By: Las Vegas Now Staff
A fight over a natural gas line in the northwest part of the valley is heating up. Some nearby residents are worried about one company's plans to move more gas through the pipeline.
A main line has been there for years. In fact, it helps supply Southwest Gas and power plants in the area. The community has grown around the line for years and some residents are worried increasing the gas line's pressure could spell trouble.
“People's lives — this is dangerous. We're talking about gas,” said Summerlin resident Bill Krane.
Krane is a concerned citizen who's organizing a petition drive. He's putting on the pressure to stop a plan to raise the pressure of a gas line near his Sun City Summerlin home, “I'm worried that there's going to be a leak and we're going to kill people.”
The proposal by Kern River Gas Transmission Company will increase the lines pressure from 1,200 pounds per square inch to 1,333, allowing more gas to flow. The line passes through several states for more than 1,600 miles, starting in Wyoming and ending in southern California.
In Clark County, it runs along the outer edge of parts of our valley — through North Las Vegas, Centennial Hills and Summerlin.
“Kern River is one of the newest systems that you will find,” said Kern River Gas Transmission Company Las Vegas District Manager Dave Dahl.
Dahl says the company is committed to safety, while meeting the west's increased demand for energy, “The pipeline is of a quality and a strength, and our safety practices are such, that we'd be able to increase the pressure of that pipeline in order to meet more of that demand.”
Dahl says the increased pressure will not strain the pipeline. Krane's still not convinced. His petition drive is just starting.
Kern River is working with some governmental offices to get this request for more pressure approved. Ultimately it could be the year 2010 before this even happens.
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