Discussion on Hazen natural gas continues
Those willing to build a natural gas pipeline through Mercer County are ready to move forward. Hazen and Beulah’s decision-makers aren’t quite yet sold.
At a meeting of the Hazen City Commission Monday evening, it was reported that last Tuesday, a subcommittee consisting of Hazen City Commissioner Ken Link, Hazen City Planner Steve Frovarp and Hazen City Attorney Pat Donovan met with Beulah city officials. Pipeline construction must be given the nod from both Hazen and Beulah, according to Frovarp.
Major Pipelines L.L.C., Grand Rapids, Mich. proposed the underground natural gas pipeline to run through Beulah and Hazen, with construction to potentially begin next spring pending project approval. The high-pressure gas transmission line would branch from the Northern Border Pipeline and enter the very southwest corner of Mercer County, running northwest through Beulah and continuing east to Hazen.
The Northern Border Pipeline is a natural gas pipeline that brings gas from Canada through Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa into the Chicago area.
Porter Investment Group, Onaway, Mich., would then be in charge of installation of distribution lines that would run inside the cities, Frovarp said. Most likely, the city would eventually have the option of purchasing the distribution system.
In a late August meeting with the Mercer County Commission, Primary Contractor Gerald Rushmore of Major Pipelines said, "(Hazen and Beulah) are sufficient enough sizes to warrant an economic expenditure of this size. If we’re going to spend $10, $12, $15 million, we need to know there’s some customers on the other end. The majority of towns that size in North Dakota have natural gas service. We’ll arrange all the financing, and we don’t expect anything from anyone."
