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December 25, 2008

EDITORIAL: Good news hurts some

St. Lawrence Gas drew a step closer to building a $20 million natural-gas pipeline through Franklin County recently when legislators agreed to ante up $1,452,000 toward the project cost.

The company is pledging $13 million; the state, through the efforts of Sen. Betty Little, is adding $2 million; and St. Lawrence County is being asked to contribute $748,000 to the pipeline fund.

If the Canton-based lawmakers do come through with a share, that would still leave a $2.8 million gap to be filled by either federal funds or more state dollars before the 48-mile-long project could begin.

St. Lawrence Gas would extend its current pipeline in St. Lawrence County from Norfolk to the Franklin County line and cross over into the Town of Moira.

From there, and using abandoned railroad beds, the preferred path of the pipeline would connect large-scale commercial users and conclude on the far side of Chateaugay at the Clinton County line.

Major users such as the four prisons operated by the State Department of Correctional Services, buildings in the Malone Central School District, Alice Hyde Medical Center and the McCadam Cheese plant in Chateaugay have expressed interest in converting to natural gas for their operations.

Each business claims cost savings, job retention and possible expansion as reasons to buy into the pipeline proposal.

Residential users would eventually be added to the pipeline.

A company representative called the legislators' action "bold," and we would add the words "pro-active" and "wise" to it.

At the same time, we understand that local fuel-oil companies would feel passed over and threatened by the use of their tax dollars to subsidize a competitor.

They say jobs will be lost if natural gas is made available here and that the few service and system-maintenance orders they might get from gas customers wouldn't make up for the income and job losses.

We certainly empathize with them, but we believe a natural-gas pipeline would, over time, benefit the entire county and the North Country economy as a whole.

If energy costs are drastically driven down, as St. Lawrence Gas claims they will, the large-scale users would be more apt to use those savings to expand and create more jobs.

Availability of a less-expensive alternative to electricity and fuel oil could also help attract businesses to the region, providing more employment opportunities.

As if often the case, good news for some — even for the majority — spells bad news for somebody. That is a shame, and everyone wishes it weren't so.

But progress for the masses cannot give way to the interests of a few, and natural gas certainly seems like progress for a good many North Country residents and businesses. A less expensive source of energy is a top regional priority.

We hope competitors will find ways to retain their place in a growing, vibrant market.

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