Winder is one of six Georgia towns that are getting federal grants for use in upgrading natural gas pipelines.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) announced grants to communities nationwide totaling $196 million Wednesday. Funded by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the money is to be used to repair and replace aging natural gas pipes. In total, this round of funding will support 60 modernization projects for natural gas pipelines across 20 states, according to a USDOT news release.
“Aging, leak-prone natural gas pipes can be dangerous, drive up energy costs for families, and harm the environment, which is why the Biden-Harris Administration is supporting funds to replace aging pipelines,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re helping communities across the country carry out projects that will keep people safe while bringing down energy costs for hundreds of thousands of Americans.”
Winder will use its $1.6 million grant to replace 1.5 miles of “pre-code, ineffectively coated, and leak prone pipe.”
Other Georgia cities getting some of the money are Monroe, Perry, Toccoa, Tifton, and Thomasville.