2. Project history
Section 404 permitting overview
Conventional approach
Revised approach
New opportunities
Q&A
3. Marketing efforts
East Texas
Halff presence began in 2011
Ecologically different
USACE Galveston District
Pad sites
No NWP or RGP for oil & gas exploration in USACE Galveston District
4. Pipeline projects
GOAL: No formal coordination with the USACE
Known constraints
Perennial streams
Forested wetlands
Parallel streams
T & E
5. Regulated waters
Traditionally navigable waters
Relatively permanent non-navigable tributaries
Abutting wetlands
Significant nexus
Waters that have more than a speculative effect on the chemical, physical or
biological integrity of a traditionally navigable water…
Non-permanent (ephemeral) tributaries
Wetlands adjacent to, but not directly abutting a known water of the U.S.
7. Regulated activities
Discharge of dredged or fill material into a water of the U.S.
Nationwide permit program
Currently 50 NWP’s
All activity specific
Pre-construction notification
General conditions
8. Nationwide Permit 12 – Utility Line Activities
Construction, maintenance, repair, and removal of utility lines in waters
of the U.S.
Restoration to pre-existing contours
Loss of waters of the U.S. cannot exceed more than ½ acre of loss of
waters for each single and complete project
Pre-construction notification
9. Pre-construction notification (cont.)
mechanized land clearing in a forested wetland
Section 10 crossing
length of single and complete crossing exceeds 500 feet
utility line is placed within a water of the U.S. and is parallel to a stream
bed that is within that jurisdictional area
loss of greater than 1/10-acre of waters of the United States
permanent access roads are constructed above grade in waters of the
United States for a distance of more than 500 feet
permanent access roads are constructed in waters of the United States
with impervious materials
10. Cultural resources
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
Threatened and endangered species
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act
11. Survey and design begin on pre-determined alignment
Delineation process & 404 permitting assessment
PCN or bore
Re-routes related to water of U.S. typically do not occur
Higher PCN frequency
Potential mitigation costs
Higher construction costs (HDD vs. open trench)
12. Early approach
Preliminary alignment corridor
Broad delineation study area size
Inefficient
Ecological factors
Landowner preference
13. Desktop delineation/ preliminary environmental investigation
Map review for constraints
Field walk-thru with land men and contractor
Identify necessary bore locations
Revise alignment to avoid constraints where practicable
Verbal go-ahead on alignment
Field delineation and summary report
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19. Benefits
Addressed client goals
Schedule
Costs
Learned the industry
Minimized impacts to environment
20. Weekly coordination meetings
Client trust
In-house trust
Additional services
Central facility civil design locations
Phase I ESA for property acquisitions
Bald eagle monitoring/operating plans
Bald Eagle Monitoring Video
Landfarming
21. Significant collaboration with Chris Howard, Randy Garza,
and the rest of the Halff Huntsville survey team
FW, AUS, and RCH environmental
Jared Canuteson and Halff TriTex
Al Brunson and other Belaire Team members for Phase I
ESA on property acquisitions
22. Client PM response…
“In my entire career I have never been involved in a more
efficiently run project. The survey, land, environmental, and
construction teams functioned as one unit due to excellent
collaboration. The speed at which all phases of the project were
conducted is unprecedented.”
