Central Corridor Gas Pipeline Extension Project - Duke Energy

Blue Ash residents should be aware that Duke Energy is proposing a natural gas pipeline project from the Mason area to the Norwood area. The project is called the Central Corridor Gas Pipeline Extension Project and has the potential to be located in Blue Ash. Duke Energy, as well as the Ohio Power Siting Board and the Ohio Public Utilities Commission are the organizations which have oversight in this project. The City of Blue Ash, as a municipal government, does not play a role in the decision of the placement of the pipeline.

To see the letter from the City regarding the project, click here. To view Duke Energy's webpage about this project, visit this website. To express support or opposition, visit this website. To sign up to receive regular updates from the Ohio Public Utilities Commission, visit this website. To see the proposed routes, which have been made much more specific in recent updates, see these maps: Area Overview, Detail 1, Detail 2, Detail 3.

In response to recent inquiries, this clarifies whether Blue Ash will participate in any intervention regarding the proposed Duke Energy Pipeline project.  Duke Energy has not yet submitted its final application to the Ohio Power Siting Board (OPSB) detailing its preferred and alternate routes.  Once OPSB determines that Duke's application is final, Blue Ash will then be able to evaluate and to analyze the specific routes and their potential impacts/effects.  Under Ohio law, Blue Ash is not able to intervene until OPSB has determined that Duke's application is final.  At that point, City Council will then decide at a formal meeting whether to intervene, in accordance with the timing and procedures contemplated under Ohio law. 

For a direct line to ask questions about the Central Corridor Pipeline Extension, call (513) 287-2130 or by email at CentCorridorPipeline@duke-energy.com

Timeline of Contact from Duke

On February 19, this letter was sent to Blue Ash residents who may be impacted by the pipeline. It was the first contact made by Duke.
On May 4, Mayor Lee Czerwonka sent the PUCO this letter.
On May 18, Duke Energy recently sent the Mayor this letter including a timeline of the project and proposed installation. Here is a copy of the letter that was sent. 
On May 24, this letter was sent with an updated route map. It contains updates on the final 3 routes, and they have been further defined since the initial map in February. Over the next several weeks, residents may see surveyors on their property taking measurements. Duke will make their best efforts to contact property owners before that happens. 
On July 22, this letter was sent to residents and businesses informing them that Duke will need access to their property for surveying in the next few weeks. It has been determined by Blue Ash legal counsel that Duke does, indeed, have the right to enter property for the purpose of studying/surveying the proposed gas pipeline. The authority has been given to Duke via the precedent set in recent case law as well as the State law. The City does not have the authority to remove the surveyors from private property.
On August 16, this letter was sent to the City regarding inspections that are not relevant to the pipeline.
On September 13, The City was made aware of Duke's formal application. This document states that the pipeline will shrink in diameter by 10 inches and decrease in PSI by 200. The proposed pipeline will be the longest and most costly of all the options, but will not be larger than Duke has ever built. The route they have chosen, the orange route, is the preferred route, but they still have the green route in play.