Gas district receives second grant from safety group

The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration presented a second check – this time in the amount of $132,470.80 – to Lake Apopka Natural Gas District as part of its ongoing Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant Program. The check-giving ceremony was Nov. 7.

The grant follows $3.1 million in initial funding the district received from the group in May 2023 and will further support the repair, rehabilitation and/or replacement of natural gas distribution pipeline systems. The grant will ultimately help improve public safety, protect public health and reduce methane emissions from natural gas distribution equipment. In total, this round of funding will support 60 modernization projects for natural gas pipelines across 20 states.

Administration representatives presented the grant to Brent E. Haywood, Lake Apopka Natural Gas District CEO and general manager, as well as the district’s board of directors, at the district’s Winter Garden offices.

“We’re incredibly honored to receive a second round of grant funding from PHMSA, which reinforces our commitment to advancing the safety and reliability of our natural gas infrastructure,” Haywood said. “This additional funding will allow us to further enhance our system and reinforce the secure delivery of natural gas across our growing communities. We’re grateful to PHMSA for its continued support in helping us realize our mission of providing clean, safe and reliable natural gas service.”

PHSMA representatives visited the LANGD Winter Garden office to congratulate the district and present the award. Besides Haywood, those in attendance were board of directors, U.S. Rep. Daniel Webster, State Rep. Doug Bankson, Winter Garden Mayor John Rees and Apopka city commissioners Diane Velazquez, Nadia Anderson and Alexander Smith.

Established by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — which was signed into law on Nov. 15, 2021 — the grant provides nearly $1 billion in funding to modernize municipally and community-owned natural gas distribution pipes, helping to keep communities across the country safe from pipeline leaks. It designated $200 million a year, a total of $1 billion in grant funding, over its first five years.

The latest round of funding brings the total amount awarded under the grant program to nearly $800 million across 227 projects in underserved rural and urban communities across 29 states since the program was created in 2022.