Pipeline Causes Abrupt Rise in Gas Prices
A Canadian Natural Gas line explosion is affecting the supply and price of gasoline in the pacific northwest according to AAA Oregon. The explosion occurred on Wednesday evening causing the shutdown of a 36 inch natural gas pipe that supplies homes and businesses in the pacific northwest including refineries that use the fuel to assist in processing crude. According to Matthew Conde with AAA under normal circumstances the limited interruption would not seriously effect supply, but reserves of gasoline are way below yearly averages.
“Right now supply levels in the region are sitting at 27.8 million barrels of finished product that 750 thousand barrels year over year of where we were last year.
Conde says that the pipeline also has a smaller sister line adjacent to the larger one that is operating and sending gas down the line at 80 percent of allotted pressure. Right now three major refineries have shut down production, Shell, Marathon and Phillips Petroleum are waiting until the pipeline is repaired, BP, which has the largest refinery operations in the Pacific Northwest is still producing at its normal rate, but that could change if the situation is prolonged. AAA Oregon is recommending not rushing to fill tanks which could drastically reduce supply, but rather get enough fuel to meet your needs for about a week.
Gas prices have already jumped 7 cents a gallon in Florence since yesterday morning.
School Bond Rally
A rally in support of Siuslaw Schools and the Siuslaw school bond measure will be held on this Sunday, at 1:30 pm in the high school parking lot on Oak Street. Information will be available for those who would like to learn more about school bond measure 20-291 that will fund new construction, maintenance, and repairs at all three Siuslaw schools. There will be a poster contest with certificates for winning posters in support of Siuslaw schools and/or the school bond measure. Those who wish to enter should make posters in advance and bring them to the rally. Individual and team efforts are encouraged. Judging will take place between 1:30 and 2:00 pm with recognition of winners at 2:15 PM. The rally is sponsored by Citizens for Siuslaw Schools. For more information, go to the website www.siuslawbonds.org.
Mapleton School Upgrades Complete
Mapleton Schools will be hosting an open house and BBQ to exhibit the recent upgrades to the school buildings. The event will be on Tuesday the 23rd of October. Mapleton Superintendent Jodi O’mara says the total project included some much needed facility updates.
“Complete plumbing replacement at the high school as well as siding and lighting.”
Not only are the schools in better condition now but also safer. In addition to a 4 million dollar voter approved bond the schools received a matching grant from the state and two seismic upgrade grants that enabled them to retrofit the buildings.
“The seismic grant were huge to be able to seismically stabilize our facilities.” as well as some much needed additional repairs.
Omara says the total project came in under budget and that allowed them to add two additional projects that they were hoping to complete.
“So we were able to replace the elementary stairs and resurface and seal our high school parking lot as well.”
Omara says all the communities in the area are welcome to come to the open house at 6:00 on October 23rd to tour the facilities.
