On this Town Meeting Day, voters in one Addison County town have reiterated their strong opposition to a proposed natural gas pipeline, hoping to boost their voice as the Vermont Gas Company seeks permission from the state to expand its service south.

Vermont Gas has changed the route of the proposed extension of its natural gas pipeline through Addison County. The company filed a petition last year for a state permit to build a 42-mile pipeline from Colchester to Middlebury.

On Thursday, Vermont Gas Systems filed a petition for a state permit to begin construction of its underground pipeline project, which has already collided with opposition from local residents who don't like the route.

Vermont Gas Systems is inching forward with its plan to expand natural gas service to Addison County and points south, with the support of town officials.

The Vermont Legislature may soon debate whether a proposed natural gas pipeline can run under Lake Champlain. That's because the lake is held in the public trust. And a leading Vermont lawmaker says the Legislature must decide how that public trust resource is used.

Vermont Gas says it's signed a deal to build a pipeline under Lake Champlain to deliver fuel to a paper plant in Ticonderoga, New York.

Vermonters for a Clean Environment says Vermont Gas should address potential impacts early in the planning process for a new natural gas pipeline from Chittenden to Addison County.