Putnam County Residents Prepare for Controlled Blasts

It’s going to be noisy, but necessary. Crews are doing controlled blasting as part of the Mountaineer XPress pipeline project in Putnam County. The project will add 171 miles of natural gas access from the northern panhandle to Cabell County, and it’s supposed to make natural gas prices lower. Residents who live near the controlled blasting area received notices in the mail this week that the explosions will be loud, and they’ll begin in the next week or two in Fraziers Bottom and other areas. Construction is scheduled to last until at least November, and Putnam County emergency managers say they’ll post updates on social media.