Pipeline project needs land rights from more than 200 Valley pro - WFMJ.com News weather sports for Youngstown-Warren Ohio

COLUMBIANA, Ohio - Energy companies planning a pipeline are seeking land rights from more than 200 Valley property owners.

On Monday, The Columbiana Area Chamber of Commerce invited residents to attend an informational meeting to learn more about the oil and gas industry and related projects.

"Many wells are drilled in this area around here and just sitting vacant right now, but the pipeline have to be installed, that's the routing system for taking things to the market place," said Terry McCoy with the Chamber.

One proposed pipeline is referred to as the "Bluegrass Pipeline." It would stretch more than 1,000 miles, carrying products of natural gas drilling from Pennsylvania- through Mercer, Mahoning and Columbiana Counties- all the way to the Gulf Coast for manufacturing.

"Anything from your refrigerator to your furnace to things that people use on a daily basis would be what the products would be that come out of natural gas liquids," said Jim Curry with the Bluegrass Pipeline.

Two energy companies are spearheading the project, Williams and Boardwalk Pipeline Partners. The companies began acquiring land rights, two weeks ago.

The majority of the properties are in Columbiana County, which Curry says will receive about $8 million dollars in compensation.

"We'll be working with and we have worked already with a lot of the farmers in the community, they'll be able to farm their land right on top of the pipeline," said Curry. "So no disruption just during the construction period. We'll pay for the crop damage, we'll also pay for the right to use the land."

So far, the energy companies have received permission from about 5% of landowners along the proposed route.

In Columbiana County, the pipeline will run through 160 properties. The energy companies have so far received approval from 8% of those landowners.

In Mercer County, they've received about 10% approval for the 42 properties the pipeline will impact.

In Mahoning County, the pipeline will run through 9 properties. The energy companies have not started seeking those owners for approval.

If all goes as planned, construction of the pipeline will begin early 2015. The project is expected to create about 6-thousand construction jobs.

For more on the Bluegrass Pipeline visit, www.bluegrasspipeline.com