There’s progress being made in Enstar Natural Gas’ plans to construct a trunk line to bring natural gas from Anchor Point to Homer and Kachemak City. 

For starters, the contract to construct the line has been awarded to Chumley Inc., a Sterling-based company.

“(Chumley) did our Girdwood extension from the Seward Highway into the city of Girdwood and the distribution system,” said John Sims, Enstar’s manager of corporate communications and customer service. “They have a lot of good experience.”

The southern Kenai Peninsula project will begin near Chapman School in Anchor Point, continue along the Old Sterling Highway, follow the Sterling Highway to West Hill Road, jog up to Fairview Avenue and proceed to Homer High School, where it will drop down to East End Road and continue to Kachemak City.

As part of that project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced the comment period for Enstar’s proposal to construct the trunk line, as well as distribution lines within the city of Homer and Kachemak City. As described by the Corps, Enstar’s proposal includes placing “up to 111,155 cubic yards of material into 15.02 acres of wetlands for installation of the 22.65-mile long trunk line, 45 miles of additional natural gas distribution main pipelines and approximately 2,000 individual service pipelines of varying length, connecting customers to the trunk or distribution lines.” The application for the Corps of Engineers permit also serves as application for the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation water quality certification.

Comments must be made by Feb. 11, and may be submitted in writing to: Department of Environmental Conservation, WQM/401 Certification, 555 Cordova St., Anchorage, AK 999501-2617. 

Chet Frost, Enstar’s construction manager for the project, now has an office to work from in Homer. It is located at 345 W. Sterling Highway, Suite 104, next door to the Time Bandit store on the ground floor of The Mall.

“It’s currently being remodeled with occupancy scheduled for Feb. 1,” Frost told the Homer News.

Currently residing in Anchorage, Frost and his wife, Leslie, have found housing in Homer and will be relocating soon.

“This is going to be fun project,” said Frost. “It’ll be a challenge to build and fun to bring an economical source of energy to Homer. The biggest job inside the project will be keeping everyone informed and to communicate what the project plan is so people don’t feel they’re in the dark.”

Toward that end, Sims is planning another community meeting about the project to be held in Homer during the first part of February.

To view the U.S. Department of Army Corps of Engineers permit application, including a map and drawings for the project, visit www.poa.usace.army.mil/Missions/Regulatory/PublicNotices/tabid/3350/Article/7344/POA-2012196-Cook-Inlet.aspx.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibben.jackinsky@homernews.com.