EconDev corp. hears of pipeline “ripple effects” / By Martha Knight

A National Fuel Gas pipeline construction project has already begun to affect the Port Allegany area, Randy Hobbs of Portage Development told Port Allegany Area Economic Development Corp..members at their meeting Thursday night.

About 24 miles of pipeline will be constructed  in the area, and much of the staging and supply activity will be based  from a based at his Portage Industrial Properties sites south of Port Allegany, along Route 155.

On one side of 155 there are office trailers. On the other, along the railroad, lengths of pipe are offloaded from sidings and stockpiled, then trucked to where they are needed.

While that area is a hive of activity, local businesses are feeling the “ripple effect” as well. Restaurants are adding staff to make sure they can feed the hungry workers. The hospitality industry scrambles to accommodate as many as possible, and more berths are needed.

Cold weather has forced some different methods to be used for storing pipe lengths, and a local contractor came through with a solution to the problem posed by frozen ground. There was a run on propane heaters as chilly office units needed heat. Rich Gas installed propane tanks at the site. Hobbs installed needed electrical services.

Welded Construction received a conditional go-ahead for its land development plan from the McKean County Planning Commission earlier this week. That plan involves 4.1 acres of gravel and compacted soil area for parking and equipment.

This is only the beginning, Hobbs said. The initial major pipeline project will be followed by others, as gas wells continue to be drilled and to produce, and gas must be transported to markets.

Potter County, no longer host to active railroads, will see its pipeline projects using nearby rail transportation to supply pipeline construction and other gas-related projects predicted McKean County Commission chairman Joe DeMott, the other speaker of the evening. He outlined ways the county government is involved in economic development.

Some county departments provide direct help to industry, business and entrepreneurs, DeMott said. He mentioned the Office of Economic Development and its director, Sherri Geari, who was appointed three months ago. The Planning Commission and its director and staff also aids municipalities and private enterprise in a number of ways. The agencies make referrals to state agencies.

The county interacts with the North Central Regional Planning and Development Corp., which also provides key services and interfaces with federal programs, DeMott noted.

Critical needs of business and industry seeking to site operations here, according to DeMott and Hobbs, are housing for the workforce, and the availability of trained workers.

Even finding qualified trainers for some classes can be a challenge, DeMott said. Bob Veilleux of the Potter County Education Council said PCEC has sponsored drilling, trucking and pipeline related courses through the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical center. More such programs will be needed.

One approach to the need for housing for pipeline workers would be creating a listing of private homes with one or more spare rooms where workers could board, it was suggested. Geary is working on such a program now.

DeMott said Act 13 funds the county is receiving based on gas well production can be applied for by municipalities, using applications being developed by Geary and her office.

Mentioning some uses of those funds, DeMott said they can also help municipalities qualify for other funding, because they are classified as local funding, which can be used as the applicant’s “matching funds.”

Another project still in the planning stages is development of a water trail, leveraging the recreational value of the Allegheny River. The upstream terminus of the trail would be in the Roulette area, Burleson said his committee believes.

The group needs all landowners to consent to the project, Burleson said. So far discussions with them have been encouraging, he added.

Also, the group is anxious to help support the development of community college programs.

Burleson exhorted members in attendance to invite “at least two” area residents not now involved in the PAEDC to become members. The next meeting will be at 7 p.m., March 13 at the Port Allegany Borough Building.