By Betty Lee

Many people have been left frustrated after Mountaineer Gas Company (MGC) filed to abandon service to certain customers in Clay and Roane county.  With the cold temperatures and winter weather just getting started, 38 Mountaineer Gas Company customers are affected by the proposed changes.

Mountaineer Gas Company filed separate petitions to abandon customers in the Ovapa, Newton, Tariff, and Procious areas. MGC indicated that they serve the customers natural gas provided by Ground Resources, and Ground indicated to MGC that it will be unable to continue to provide gas due to depletion of Ground’s gas wells. MGC indicated that other available options to providing gas service to the customers were not feasible and were prohibitively expensive.

Mountaineer Gas has concluded that the abandonment of natural gas service would be in the public interest.  Staff recommends approval of the abandonment petitions for all customers who have entered into agreements with Mountaineer concerning the costs of conversions.

With this being an issue effecting many in the Clay County area there is a public hearing with the Public Service Commission on January 31, 2020 at 10 a.m. at the Clay County Lions Club with the Clay County Commission planning to attend.