Work underway on pipeline project
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July 27, 2013 |
Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN), a natural
gas pipeline system owned by TransCanada, has
begun mobilizing equipment in preparation of
maintenance activities to be performed near a
section of its pipelines that cross the Pend
Oreille River west of Sandpoint.
Residents may notice increased vehicle traffic
from Highway 95 heading west on Lakeshore Drive
to Wooded Acres Drive and Boat Club Road while
the work is being done. All activities –
including restoration – should be completed by
the end of September.
“We have been communicating with residents in
the area about our upcoming activities for the
past several months and we are committed to
keeping the community informed about our
progress,” said Richard Torres, the project’s
manager. “Safety is very important to us, and we
will work toward keeping our workers and the
public safe while this necessary maintenance is
performed.”
Recreationalists will still be able to use Pend
Oreille Lake and the Pend Oreille River. GTN is
working with the Marine Division of the Bonner
County Sheriff’s Office for assistance in
keeping boaters safe during this time.
Torres noted that work hours and movement of
equipment will be scheduled to have as little
impact as possible on nearby communities.
GTN received the appropriate work permits and
agency approvals and consulted with the U.S.
Corps of Engineers and U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Department to ensure that all material selection
and engineering practices used throughout
construction would have the least amount of
current and future impact to sensitive lake
resources, including the threatened bull trout.
Ongoing monitoring of the system shows a natural
washing away of the riverbed under the pipelines
that requires GTN to perform the work needed to
ensure that the pipelines are properly supported
for continued safe and reliable operation.
GTN is performing the work at this time of the
year to avoid interrupting the normal upstream
migratory pattern of the bull trout. The
company’s goal is to safely complete work in the
area prior to performing an In Line Inspection
(ILI /smart pigging) test of the pipeline by
November, as mandated by the Pipeline Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), the
federal agency that regulates interstate
pipelines.
To re-establish riverbed support, GTN will place
pre-washed natural stone under segments of the
2,200-foot section of the two concrete-encased,
36-inch diameter natural gas pipelines that
traverse the river. The clean angular shaped
stone – ranging in size from 1-inch to 4-inches
– will reduce the amount of fine particles in
the water, which will minimize the amount of
turbidity created while we are doing the work.
No crushed stone is being used for this project.
The material will be trucked in, placed on
30-foot long barges and then delivered below the
surface through a tube, much like the chute on a
concrete truck. During the process, underwater
divers will continuously monitor the placement
of the material to ensure it is properly packed
into wedge-like sections to ensure the material
remains locked in place. The maximum depth is 60
feet at the bottom of the river.
GTN is working closely with all the appropriate
agencies to ensure the work is being conducted
safely and with as little impact to residents,
native species and recreationalists as possible.
Employees and contractors performing the work
will follow all applicable safety regulations to
ensure public and worker safety. |
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