In this Nov. 3, 2015, file photo, the Keystone Steele City pumping station, into which the planned Keystone XL pipeline is to connect to, is seen in Steele City, Neb. Senior U.S. officials say the State Department will recommend approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the White House to formally approve […]
pipeline
Donald Trump signs orders advancing Keystone, Dakota pipelines
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump moved to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines Tuesday, a pair of projects that were blocked by the Obama administration due in part to environmental concerns. Both orders are subject to renegotiations of the agreements. Trump also signed a notice requiring the materials for the […]
Fuel prices spike after Alabama pipeline explosion
For the second time in less than two months, a major breach closed down a key gasoline pipeline, driving up fuel prices and demonstrating the vulnerability of the entire Eastern Seaboard to an accident on a single piece of infrastructure. Just before 3 p.m. Monday, a track hoe used for excavation struck Colonial Pipeline’s Line No. 1 […]
Gov. Paul LePage asks feds to OK $5 billion gas pipeline
PORTLAND — Gov. Paul LePage has asked regulators to move quickly in considering a $5 billion natural gas pipeline proposal from Kinder Morgan, and others, in order to get more of the fuel into New England. LePage wrote last week to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, asking them to “expeditiously move forward” in considering Kinder […]
Franklin County Animal Shelter seeks homes for several dogs
FARMINGTON — An adoption special, Dog Days of Summer, at Franklin County Animal Shelter on Saturday found homes for five adult dogs. For the special, the shelter offered $50 off the regular adoption price. The shelter recently experienced a huge influx of dogs, Heidi Jordan, executive director, said. Thirteen dogs, including seven black Lab puppies, were […]
Shrinking natural gas reserves threaten Maine’s pipeline plans
PORTLAND — Natural gas reserves in the U.S. are at an 11-year low, which has national energy analysts concerned and sets a backdrop in Maine for a series of precedent-setting decisions about expanding pipeline capacity for the fuel used to generate heat and electricity. Patrick Woodcock, director of the governor’s energy office, said in a […]
Subcontractor for Kennebec Valley natural gas pipeline sues
AUGUSTA (AP) — Another federal lawsuit has been filed in connection with the installation of a natural gas pipeline in the Kennebec Valley. A subcontractor hired to install the pipeline for the $350 million Summit Natural Gas Inc. project is suing the contractor as well as an insurance company. Ursa Major Underground Inc. is suing […]
Environmentalists say Portland pipeline beyond 60-year lifespan
PORTLAND (AP) — An environmental group says one of the two pipelines from Portland to Montreal has surpassed its life expectancy, based on court documents filed in a tax dispute in New Hampshire. Owners of the Portland Pipe Line agreed with a 60-year lifespan assessment for purposes of a tax case in the 1990s. The […]
Residents question safety at Searsmont natural gas pipeline station
SEARSMONT — First came the noise late New Year’s Eve at the Searsmont natural gas pipeline compressor station, so loud that it caused nearby homes to shake and some residents, frightened by the jet-engine-like roar, to pack up their cars and flee for the night. Then came the questions, as some members of the normally […]
Contractors to get paid for Summit pipeline work
AUGUSTA (AP) — A natural gas company building a pipeline in Maine has agreed to pay contractors tens of millions of dollars included in a lawsuit against the utility. A top official at Summit Natural Gas of Maine, building a network from Richmond to Madison, told the Kennebec Journal (http://bit.ly/19X3dX0 ) that $38 million will […]