Washington, D.C. – The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced historic investments in Louisiana’s energy infrastructure by distributing grants to several Louisiana municipalities, including Morgan City, which will receive $6.9 million in grant funding to repair its aging gas pipeline system. Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna attended a ceremony in Donaldsonville on Thursday and accepted the grant from U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, Congressman Troy Carter and the U.S. Department of Transportation
The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization (NGDISM) grant program is aimed at mitigating safety risk and methane emissions from the highest-risk, legacy natural gas distribution pipes. The grant program, established by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides nearly $200 million a year for a total of nearly $1 billion over five years for the modernization of municipality- and community-owned (not including for-profit entities) high-risk natural gas distribution pipes—as well as equipment to detect and mitigate leaks. Recipients of funding include: City of Donaldsonville, City of Carencro, City of Morgan City, Gas Utility District #2 of East Feliciana, Town of Woodworth, Village of Montpelier.
These grants aim to improve high risk, legacy pipes, creating hundreds of good-paying pipeline jobs and modernizing infrastructure that has been around for decades and in some cases even nearly two centuries old.
Congressman Clay Higgins released the following statement that read, “While I opposed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in its totality as a matter of principle, some of the proposals within the bill were solid. Ultimately, the bill became law, and the funding has been allocated. We continue to advocate for the advancement of Louisiana projects,” said Congressman Higgins. “This funding will provide much needed resources to improve the safety of our energy infrastructure so that our communities can continue to progress toward a safe and healthy future.”