Pipeline work set near Sandpoint
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July 8, 2013 |
Gas Transmission Northwest LLC (GTN), a natural
gas pipeline system owned by TransCanada, will
perform maintenance activities near a section of
its pipelines that cross the Pend Oreille River
west of Sandpoint.
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 has received the appropriate work permits
and agency approvals and expects to begin work
on the project the week of July 15. Activities
should wrap up at the end of August, and all
work – 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.
Residents may notice increased vehicle traffic
from Highway 95 heading west on Lakeshore Drive
to Wooded Acres Drive and Boat Club Road.
In preparation for the project, GTN consulted
with both 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. We are performing the
work at this time of the year to avoid
interrupting the normal upstream migratory
pattern of the bull trout.
GTN’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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