1.425million in Easthampton.

In 2012, Columbia Gas will invest a total of $23million for system enhancements and infrastructure replacement in the company’s Western Massachusetts service area. The majority of the 2012 capital investment is in underground pipe replacement.

Columbia Gas of Massachusetts – Capital Projects for Easthampton

• Union Street Replacement Project
  • Replacing over a mile of various old cast iron and bare steel pipes with new plastic pipes
  • Improving system safety, reliability, and capacity to serve new customers
  • 64 services to buildings will also be updated
  • 4 month project
  • Total Cost: $500k

• Strong Street Replacement Project
  • Replacing nearly a mile of old bare steel pipe with new plastic pipe
  • Improving system safety, reliability, and capacity to serve new customers
  • 44 services to buildings will also be updated
  • 2 month project
  • Total Cost: $280k

• Ferry Street New Business Project
  • The main was upgraded from low pressure to intermediate pressure and extended to provide natural gas availability to 74 existing residential homes and 3 small commercial customers.
  • Natural gas will be installed to Palmer Paving (Asphalt Plant). They will displace approximately 105,000 gallons of waste oil.
  • A proposed Brewery on Fort Street will now have gas available for their brewing process. They would have had to utilize propane as their fuel source which would have affected profitability and the potential for future growth.
  • The green footprint will be improved by a reduction in greenhouse gases through the equipment conversion to natural gas.
  • Total Cost: $440k

• Parsons Street Replacement Project
  • Replacing a ½ mile of old cast iron and bare steel pipes with new plastic pipe
  • Improving system safety, reliability, and capacity to serve new customers
  • 57 services to buildings will also be updated
  • 2 month project
  • Total Cost: $275k

Current Columbia Gas projects planned for the town of Easthampton total $1.425million in 2012.