October 2021 Vol. 76 No. 10
Newsline
Newsline
Enbridge to Pay $3 Million for Groundwater Leak During Pipeline Construction
Minnesota regulators have ordered Enbridge to pay more than $3 million for allegedly violating state environmental law by piercing a groundwater aquifer during construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement.
The state Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said Enbridge, while working near Clearbrook in January, dug too deeply into the ground and pierced an artesian aquifer, which resulted in a 24 million-gallon groundwater leak. It wasn’t until mid-June that the DNR discovered something was wrong, when independent construction monitors reported water pooling in the pipeline trench near Clearbrook.
The DNR ordered Enbridge to put $2.7 million into escrow for restoration and damage to nearby wetlands. Enbridge is also required to pay $300,000 to mitigate the lost groundwater and $250,000 for long-term monitoring of the wetlands.
Enbridge’s 340-mile Line 3 replacement pipeline will carry Canadian crude across northern Minnesota to the company’s terminal in Superior, Wisconsin. The pipeline, opposed by environmental groups and some Ojibwe tribes, is nearly complete.
Water Ruling Reinstates Federal Protections Over Some Waterways
A federal judge in Arizona last month tossed a rule that limited the types of U.S. waters qualifying for federal protection under the Clean Water Act. The judge’s order, which applies nationwide, says the rule enacted under former President Donald Trump improperly limited the scope of clean water protections.
The rule, finalized last year, had long been sought by developers, farmers and others who complained about federal overreach that they said stretched into gullies, creeks and ravines on farmland and other private property. Environmental groups said the rule allowed businesses to dump pollutants into unprotected waterways and fill in some wetlands, threatening downstream public water supplies and harming wildlife.
U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez wrote in her order that the rule disregards established science and the advice of government experts in excluding smaller waterways from protection. It fails to look closely enough at the effect of those small waterways on larger waterways, she wrote.
Marquez’s ruling came in a challenge brought by six Native American tribes, who said the Trump rule defied the law’s environmental focus. If an appeal is filed, her ruling could be put on hold.
EPA Orders Illinois City to Fix Overflow-Prone Sewers
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has ordered officials in a southwestern Illinois city to address problems with the community’s sewers blamed for at least 28 sewer overflows since January.
The EPA’s order mandates that the city of Cahokia Heights submit plans to control sanitary sewer overflows, which can cause water to back up, fouling residents’ homes and yards.
The EPA order specifically requires the city to train sewer staff on inspections, develop a routine and inspection and maintenance plan for lift stations and create a plan to address complaints and work orders, the Belleville News-Democrat reported. It also requires the city to submit overflow plans to the EPA.
It was the second EPA order within a month for Cahokia Heights, located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis. The first ordered immediate action to prevent drinking-water contamination.
Feds, North Dakota to Negotiate Pipeline Policing Costs
Federal and state lawyers met North Dakota last month to negotiate a settlement for money that the state claims it spent on policing protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline.
North Dakota filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in 2019, seeking to recover more than $38 million in damages from the months-long pipeline protests almost five years ago.
State Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem and other state lawyers met with attorneys from the Corps and Justice Department at the federal courthouse in Bismarck on Sept. 16. U.S. Magistrate Judge Alice Senechal presided over the negotiations, which were closed to the public.
If no settlement can be reached, a trial is set for May 1, 2023.
California Agency Funds New Sewage Treatment Technology
The California Energy Commission (CEC) has awarded a $1.6 million to build and demonstrate a new wastewater treatment and resource recovery system at a water reclamation facility in Orange County, California.
The treatment system involves a three-step process to screen and flash-dry organic waste into a biofuel, which is burned to create heat and electricity. The process transforms a variety of waste materials into safe and usable products, while eliminating contaminants, according to Gate 5 Energy Partners.
The system will sit onsite, so there is no need for hauling and land-spreading processed sludge. Because it is a thermal process, no methane is produced system.
“The Gate 5 system has notable advantages over current processes because it can produce a net surplus of energy and has the potential to transform the Chiquita WRF (Water Reclamation Facility) into a net power exporter,” said Don Bunts, Deputy General Manager of the Santa Margarita Water District (SMWD), which includes the Chiquita facility.
In collaboration with SMWD, Stanford University’s Codiga Resource Recovery Center, and MicroMedia Filtration, Gate 5 has assembled a team of engineers, contractors and operators to design, build, and operate the demonstration plant at Chiquita WRF.
Missouri River Ruling Favors North Dakota Water Project
A federal judge has rejected a lawsuit by the state of Missouri seeking to stop a project that would supply Missouri River water to central North Dakota.
The Bismarck Tribune reports the ruling will enable the federal Bureau of Reclamation to move ahead with a water service contract for the Central North Dakota Water Supply Project. The project will receive water from the McClusky Canal for systems in Burleigh, Sheridan, Wells, Foster, Kidder, McLean and Stutsman counties.
The Missouri suit alleged violations of federal policy, including failure by project developers to properly study the project’s environmental impacts and its alternatives. U.S. District Judge Nanette Laughrey ruled against Missouri on all counts.
The Red River Valley Water Supply Program, which will move Missouri River water by underground pipeline from Washburn east to supply systems in the east and central parts of the state. The Central North Dakota Water Supply Project will use the same pipeline, taking nearly 13 million gallons a day.
Construction Begins for $64 Million Fiber Expansion in Arkansas
Windstream, a privately held communications and software company, announced that construction has begun on the first of seven fiber broadband expansion projects funded in partnership with the State of Arkansas. The projects will deliver gigabit-speed internet service to more than 15,000 households and small businesses in rural areas of seven Arkansas counties.
The fiber-to-the-premises projects were made possible by $46.3 million in state grants funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act and administered by the Arkansas Rural Connect (ARC) Broadband Program. Windstream will invest $17.2 million, bringing the total program cost to $63.5 million.
The construction work began in Grant County, where completion is expected by the spring of 2022. The state grants also are funding fiber broadband expansion in Carroll, Faulkner, Perry, Searcy, Sevier and Van Buren counties.
“We’re still investigating the root cause of this ground upheaval, which continues to apply pressure to DTE’s utility equipment,” said Hakim Berry, Detroit’s chief operating officer.
DTE’s monitoring of its natural gas system alerted engineers to a potential issue, Berry added.
Minor exploratory excavation was initiated Sept. 15 in the area to help determine soil composition and ground stability.
Utility Launches NW Indiana Water Main Replacement Project
A private utility is launching a more than $24 million project in Northwest Indiana to replace aging steel and cast-iron water mains, including about five miles of pipe dating back to the early 1900s.
In addition to the replacement work, the project also includes 11 miles of new water mains. The investments are expected to improve the reliability of water distribution system and enhance system flows and firefighting capabilities, Indiana American Water President Matt Prine said.
“When we purchased this system more than two decades ago, we knew significant investments were needed,” Prine said. “Since that time, we have already invested more than $400 million in our water infrastructure in northwest Indiana.”
Indiana American Water also has been working to remove about 55,000 lead service lines across the state that were commonly used in construction before World War II.
C Spire Begins Construction on 243-Mile Fiber Route
Telecommunications and technology firm C Spire announced that it has started construction on a 243-mile-long fiber optic cable route from Meridian, Mississippi to Homewood, Alabama.
The project, which involves placing conduit, ducting and fiber optic cable underground, will span six counties in Mississippi and five in Alabama. Completion is expected next year.
Alabama ranks 38th nationally in broadband access, and state leaders have made rural internet access a priority through state funding and creation of the Alabama Rural Broadband Coalition, a group of community, business and government leaders.
Civil Engineers Release South Carolina’s State Infrastructure Report
The South Carolina Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2021 Report Card for South Carolina’s Infrastructure. South Carolina civil engineers gave eight categories of infrastructure an overall grade of a ‘D+,’ meaning the state’s infrastructure is in subpar condition and in need of attention.
The state’s dams, drinking water and wastewater systems have undergone significant upgrades in recent years, with projects being completed or developed so rapidly that the publicly available data has not yet caught up to reflect the level of expansion and modernization each system has undergone.
Despite these improvements, each water infrastructure sector faces significant challenges from severe storms and decades of underinvestment, along with increased demand stemming from a booming population. Drinking water (D+) and wastewater (D) face an estimated $6.1 billion in needs over the next 20 years according to the EPA, and both systems are aging beyond their intended design life.
$3 Million Awarded to Kentucky City for Wastewater Treatment Plants
The federal government has awarded $3 million to a Kentucky city to upgrade two wastewater treatment facilities, expected to create more than 300 jobs, Gov. Andy Beshear said.
The funds from the U.S. Economic Development Administration go to the city of Somerset. Along with local funds, the award is expected to create 379 jobs, retain 580 jobs and generate $179 million in private investment, the governor’s office said in a news release.
The project is funded under the Assistance to Coal Communities initiative, which helps communities severely affected by the declining use of coal, the release said.
Gold Shovel Association Announces New Additions to its Certification Program
The Gold Shovel Association has announced an expansion of its damage-prevention certification program to include specific policies, procedures, and performance metrics for locating, marking and mapping underground infrastructure.
The program expansion also includes technology platform updates to collect, report and share performance metrics.
The new standards include requirements for written policies and procedures encouraging the use of Subsurface Utility Engineering during project planning. They incorporate Common Ground Alliance and Nulca standards and practices for locating and marking facilities, resolve issues related to problem locates and facilitate information sharing on mapping accuracy and discrepancies.
They also standardize definitions and data collection and sharing for performance metrics including on-time locates, quality of locate and mark activities, mapping accuracy and timeliness of mapping updates, the association said.
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