CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Governor Jim Justice held an administrative briefing on Thursday wherein he called for a resolution to the situation brought about by a gas outage which has heavily impacted the City of Charleston’s west side.
During Thursday’s briefing, Governor Justice was questioned regarding the infrastructure needs of the state in relation to West Virginia American Water. Specifically, the query noted hydrant issues, skyrocketing utility prices, and the gas outage itself.
“Without any question, the PSC needs to get into this and get into this in every way and come to an absolute resolution and put the responsibility right at the feet of those that are responsible,” said Governor Justice, calling upon the West Virginia Public Service Commission to obtain some clarity in what has become an enormously frustrating situation for many state residents.
The Governor directed responsibility to the water company in multiple instances, also alluding to increasing rates for the utility, declaring, “their pricing has gone through the roof.”
“This terrible gas outage is 100% the responsibility of the water company,” Governor Justice asserted, indicating that he has ordered an investigation into the situation “Responsibility does lie with the water company and we should do something about it. I’m trying with all in me and I have directed our PSC to do a complete investigation, and that’s what I expect them to do.”
These remarks follow the decision of the governor to enact “State of Emergency” protocols on Wednesday for the Kanawha County area, as well as ordering the West Virginia National Guard to be prepared to take action.
“I’ve been advised this issue originated from a burst in a water pipe that flooded the gas lines,” he said. “This will not get swept under the rug and disappear without answers.”
The origin of the issue purportedly stems from a burst main water line which effectively flooded the impacted gas lines, rendering them ineffective.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin provided an update on Thursday morning, detailing approaches being taken to navigate the ongoing utility issues.
“As I have done for the past week, I spent yesterday evening troubleshooting with CW Sigman, Kanawha County and Assistant Chief Chad Jones about how we maneuver forward in light of the announcement of the State of Emergency and what that means,” said Mayor Goodwin. “In addition, we are working in collaboration with Lt. Col. Justice on resources and our boots on the ground needs.”
Charleston City Council Member, Larry Moore on Thursday revealed some of the complexities of the situation which have slowed progress in restoration of residential service.
“The gas company noted this is not a normal restoration for gas service due to water penetrating house lines which means what may work to restore service to my house may not work for yours,” said Councilman Moore. “Regardless of the challenges, MGC has committed to working with each customer to ensure service is restored safely.”
Mountaineer Food Bank has organized a food distribution event for the residents impacted by the outage, stating, “In light of the current uncertainty caused by the gas outage, we’re here to support you. If you find yourself in need during this time, we extend an invitation for you to join us.”
The distribution event will be held on Friday, November 17, 2023, from 10:00am to 1:00pm at the North Charleston Rec Center located at 2009 7th Avenue in Charleston, WV. Additional details on this and other Mountaineer Food Bank distribution events scheduled for this week can be found here.