February 2023 Vol. 78 No. 2
Newsline
Newsline: Texas Contractor Cited after Worker Killed in Trench Collapse
Newsline: Texas Contractor Cited after Worker Killed in Trench Collapse
A Frisco, Texas-based utility contractor failed to follow required workplace safety standards when it allowed two workers to enter a trench with no protection system while repairing a sewer main line, resulting in a collapse and death of one employee, authorities concluded after an investigation. The second worker was able to escape uninjured.
U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigators responded to the incident at a residential construction site in McKinney, Texas, on June 24, 2022, and found that Bandera Utility Contractors of Frisco, Texas, “willfully violated federal law when it failed to have a trench protective system in place,” OSHA said.
OSHA also cited the contractor for using a damaged ladder that didn’t extend the required three feet above ground level and for failing to inspect the trench at the start of each shift before allowing employees to begin work. OSHA proposed penalties of $165,952.
“Bandera Utility Contractor Inc. ignored federal safety requirements and sent these workers into an unprotected trench,” said OSHA Area Director Basil Singh in Dallas. “Incidents like this are inexcusable and can be avoided by following well-established processes that comply with OSHA standards.”
Through the end of November, OSHA reported 35 workers died in trenching and excavation work during 2022, more than double the number in all of 2021. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports trench collapses claimed the lives of 166 workers between 2011 and 2018.
Makeshift Explosive Found Near St. Louis Sewer Pump
Ten cans of spray paint were found taped around a firecracker within a device found behind a fence enclosing a Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) pump station, according to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
MSD spokesman Sean Hadley told the newspaper that a worker found the contrivance on Dec. 31 while inspecting the pump, which is situated in a small structure on stilts. Wastewater is moved by the pump to a treatment facility.
The St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit investigated and dismantled the homemade device. Hadley said that, had it exploded, damage would have been negligible. Teenager trespassing has been an issue in the area, he said.
XRI Commences Construction of Permian Water System
XRI Holdings, the largest water recycling company in the Permian Basin, said it has started construction of the Evolution Pipeline system – a large-scale, multi-producer water recycling and produced water infrastructure network connecting XRI’s existing pipeline system in Midland County to its systems in Reagan and Upton counties.
When the Evolution Pipeline system is completed, the combined system will comprise a total of 230 miles of pipeline infrastructure with recycling facilities and produced water disposal wells covering much of the Midland Basin, XRI said.
The new system addresses and mitigates risks from produced water disposal activity in seismically sensitive areas throughout the Midland Basin, XRI added, and will be capable of recycling and managing more than 500,000 barrels of produced water per day.
Startup is expected in the first quarter of 2023.
Mass. Stormwater Projects Help Systems Meet Permit Requirements
A collection of projects selected by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will enable four, multi-community stormwater systems meet Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit requirements and reduce stormwater pollution through coordinated partnerships.
Recipients include the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, Metropolitan Area Planning Council, Charles River Watershed Association and Merrimack Valley Planning Commission. The funding will help them meet existing and upcoming stormwater management requirements.
“It is important for MS4 communities to band together to address stormwater problems as the pollutants are not contained to a single community, but impact waterways in numerous communities,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Beth Card. “This funding will enable groups of municipalities to expand their efforts to meet MS4 requirements and reduce stormwater pollution through coordinated partnerships that emphasize resource sharing.”
There are more than 260 Massachusetts municipalities subject to the current MS4 permit, issued jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and MassDEP, which took effect on July 1, 2018.
ONEOK Seeks US Approval for Permian-Mexico Gas Pipeline
Tulsa, Oklahoma-based ONEOK is seeking federal approval to construct the Saguaro Connector Pipeline, a 155-mile greenfield project that would transport Permian Basin natural gas from the Waha Hub to the Mexico border.
Starting at ONEOK’s existing WesTex intrastate system, Saguaro would connect with a proposed Mexican pipeline at the Texas border that would supply gas to an LNG export facility on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
The proposed Saguaro Connector Pipeline would have an ultimate design capacity of 2.8 billion cubic feet per day. Final investment decision on the potential pipeline is expected by mid-2023, ONEOK said.
Missouri Utility Unveils $425 Million Water Infrastructure Plan
Investor-owned water company Missouri American Water said this year will see more than $425 million in enhancements to the state's water and wastewater systems.
The biggest investor-owned water company in the state, Missouri American Water serves about 1.5 million customers.
The utility will replace nearly 80 miles of 50- to 100-year-old pipelines across Missouri before leaks or breaks occur, which could cause service interruptions and property damage. More than 7,300 miles of water and wastewater pipe are maintained throughout the state, according to Missouri American Water.
Some of Missouri American Water's planned projects include construction of a new water intake pump station at its South Plant in St. Louis; construction of a filter building at a water treatment plant in Jefferson City; upgrades to the Farron Booster Station in St. Joseph, Missouri, and construction of a new high-service pump station and upgrades to chemical feed equipment in Joplin, Missouri.
Additionally, treatment facilities, tanks, wells, pumping stations, valves, fire hydrants, and metering equipment will also receive enhancements to improve connected fire protection systems and meet or exceed regulatory standards.
Fuel Leak in Virginia Shuts Down Part of Colonial Pipeline
A diesel fuel leak in Virginia shut down part of the Colonial Pipeline, the nation's largest fuel pipeline, but the operator said it was able to repair and restart the line within a few days.
An unspecified equipment failure at the Witt booster station near Danville was blamed for the leak, which was detected during a routine station check in early January. Alpharetta, Georgia-based Colonial said the leak appeared to be contained to the property but did not say how much had spilled.
The 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline system, which was famously shut down after a ransomware attack in May 2021, supplies roughly half the fuel consumed on the East Coast. The total system transports about 885,000 bpd of product a day, while the line that was shut down for repair in January carries about 100 million gallons.
The rest of the system continued to operate normally during the repairs, spokesperson David Conti said.
Canada’s Coastal GasLink Pipeline Construction Nears Completion
Pipeline operator TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline project is more than 80 percent completed overall, and more than 77 percent of the construction is finished, according to the company’s year-end construction update.
The $11.2 billion pipeline project, which will feed natural gas to one of the biggest LNG projects in Canada’s history, remains on track to start up later this year.
First announced in 2018, the 48-inch, 416-mile pipeline will transport natural gas to the Shell PLC-led LNG Canada export facility on the west coast of British Columbia. The pipeline will be capable of moving 2.1 Bcf/d of natural gas with the potential for delivery of up to 5 Bcf/d.
“To date, our team has installed nearly 490 km (304 miles) of pipe across the 670-kilometer route, and steady progress is made each day,” TC Energy said. “This year, we also safely and successfully completed 9 out of 10 major watercourse crossings.”
More than 6,000 people have worked along the pipeline route.
Louisiana Lawmakers Award $357 Million in Sewer, Water Projects
Louisiana lawmakers approved $356.7 million for 87 sewer and water upgrades around the state during their Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget meeting held in December.
Some of the most expensive projects include fixes to the Calcasieu Parish water system ($15 million), the St. Tammany Parish water ($14.1 million) and sewer ($13.9 million) systems, and Shongaloo water system in Webster Parish ($10.4 million).
The projects were selected based on a scoring system that considered the severity of the need and durability of the proposed fix. Water and sewer systems could also boost their chances of getting money if they found additional funding for the work or offered to combine their project with others.
The spending comes on top of the $300 million already allocated to sewer and water fixes in the prior budget cycle. Gov. John Bel Edwards and lawmakers decided to devote a total of $750 million in federal pandemic relief funding to water and sewer programs that are struggling across the state.
EPA, TC Energy Agree to Clean-Up Plan after Keystone Pipeline Rupture
TC Oil Pipeline Operations Inc. reached an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up a December oil discharge that occurred in Washington County, Kansas, after a rupture in a section of the Keystone Pipeline.
An estimated 14,000 barrels of oil leaked Dec. 7 from the Keystone Pipeline over land and into Mill Creek, which subsequently violated the federal Clean Water Act.
In the cleanup order finalized Jan. 6, EPA asserts that the oil-impacted surface water in Mill Creek at least 3½ miles downstream resulted in vegetation staining near the pipeline rupture, caused a visible sheen on the water, and significantly affected fish and wildlife.
The order requires TC Oil Pipeline Operations to recover oil and oil-contaminated soil and vegetation and contain the further spread of oil in Mill Creek. All work required under the order to abate the endangerment identified in the order will be completed under EPA oversight.
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