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STATEWIDE — You may have already run into a few utility crews hard at work, depending on where you live. CenterPoint Energy’s multi-year natural gas pipe replacement project is expanding across Indiana.
The plan is simple on paper: replace 120 miles of the aging bare steel and cast-iron natural gas pipelines throughout Indiana with new, industry-grade material that doesn’t wear and tear as quickly. However, that’s easier said than done, and it will require some patience, says CenterPoint Energy.
“Bare steel and cast-iron pipes can be susceptible to performance issues,” said Ashley Babcock, Vice President of Gas Operations, Indiana and Ohio in a Wednesday press release, “this aging infrastructure will be replaced with new industry-grade pipes that meet all current industry and federal requirements. Ongoing investments in our natural gas system remain a top priority. We are committed to maintaining a safe, reliable system to deliver dependable natural gas to Indiana homes and businesses.”
Work crews will be focused on streets and sidewalks first, and then crews will shift their focus to lines that run directly to homes and businesses.
The 90-million-dollar investment project will stretch from Fort Wayne down to Evansville, affecting just about every city and town in between.
This is the current list from CenterPoint: Albany, Alexandria, Anderson, Arcadia, Carmel, Chesterfield, Dunkirk, Eaton, Elwood, Farmland, Fishers, Gaston, Hartford City, Ingalls, Marion, Markle, Markleville, Mt. Summit, Muncie, New Castle, Noblesville, Pendleton, Redkey, Richmond, Sheridan, Shideler, Yorktown, Brownsburg, Cloverdale, Covington, Lafayette, Lebanon, Zionsville, Bedford, Bloomington, Columbus, Franklin, Greenwood, Harrodsburg, Mitchell and Seymour.
If you happen to be walking by a work site and smell something like rotten eggs, CenterPoint says you need to quickly get away. That smell is natural gas that presents a fire danger.
If you run into an issue like that, get to a safe location and call both 911 and CenterPoint Energy at 800-227-1376.
