Budget cut hits Eunice project

A request for money from the state to replace some of Eunice’s cast iron gas pipelines was scrubbed from the budget in a move this week on the House Ways and Means Committee.
The Eunice project was one of many totaling about $250 million to be tossed aside by the committee as it sent a capital outlay budget to the full House on Tuesday.
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot said the project was proposed in 2014.
State Rep. Phillip DeVillier said according to numbers he received from city government, the original project was about $1.75 million for about 16 miles of pipe replacement. The project dwindled to about $400,000, then to $70,000,  which was cut, he said.
DeVillier said projects that had not been started  or were under-funded were targets for cuts.
City Clerk Ginny Moody said replacing the lines cost about $110,000 per mile, she said.