Natural gas may soon be flowing

By THOMAS J. BARR, The Pioneer News
 Jan 23, 2025 Updated Jan 30, 2025

SHEPHERDSVILLE – After six years of uncertainty, it appears that the line to bring much-needed natural gas capacity into Bullitt County is on the fast track to becoming reality.
Recently, the state Supreme Court declined a request to listen to an appeal from parties looking to stop the 12-mile gas line through central Bullitt County.

The litigation has been on-going between Louisville Gas and Electric, Bernheim Forest and property owners in the area.

The latest ruling allows for the condemnation of property along the pipeline. There is still one lawsuit filed by several property owners questioning that the line is of public value, believing it is actually to benefit a single user, Jim Beam Distillery.
Despite the lawsuit still pending, it appears LG&E officials are ready to begin work on the pipeline.

During its Jan. 16 meeting, much of the talk among members of the Bullitt County Economic Authority centered around correspondence recently sent out by the utility.
Bullitt County Judge/Executive Jerry Summers informed the members that two different letters had been distributed to affected parties.

One dealt with the expansion of Highway 245 and the other dealt with the natural gas line.

For the pipeline running from Bardstown Road along Cedar Grove Road to Interstate 65, construction has already begun.

The pipeline, which would improve reliability of the current supply of natural gas but would also provide added capacity, will see pre-construction work begin in the form of clearing of trees.

The notice stated that work could be done six days a week for 10-12 hours a day.
Property owners in the area were informed that they could go to the company’s website at lge-ku.com/bullitt-county-pipeline to get updates on the progress.

For the EDA members, the progression was very encouraging.
Keith Griffee, a member of the EDA, stated that LG&E trucks had been seen in the area already.

Summers said he was very confident the project would become a reality.
“It’s a done deal,” said Summers.

The construction period has been set at around two years.

Board member Craig Kinslow wondered if past prospects who overlooked the county due to the lack of natural gas might still be looking for a place to settle.

EDA vice chair Mark Stout said that he and assistant April Smallwood would again touch base to see if the county could again be a prospect.

For the past few years, retired EDA director Bob Fouts said the lack of natural gas capacity eliminated the county on many projects, especially manufacturing. And those that did select the county had to install costly propane tanks at their facilities.

There has also been some communication in the Mount Washington area that the existing line might now be available for new development. That line would be separate from the proposed pipeline.

The second project would be the relocation of lines along Highway 245, which is slated to be widened later this year to the Nelson County line.

Summers said that he was concerned with the ever-present fight to get infrastructure improvements in the county. Instead of waiting until the growth arrives to expand infrastructure, Summers said Bullitt County is large enough that the services should be here first.

His mission for the future is to continue to push agencies to help improve the infrastructure throughout the county.

“I’m tired of chasing infrastructure,” said Summers.

Much of the discussion over the years by EDA has been the need for more infrastructure. It was discussions by the EDA years ago that led to the study of increasing natural gas capacity for industrial and residential customers.

During the court proceedings, utility officials stated that hundreds of requests for additional service had been denied in Bullitt County due to the lack of capacity.

At the time of the utility company’s filing for the pipeline, Bernheim officials fought that construction of the line would impact conservation property it had purchased. The pipeline would not impact the original footprint of Bernheim Forest off Highway 245.

Property owners who were affected also fought the condemnation of their land stating that it was not done in the public interest but for the benefit of a single company.

Stout, who is assisting with inquiries in lieu of Fouts’ retirement, said he can also call upon the help of Nicky Rapier, who helped the county on numerous occasions while in his position with Salt River Electric.
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No successor has been named for Fouts.