Thirty natural gas workers from throughout the United States participated in training during the first official week of operation of the new “Leak City” facility here.

On Thursday, Gas Department Manager Steve Carter hosted city, state and federal officials to formally open the upgraded training center. Late last year Carter gained approval to build a $293,000 classroom on the site on East Sanderfer Road, behind J&J Oil. The Alabama Natural Gas Association invested $100,000 in the training center. Carter said the remainder of the construction loan would be repaid from rental and training classes.

“The whole idea is for it to pay for itself,” said Carter. “We’ve only had the brochure out for two weeks.”

However, the site has hosted training for natural gas workers for some 11 years prior to getting the new classroom, Carter said.

This week’s class for state and federal regulators was the first class since completion of the classroom on March 1.

The Transportation Safety Institute of Oklahoma City, Okla., contracted to use the facility this week for general pipeline safety and HAZMAT training. Carter said the 30 participants were to culminate the weeklong training session today.

On hand for Thursday’s grand opening ceremonies were Athens Mayor Dan Williams, City Councilman Henry White, Alabama Public Service Commission Pipeline Division Director Chris Harvey and four of his inspectors, representatives of Martin & Cobey Construction, which built the classroom, and Magnolia River Engineering, which performed site engineering.

In early April, about 70 people from states throughout the Southeast will be coming to Athens for natural gas safety training.

“We predict that from 600 to 1,000 people will take training here every year,” said Carter.