New V & M Rolling Mill, Youngstown, OH
In Youngstown in Ohio on the edge of the Mahoning River, where once stood many blast furnaces for steel making there are more than 400 workers constructing a new steel plant to make pipe. This was unthinkable a few years ago, to see a new $650 million steel plant here. When complete, it will stand 10 stories tall, it will involve one million square feet of floor space and make seamless steel pipes. These will be used in the natural gas industry now having a boom in Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
France’s Vallourec & Mannesmann Holdings Inc., one of the world’s largest makers of steel pipe for the energy market, has decided to build the plant here next to an existing facility. The V&M project is the linchpin for economic recovery in Youngstown. It is a transformational investment and one that could serve the neighboring Marcellus and Utica shale fields for years to come. It required an up-front investment — waiving some local taxes and spending $25 million in federal stimulus funds — to seal the deal, but in Youngstown, they think it’s money well spent.
As a result of the exploration boom, a natural gas transmission line — the Rockies Express — was constructed, which stretches from the very eastern edge of Ohio and cuts through Muskingum, Perry and Fairfield counties before continuing on all the way to Colorado. The Rockies Express crosses the 40 acres that Clark Burton and his family own on Ohio 42 in northeastern Warren County. The pipeline is about 1,000 feet from the Burtons’ house.
But the pipe — running through an area that’s seen increasing development since the Burtons bought their land in the 1980s — is a few hundred feet from the homes of neighbors, although it doesn’t go under their property. If the pipeline were to burst, it would cause devastation for those neighbors, Clark Burton said.
This summer’s mishap in Montana followed a catastrophic natural gas transmission line explosion in 2010 in San Bruno, Calif. The incident killed eight, injured 60 and destroyed 37 homes, renewing concerns about pipeline safety.
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The Montana Incident Last Month — The US EPA reported on July 18th that Exxon-Mobil’s Silvertip pipeline leak and spill in Montana has ended. The pipeline bust on July 1, spilling an estimated 42,000 gallons of oil, or 1,000 barrels, into the scenic Yellowstone River. With the removal of the residual oil from segments of the pipeline, the threat of secondary releases has been eliminated, according to EPA’s on-site coordinator. There are 700 people involved in cleaning up oil that spilled into the River and onto its banks, the agency said. The cause of the break will not be known until the section of ruptured pipe is removed, and that depends on the river level and necessary permits.
Pipeline Explosion Traced To Weld Joint — The 36-inch Tennessee Gas transmission line on McKaig Road in Hanover Township, Columbiana County, Ohio, exploded on February 10th. A fireball of flame shot hundreds of feet into the night sky that could be seen up to 45 miles away. The explosion left a major crater in the road and hillside, showering dirt and debris on homes less than a mile away in Dungannon (twenty miles north of Parkersburg, WV), and closing down the road for about 5 weeks. Despite the severity of the explosion, damage was minimal because there were no homes located immediately near that section of the pipeline. The rupture occurred at a weld joint in the pipeline.
Millenium Pipeline Leaks Discovered in NY. Leaks have been discovered in the Millenium pipeline, running 180 miles west to east in southern New York state. This line, some of which is 30 inches in diameter, was constructed in 2008 and carries high pressure natural gas toward New York City. Columbia Gas Transmission has reduced the pressure and is examining all the welds, as new lines are being planned to gather gas for this one.
Three Spills Of Drilling Mud Into Laurel Lake Creek in Susquehanna County, PA. On July 29th, August 2nd, and August 8th, separate spills have occurred into the creek under which a pipeline is being laid, by Laser Northeast Gathering Co. This is a high quality stream in north central Pennsylvania. See the site below for details:
http://citizensvoice.com/news/third-spill-at-pipeline-site-sullies-susquehanna-county-creek-1.1186531#axzz1UR6InWNr