Oakland/Yalobusha Gas District Expected To Expand To Include Tillatoba Area
Oakland/Yalobusha Gas District Expected To Expand To Include Tillatoba Area
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – The Oakland/Yalobusha Natural Gas District should be extended to the Tillatoba area after a $300,000 appropriation was funded as part of a bond bill in the 2016 Legislative Session. Representative Tommy Rey-nolds (D-Water Valley) added the appropriation to the bond bill to extend the gas line south from the Oakland area.
The appropriation is part of House Bill 1729 which authorizes Mississippi to borrow almost $250 million. The earmarks in the bill range from $10 million allocations for work at Missis-sippi universities to $300,000 that will be used for the gas line extension.
The gas line currently provides gas for customers along County Road 211 between Coffeeville and Oakland and for customers in the Oakland area. It also provides gas for Ajinomoto Windsor Foods, the largest consumer on the line.
The matter surfaced briefly during the June 6 supervisor meeting in Water Valley and, speaking after the meeting, District 5 Supervisor Gaylon Gray pointed to the benefits of the gas line expansion.
“Providing natural gas to Tillatoba should be a big boost to that community,” Gray told the Herald. “Similar to the Town of Oakland, Tillatoba is an ideal location for future economic development,” Gray explained, citing the I-55 frontage, rail access and now, natural gas, as part of the infrastructure needs industries request.
