Kushequa residents will be searching for an alternative source
to heat their homes beginning Aug. 1, according to their local gas
supplier.
Knox Energy, which owns the gas system serving Kane, Mount
Jewett, Kushequa and other communities in that area, purchased the
system from Gasco two years ago. A pair of letters sent out by the
company in April outlined options to deal with safety concerns on
the gas line providing service to the Kushequa area and then
notified customers that a lack of response or interest in provided
options left the company no choice but to shut off service to the
area.
Approximately 33 customers in the Kushequa area, which includes
more than 20 full-time families and a few camps and hunting cabins,
receive their gas supply from Knox Energy.
“We wanted everyone to know what’s going on down here,” Kushequa
resident John Verolini told The Era on Tuesday. “We had trouble
with gas before when we had gas in our water. They were drilling
wells and gas got in our water system, a problem like they’re
having on Hedgehog (Lane in Bradford Township), and we got that
straightened out. It just seems like there’s always something
coming up.”
The three options provided by the gas company were: 1.- to
replace the four miles of line from Mount Jewett to Kushequa; 2. –
extend approximately 3,000 feet of line to a local producer’s line,
which would supply gas dependent on how the local wells were
producing; and 3. -abandon all gas lines and have existing gas
members convert to another fuel for heating needs, etc.
Of those options, the first was deemed not feasible due to the
cost and number of residents served.
“The cost to replace the line is over a million dollars because
of the terrain, it is very rugged there. It is also a very old
line, it has been there a long time, maybe as long as 60 to 80
years,” explained David Eigel, a spokesman for Knox Energy and
president of Utility Pipeline Ltd. of North Canton, Ohio.
The second option was deemed the best choice, provided customers
would agree to pay ,3,500 of the cost; ,2,000 as an immediate
payment and installments of ,100 per month for the following 15
months.
“One of the other options was to build pipe from the Kushequa
line to a local producer line. That would still cost ,115 thousand,
so we were asking for residents to pay part of the cost,” noted
Eigel. “We gave them that option and asked them to respond. We have
gotten only a couple of responses, and those indicated that they
were not interested in that option. That left us with no
alternative but to abandon the line that is in place and have
customers there convert to another fuel.”
A letter dated May 5 was then sent to residents informing them
that due to lack of interest in the second option, as of Aug. 1,
residents would cease to receive gas for their home heating etc.,
from the company.
Eigel explained the letter also informed each customer they
would receive a ,400 credit to their account for use to pay gas
bills or to convert to other fuel sources.
“They are gung ho about the whole thing, and they said they are
going to give us ,400 to share expense of turnover to change to
propane,” said Verolini. “That won’t be near enough for our house.
You have to get all different connections and get the orifices
changed from gas to propane. Plus, I don’t like the look of tanks
in my front yard anyway.”
Eigel noted the company is at a loss to solve the issue any
other way.
“We can’t find any other options that would keep these customers
in gas,” Eigel said. “We bought the system about two years ago, and
the problem is the line has been in bad condition a long, long
time. Last summer we had the same issue with other pipes in the
area. We had to abandon pipes last year, and this is phase 2 of
that, but we don’t anticipate further problems after this.
“Other parts of the system seem to be in better condition,”
Eigel said. “With the newer state and federal regulations, we
thought it was necessary to do something. We can’t continue to
operate it the way it is.”
Verolini noted the residents weren’t aware of any safety
concerns or any significant problems with the line last winter, and
he maintains the lines to Kushequa are actually newer than those in
other areas.
“As a matter of fact, these lines here are newer than those from
Kane to Mount Jewett and Hazel Hurst, since we were the last ones
to get the gas down here, we were the last ones to have lines put
in,” Verolini said.
Both Eigel of Knox Energy and Verolini have reported contacting
state legislators.
“We have made some phone calls. We talked to Senator (Joe)
Scarnati’s office and explained the situation,” Eigel said. “We
have not gotten a response, so there is no progress in that
area.”
Verolini reported the area residents are also trying to reach
other government officials.
“We talked to the lieutenant governor’s office, we have
corresponded with the Attorney General and have talked to (state
Rep.) Kathy Rapp, the legislator in our district,” Verolini said.
“We have contacted Congressman (Glenn) Thompson … we sure have been
talking to everyone we can talk to.”
When contacted, Rapp explained she is aware of the situation but
so far has been unable to discern a solution.
“I don’t know what exactly we can do. I had heard from the
current owner, who is deeply concerned in regards to the fact the
gas lines are laying directly on the ground,” Rapp said. “The
company is trying to come into compliance with regulations as far
as gas lines, and in order to do so, they would be passing that
expense on to their customers.
“I have not been out to see the situation in Kushequa, but it is
always a concern of public officials when something like this has
happened. Unfortunately, there is not always a remedy.”
Rapp concluded by saying she hopes to look at the area
personally and talk to Kushequa residents. However, she is in her
fourth week in Harrisburg for budget talks and has not yet been
able to look into the matter.
The residents have not admitted defeat on the matter as of
yet.
“I haven’t given up, and I don’t think anyone else has,”
Verolini commented. “Until we exhaust all means, we are not going
to stop and give up and let them push us around. We are going to
fight for what we think is right, and we don’t think this is
right.
“It is not our fault they have the problem they have; they
should have been looking after those things. They can’t neglect
them like they have been neglected.”
