Ramsey Resident - 2005 - July/August

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CENTERPOINT ENERGY ANNOUNCES ITS SERVICE LINE REPLACEMENT PROJECT Over the next five months, CenterPoint Energy will be in Ramsey replacing service lines that might have couplings that were improperly installed decades ago. The company expects to replace over 1,000 service lines in Ramsey for residential and business customers between June 13 and October 14. CenterPoint Energy met with the City of Ramsey to discuss this project and is currently communicating information to city residents who will have their service lines replaced. The following information is intended to help you understand the project and provide you with contact information if you have questions. What is the service line replacement project? CenterPoint Energy has begun a project to remove from service all couplings in the former Midwest Gas service area that might have been improperly installed. To accomplish this, they will replace up to 32,000 natural gas service lines in 37 Minnesota communities in 2005. In Ramsey, they expect to replace over 1,000 service lines. To learn more about this program contact the company's web site: www. CenterPointEnergy .com/SrvcReplace Why is this project necessary? In 1993, CenterPoint Energy (formerly Minnegasco) purchased the Minnesota properties of Midwest Gas, an Iowa -based distributor of natural gas that at the time served 80,000 customers in Minnesota. Prior to this purchase, Midwest Gas had acquired North Central Public Service Co. in 1986. North Central Public Service Co. is the utility that originally installed gas service to all the customers acquired by Midwest Gas. An investigation by CenterPoint Energy has revealed that from 1959 through 1983 North Central Public Service Co. improperly installed couplings on some of its residential and commercial service lines. The Minnesota Office of Pipeline Safety reached the same conclusion after it investigated the December 2004 explosion here in Ramsey. This past spring, CenterPoint Energy conducted a careful, deliberative records search and field work to define the scope of potentially affected customers and communities. Currently, their investigation has shown that a maximum of 32,000 service lines might have improperly installed couplings. They know that the improper installations occurred from 1959 through 1983 and involve improper installation of mechanical couplings on plastic service lines. How do customers know if they are affected by this project? CenterPoint Energy is still determining what customers are affected by this project. When the process is complete, each customer will be notified in writing about whether they are affected. The City is working with CenterPoint Energy to acquire a list of properties that will be affected by this project and will then attempt to provide that information on the City of Ramsey website (www.ci.ramsey.mn.us). When will they be in each neighborhood? CenterPoint Energy will notify communities of the schedule once it is determined and will notify each customer at least 48 hours before work is to be done. They will attempt to contact residential and commercial customers at their homes or businesses -- if unsuccessful, they will leave information at the property about how customers can contact them. CenterPoint will begin in the 2005 Street Maintenance Program neighborhoods first and then as the schedule and address list tightens, the City of Ramsey will attempt to provide updated schedule information on the City's website (www.ci.ramsey.mn.us). How did they determine their schedule? CenterPoint Energy used the age of existing service lines to prioritize replacement of the oldest equipment first and grouped communities by geographic proximity to promote efficient replacements. What if I have a conflict with their work schedule? CenterPoint Energy has developed a process for handling special requests. They will try to work with customers to find a solution that meets everyone's needs, with safety as their first priority. How long will each replacement take? Do customers need to be home while they're there? Each replacement takes approximately two hours. Customers do not need to be home while the work is