Pipeline – Rockies Express East

Challenge

The Rockies Express natural gas pipeline was constructed across a portion of the 5-year time-of-travel wellhead protection zone of the Hoosier Hills Wellhead Protection Area (HHWPA) located south of Brookville in central Franklin County, Indiana. The Hoosier Hills Regional Water District (Hoosier Hills), who draws their public supply water from a sand and gravel aquifer located within the Whitewater River Valley, expressed concerns relative to the location and construction of the pipeline. As a result, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) required development of a plan to protect and monitor the groundwater and surface water resources of the Whitewater River Valley from potential impacts to water quality due to pipeline construction and operational activities.

Action

Mundell developed a Spill Prevention, Containment and Countermeasure Plan (SPCC Plan) outlining specific preventative measures and practices to reduce the likelihood of an accidental release of a hazardous or regulated liquid or soluble gas and, in the event such a release occurs, to expedite the response to and remediation of the release. The SPCC Plan placed restrictions on the locations of fuel storage, fueling activities and construction equipment maintenance along the construction right-of-way and provided procedures for these activities.

Results

REX-East pipeline construction activities were completed in June, 2009 under the environmental oversight of Mundell. All SPCC requirements were monitored and implemented during construction activities within the HHWPA. As a result, accidental releases of hazardous and regulated liquids were prevented during the three-month construction period.