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Black Hills Energy Officials Concerned Over Recent High Number Of Gas Line Strikes

February 27, 2024 Steve Schwaller

(Milford)– Representatives of Black Hills Energy were at Monday’s Milford City Council meeting expressing concern over a high number of incidents in the region recently in which natural gas lines have been bored through or struck by excavation equipment. Heath Richter is a supervisor for the Spencer District of Black Hills Energy…

“My district which I’m responsible for, we call it the Spencer district, had 34 line hits in 2022. We had 33 line hits in 2023. To put that in perspective, my district is about half the size of the Council Bluffs district and yet we still have more line hits being made.”

Richter says of the 67 strikes, 13 were in Milford. He says most were associated with one type of activity in particular…

“The largest percentage of that was from directional drilling companies, which is really what we’re talking about, the contractors that come in.”

He narrowed that down a bit further…

“So the top three actual damages were power boring, telecom boring and then building construction.”

Richter says Black Hills Energy does it’s locating with in-house personnel and that a very low number of strikes were a result of location error.

He says they’re concerned over what may happen this construction season in Milford as two companies will be installing fiber optic cable throughout the community and with some major street projects that will be going on. They’re urging city officials to be in close communication with contractors and to make sure they’re taking proper precautions. Richter says Black Hills Energy officials will also be meeting with them.