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August 31, 2010

EDITORIAL: Pipeline has great promise

Press-Republican

A natural-gas pipeline proposed for northern Franklin County may be the right medicine to improve the region's economic health, based on comments from a recent public hearing.

Enbridge, the Canadian-based parent company of St. Lawrence Gas, is willing to invest $14 million of the $20 million needed to extend its existing gas-transmission line from St. Lawrence County into the Town of Moira and on to the Village of Chateaugay.

Franklin County, Sen. Betty Little and Gov. David Paterson have pledged most of the other $6 million to make it happen.

Construction could start next fall and have its first users hooked on by the fall of 2012. The company's application is before the State Public Service Commission, which will determine whether the plan is viable and, if so, issue operational permits.

Among the high-volume users expected to tap in to the 48-mile pipeline are the Breyer's Yogurt plant in North Lawrence, four state prisons, Alice Hyde Medical Center, several school districts, many of Franklin County's public buildings and the Agri-Mark McCadam Cheese plant in Chateaugay.

Public comments at the hearing mostly favored the plan, but some dissenting voices came from homeowners who are not opposed to the project but do object to what they describe as "high-pressure tactics" the company used to obtain easements from some Brushton residents.

They claim elected county officials are preoccupied with pleasing St. Lawrence Gas rather than making their constituents with legitimate concerns the top priority.

Bad feelings have also surfaced from fuel-company owners who don't want the county using tax dollars to put them out of business by subsidizing a project for a competing company.

Those concerns are real, and at the same time, the argument can be made that the pipeline will create good-paying jobs during construction where materials may be purchased locally.

Once the service is operational, there will be a boost in sales of natural-gas appliances and furnaces as well as smaller-scale construction projects to connect homeowners to the new system.

Also, end users are expected to save significant money on energy costs which could translate into more hiring, expansion of existing businesses and enticing new investment interest in the region.

There cannot be long-term recovery for the North Country's economy unless there is a move away from the status quo.

There are always consequences when taking bold steps forward, and the proposed pipeline is no exception.

Resourceful people and businesses will try to devise ways to capitalize on the proposal rather than be victimized by it.

Over the broad spectrum and the long haul, future prosperity belongs to the bold, not the timid. Introducing a new energy source to the area will reward many more people than it will penalize.

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