--> Threading the Santa Clara River, a Case Study in Environmental Permit Streamlining for Pipeline River Crossings

AAPG Pacific Section Convention, 2020 Vision: Producing the Future:

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Threading the Santa Clara River, a Case Study in Environmental Permit Streamlining for Pipeline River Crossings

Abstract

Obtaining regulatory approvals to maintain and enhance existing pipeline safety infrastructure in environmentally sensitive areas can be challenging. This case study provides a review in streamlining permitting of a pipeline replacement across the Santa Clara River and a regulatory compliance narrative from feasibility study through construction and restoration. Constraints included jurisdictional wetlands, endangered species, a California Audubon designated Globally Important Bird Area, a state managed natural resources Conservation Easement, and a Significant Ecological Area. This review provides the successful navigation of regulatory permitting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Regional Water Quality Control Board, and California Department of Fish and Wildlife under a compressed timeline. Additionally, the presentation summarizes the role of geotechnical borings and scour analyses in permitting for horizontal direction drill river crossings; which includes an overview of key considerations for abandonment in-place or removal of existing infrastructure.