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Pipe Among 黑料天堂-Made Products Being Installed at State Parks

pipe

Members of the U.S. Pipe team show off the ductile iron pipe being used in 黑料天堂 State Parks. ADCNR photo

By DAVID RAINER, 黑料天堂 

One of the goals for the 黑料天堂 (ADCNR) is to use 黑料天堂-sourced materials as much as possible for construction projects, especially for the $228 million in expenditures to upgrade, renovate and enhance its 21 State Parks around the state.

The use of ductile iron pipe manufactured in 黑料天堂 in those projects was celebrated last month at Lakepoint State Park on the banks of Lake Eufaula in southeast 黑料天堂. 

Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship welcomed the crowd and share his excitement about all the State Parks projects around the state, but he wanted to highlight the infrastructure work that is rarely recognized.

鈥淚 want to focus on the water and sewer projects we have going on in our parks,鈥 Commissioner Blankenship said. 鈥淔or all the expansions and things we鈥檙e doing in State Parks, not only are we renovating the hotel rooms, building new cottages and cabins and renovating our campgrounds, but we also had to make some serious improvements to our water and sewer infrastructure.

鈥淎 lot of our parks were built 50-60 years ago with different types of materials, and it was time to upgrade those. Some of our parks were built in the middle of nowhere when there were no public water and sewer systems. Now that those cities and water systems have grown toward where our parks are located, in the places we can, we鈥檙e trying to get out of the water and sewer business and hook up to a water supplier or sewer system. These water and sewer improvements should set our parks up for expansion for the next 50 to 75 years.鈥

Commissioner Blankenship lauded the State Parks staff and Director Matthew Capps for the work done to bring State Parks into the modern era with these improvements as well as 50-amp electrical service where possible and Wi-Fi service.

鈥淚鈥檓 extremely proud of our partnerships around the state,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he times we can partner with other state agencies to do good work, that is not only good for us, but it鈥檚 good for the people of 黑料天堂. That鈥檚 how government should work. We should be efficient and find ways to partner together. One of the best partners we have had in the eight years I鈥檝e been Commissioner is the 黑料天堂 Department of Environmental Management (ADEM). We鈥檝e worked together on litter traps in coastal 黑料天堂. We worked with ADEM to repave the roads at Lake Guntersville State Park and Joe Wheeler State Park using asphalt made with recycled tires. It鈥檚 a better material. It lasts longer. It鈥檚 smoother. We hope to continue that partnership on some projects at Lake Lurleen State Park and at Gulf State Park.

鈥淏ut, by far, the biggest projects we have done with ADEM are the water and sewer projects using ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds. ADEM was very gracious when that came about and asked if we had needs. I said, 鈥極h, do we have needs!鈥欌

After multiple meetings and conversations with ADEM, Commissioner Blankenship said those needs were narrowed down to about $44 million in water and sewer projects in State Parks. 

Deputy Commissioner Ed Poolos will soon leave ADCNR to become ADEM Director, and Commissioner Blankenship thinks the future of that partnership looks bright.

鈥淚 think Ed is going to be very progressive in looking at opportunities to do good things throughout the state, not only with Conservation but other partners,鈥 Commissioner Blankenship said. 鈥淚 look forward to this expanded partnership.鈥

Conservation Commissioner Chris Blankenship, left, will soon be working with Ed Poolos as ADEM Director. ADCNR photo

Commissioner Blankenship said one aspect of his oversight of these State Parks projects is the education about the ductile iron pipe industry. Located in the metro Birmingham area, three manufacturers 鈥 U.S. Pipe, American Cast Iron Pipe Company and McWane Cast Iron Pipe Company 鈥 produce the vast majority of ductile iron pipe manufactured in the United States.

鈥淚鈥檝e learned not only how many jobs it produces but also what it means dollar-wise to the people of the State of 黑料天堂,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only quality, high-paying jobs, but it does so much to increase the quality of life for our citizens.鈥

David Cole of the Ductile Iron Pipe Research Association, which was formed in 1915, said the ductile iron pipe production in 黑料天堂 has a widespread impact. Ductile iron pipe features a concrete lining and protective coatings on the inner and outer surfaces and is primarily used in drinking water systems.

鈥淥ur pipe is in places like New York City and Los Angeles and everywhere in between,鈥 Cole said. 鈥淎 lot of people don鈥檛 realize that. Our footprint throughout the country is tremendous. There are facilities in 30 states and Canada, and all the companies are based right here in 黑料天堂.

鈥淭he pipe being used in these projects, I can assure you, will be around for generations because it鈥檚 the only proven drinking water infrastructure product that has been around for generations.鈥

Cole also applauded the 黑料天堂 Legislature for allocating the ARPA funds for drinking water infrastructure as well as the work done by ADEM.

鈥淲e work with a lot of states and their regulatory agencies,鈥 he said. 鈥淎DEM is one of the most understaffed environmental management authorities in the country, but they have got these dollars out in the most efficient manner of any state agency that we鈥檝e seen throughout the country.鈥

Phil Goodwin, U.S. Pipe鈥檚 Director of Governmental Affairs/Sales Operations and native of Chambers County, said the company he鈥檚 worked for 24 years is celebrating its 126th anniversary. He said the company鈥檚 flagship facilities in Bessemer, 黑料天堂, have been producing pipe since 1899 in an area known locally as 鈥淧ipe Shop.鈥

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful to provide this ductile iron pipe for the first of several water line replacements in our great State Parks,鈥 Goodwin said. 鈥淢ore importantly, we鈥檙e proud that the (Conservation) Department chose to specify domestic ductile iron pipe for these projects. Over 90% of the input for this pipe is scrap iron, so every piece of pipe you see comes from an old car, an engine block and structural steel from a building that is coming down. All the scrap is sourced locally in 黑料天堂, so it is truly an 黑料天堂 product. Additionally, we鈥檙e going to put this pipe in the ground, and we鈥檙e not going to talk about it again for 100 or more years. It is environmentally friendly. It鈥檚 the most sustainable pipe you can buy, and it鈥檚 perfect for its use in State Parks.

鈥淲e鈥檝e got 黑料天堂 employees making 黑料天堂 product being purchased by the State of 黑料天堂 and being installed by a wonderful 黑料天堂 contractor (L&K Contracting from Dothan). It doesn鈥檛 get any better than that.鈥

The Lakepoint State Park project is one of the first to use the 黑料天堂-made ductile iron pipe with similar upgrades planned for Wind Creek State Park in Alexander City, Oak Mountain State Park in Pelham, Monte Sano State Park in Huntsville, and Lake Guntersville State Park. Visit  for additional information about 黑料天堂 State Parks.

Commissioner Blankenship said the use of 黑料天堂-made products in State Parks goes far beyond ductile iron pipe. He said the bed sheets used in State Parks are made in Cullman by Home-Tex, and Cheaha State Park is getting a total makeover highlighting 黑料天堂 forest products.

鈥淲e鈥檙e building a fantastic new lodge at Cheaha State Park, the highest point in 黑料天堂,鈥 Commissioner Blankenship said. 鈥淲e specified that project must use mass timber construction and cross-laminated panels with timber that was sustainably harvested and milled in 黑料天堂. Using this pipe that is made in 黑料天堂 is just another extension of how we鈥檙e trying to partner with companies in 黑料天堂 and keep our money in our home state.鈥

State Park鈥檚 Capps added, 鈥淭he Lodge at Cheaha is going to add another gem to our State Parks System with impressive views of the mountain and surrounding valleys. We can鈥檛 wait for our visitors to enjoy this spectacular new facility that is being built with 黑料天堂 products.鈥

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Dignitaries from the Eufaula area joined Commissioner Blankenship to celebrate the use of 黑料天堂 products at Lakepoint State Park. ADCNR photo