The Folsom Dam Auxiliary Spillway project was an approximately $900-million cooperative effort between the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation to help the Sacramento region achieve 200-year level of protection by constructing an auxiliary spillway to compliment the functions of the main Folsom Dam. The spillway includes an 1,100-foot-long approach channel that funnels the water from the lake into the spillway; a control structure with six submerged gates that work in coordination with the gates on the main dam to control water releases; a 3,027-foot-long spillway chute that transports the water from the control structure to the American River; and a stilling basin that will slow the racing water back to normal flow levels that the river channel will be able to withstand. Phase 4 entailed constructing a spillway chute measuring about 3,000 feet and a stilling basin which will control the flow of water. It also comprised of laying the concrete approach walls and excavation of more than one million cubic yards of earth and rock. Phase 5 was the final restoration/stabilization of project area.
Upon award of Phase 4 ($255M/4-years) of the project from the USACE, Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. (Kiewit) sole-sourced the stormwater compliance and other environmental compliance service work. The initial project challenge as consulting engineer entailed obtaining the Notice to Proceed (NTP) from the USACE in a short amount of time in order to meet the construction start deadline. Obtaining NTP required numerous submittals, conforming to USACE specifications, and iterations of USACE reviews. Submittals included an Environmental Compliance Plan, Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP), Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plan, etc. NTP was received from the USACE by the scheduled start construction date allowing Kiewit to stay on task/schedule, and environmental compliance site control from the existing Phase 3 contractor at project startup was obtained. GCP compliance was maintained while the project conditions continually changed. Effective communication and collaboration with Kiewit and USACE personnel allowed for cost-effective management of expected and unexpected conditions as well as the project’s overall environmental compliance.
In summary, Kiewit’s project execution was supported with the following services:
+ Initial SWPPP development and amendments for changing project conditions, including:
+ Initial SPCC Plan development and amendments for changing project conditions, including:
+ Soil characterization
+Waste characterization and management
The Crystal Springs/ San Andreas (CSSA) Transmission System is a series of inlet and outlet structures, pipelines and pumping facilities that move water from the Crystal Springs Reservoirs north to San Andreas Lake and the Harry Tracy Water Treatment Plant, and then into the water distribution pipelines. In December 2010, Kiewit Infrastructure West, under contract with San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), began the process of seismically reinforcing and improving the reliability of the CSSA system. The project area (including all construction, staging, and access areas) covered approximately 135 acres and was composed of seven distinct project components running approximately 7.6 miles across the Peninsula Watershed. The project included upgrades to the water transmission pipeline adjacent to the Sawyer Camp Trail, the outlet structures at Crystal Springs and San Andreas reservoirs, the Upper Crystal Springs Dam culverts, and the construction of a new Crystal Springs Pump Station.
In September 2012, after the project was already underway, Kiewit requested consulting engineer assistance with stormwater best management practice design issues and general stormwater compliance with the Construction General Permit (GCP), as well as SFPUC project specifications. A review of the BMP design, which was prepared by SFPUC’s engineering design consultant, found a number of design deficiencies. The deficiencies resulted in access road erosion and rill, and finished slope landslides. These design deficiencies were problematic for Kiewit in maintaining GCP compliance and general contract execution. Following the review, we were retained by Kiewit to replace their existing consultant/QSD and worked with Kiewit to address the deficiencies cost-effectively and within the obligations of the contract specifications. The lasting challenge of the project, which covered ~135 acres, was managing stormwater flow and environmental compliance with the GCP as well as SFPUC project specifications. The project had multiple active segments with differing Risk Levels and continuously changing land disturbing activity, requiring a broad range of BMPs and frequent evaluation of BMP effectiveness.
Shell Oil Products US high profile, legacy "Old Valley Pipelines" consists of two pipelines (8-inch and 10-inch diameter) extending from Martinez to Coalinga, California that transported crude oil from the Central Valley to the Bay Area. The pipelines were reportedly removed from operation in the late 1960’s, then sections reportedly either removed or abandoned-in-place thereafter. A technical strategy was developed collaboratively with the client to cost-effectively manage environmental liability along the pipelines as land development or other projects encroached upon the pipelines. Consulting engineer projects include:
The project area is located in Tracy, California and consists of an approximately 10‑mile section of crude oil pipelines trending northwest to southeast through agricultural land. The pipelines carried crude oil from the Central Valley to the Bay Area. Over the past 40 years, the crude oil pipelines along this 10‑mile section have either been removed or abandoned‑in‑place. Currently, the area is used for seasonal farming; however, there are future plans to redevelop the property for commercial use. To prepare the area for commercial development, several assessment phases have been performed at 15 individual sites. The environmental work was performed under the purview of the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (CVRWQCB). The assessment activities consisted of:
Exploratory drilling techniques included cone penetration testing, GeoProbe, Hollow-stem auger, Rotosonic vibration, Air rotary casing hammer, and Mud rotary.
The assessment activities indicated that 10 of the 15 areas investigated were impacted by weathered crude oil. Based on a detailed receptor survey, several supply wells were identified near the former pipelines. Exploratory drilling was performed in addition to sampling the water supply wells to better understand subsurface soil lithology between the crude oil impacted media and the water supply wells, and to determine if the supply wells had been impacted. The coring results indicated that a fine-grained aquitard separates the shallow crude oil Separate Phase Hydrocarbon plume from deeper groundwater used by the nearby water supply wells. The supply well sampling results also indicated no crude oil impacts.
To determine whether remediation was necessary prior to property development, a Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment (HHRA) was performed. The exposure pathway analysis and chemicals of potential concern (COPC) screening determined that direct contact exposure to Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons as crude oil (TPHc) in soil for commercial workers and construction/utility workers was the only exposure pathway, and COPC carried forward into the HHRA and soil risk‑based concentrations (RBCs) were calculated. The HHRA was submitted to the CVRWQCB proposing the 12,563 mg/kg TPHc RBC as the cleanup goal. Further to the project objective, a Soil Management Plan for pending land development and an Excavation Work Plan was submitted to the CVRWQCB proposing remedial excavation based on the 12,563 mg/kg and a 5-foot depth limit based on the site-specific development plan. The CVRWQCB approved the proposed TPHc RBCs as site cleanup goals, the excavation work plan, and the Soil Management Plan for land development. The CVRWQCB’s approval of the risk-based approach resulted in:
Ardaugh Group is a Luxembourg-based producer of glass and metal products. Their Seattle glass plant became subject to Level 3 corrective action as regulated by their Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISGP) with the Washing Department of Ecology. Stormwater from the facility is discharged to the Duwamish River. As consulting engineer, a Level 3 Corrective Action Plan was prepared and implemented on behalf of Ardaugh. This included confirmation stormwater compliance sampling to assess the existing infrastructure and environmental contaminant sources. Level 3 correction action mandates treatment technologies in addition to Best Management Practices. Thus, the stormwater collection system was redesigned to improve collection and filtration. Limestone filter basins were added to roof drains to filter metals from the degrading metal roof structure, modern catch basins for improved filtration were added, and a Vortech hydrodynamic separator was added prior to discharge. The new system was implemented in phases to assess water quality improvement over time and control the $800k construction cost.
KIECON, Inc. is a precast concrete manufacturing facility located in Antioch, California engaged in the manufacturing of precast and prestressed concrete members, including hollow core panels, pilings, columns, double tees, beams, wall panels, girders, and other custom concrete products for the construction industry. The facility occupies approximately 37.5 acres. Approximately 1 acre is non-industrial, which consists of the employee parking lot and office building and is not subject to permit requirements. The remaining 36.5 acres of the facility consists of primarily uncovered industrial activity and is subject to the Industrial General Permit (IGP). Approximately 82% (30.8 acres) of the industrial area of the KIECON facility is unpaved and has a waterfront loading dock on the San Joaquin River to the north. The San Joaquin River is a water body with CWA 303(d) listed impairments. Supported implementation of a comprehensive Environmental Compliance Plan (ECP) as mandated by the US District Attorney's Office in 2011. As consulting engineer, provided Industrial General Permit stormwater compliance services including; sampling, reporting, inspections, source investigation, design and permitting.
Folsom State Prison (FSP) and California State Prison, Sacramento (CSP-SAC) are two separate institutions located on the same contiguous piece of property in the town of Represa, near the City of Folsom, in Sacramento County. The two facilities are operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). FSP was opened for housing in 1880 and has a population capacity of approximately 4,427 inmates. CSP-SAC was opened for housing in 1986 and has a population capacity of approximately 3,254 inmates. The two institutions share several functional operations and staff including: Fire Department, Hazardous Materials Specialist, Water Treatment Plant, Sanitary Sewer, and to a limited extent Food Services and Firing Range. The property is comprised of 1,200 acres of land. The surface drainage profile for the Site is generally to the west and southwest towards the American River. Of the 1,200 acres, approximately 137.6 acres consists of impervious areas (roads, buildings, and paved areas). Stormwater drainage from the institution can occur via sheet flow off of the undeveloped areas or through the stormwater collection system. The stormwater collection system at the institution consists of 7 subsystems and 7 outfalls. FSP and CSP-SAC are Co-Permittees under the General Permit for Waste Discharge Requirements (WDRs) for Stormwater Discharges from Small Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4s) ORDER NO. 2013-0001-DWQ NPDES NO. CAS000004 (MS4 Permit). The Co-Permittees have a Non-Traditional MS4 Compliance Plan that is used satisfy elements of the MS4 Permit. As required by the MS4 Permit and addressed in the Non-Traditional MS4 Compliance Plan, the Co-Permittees ensure construction site operators or industrial facility operators obtain coverage under the Construction General Permit (CGP) and Industrial General Permit (IGP) respectively and comply with the permit conditions. FSP leases two areas to the California Prison Industries Authority (CALPIA) for operation of a License Plate Manufacturing facility and a Modular Building Fabrication facility. As operating businesses, these facilities are subject to the IGP based on their SIC Code. All other areas and activities at FSP and CSP-SAC are auxiliary functions to the site’s primary activity as a correctional institution, and not independent operating businesses. Therefore, all other areas and activities are managed under the MS4 Compliance Plan under authorization of the MS4 Permit rather than the IGP.
In supporting FSP and CSP-SAC, the primary challenge entailed differentiating industrial activities occurring at the prison(s) that require coverage under the IGP versus activities throughout the prison(s) that were auxiliary functions to the operations as a Correctional Institution. Specific challenges were:
The CALPIA facilities were successfully registered under the IGP and the associated SWPPP was developed to comply with the requirements of the IGP. Clear differentiation between the MS4 areas and IGP areas at the prison was achieved to more effectively manage the prison’s environmental liability. Furthermore, these outcomes effectively addressed terms of the existing settlement agreement. Additionally, training of prison personnel was provided on MS4 Permit and IGP implementation and stormwater compliance including monitoring, sampling, and reporting.
The 231-foot high dam forms the 136,000 acre-ft French Meadows Reservoir and is part of the Middle Fork American River Project. The spillway was modified and completed in 2012 by Kiewit Infrastructure West, Inc. to bring the dam into compliance with current Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) standards, which mandate that its spillway must pass the probable maximum flood (PMF) to eliminate the possibility of overtopping failure of the dam that was increased based on a re-evaluation study of the project hydrology. As consulting engineer, general environmental compliance support was provided to Kiewit, which presented many unique challenges due to project location and multiple oversight agencies and stakeholders. The project site located in the Placer County/US Forrest is remote with restricted seasonal access due to harsh weather and snow.
The Line, Track, Station and Systems (LTSS) Contract was a design-build contract intended to perform the final design as well as construct the remaining parts of the Warm Springs Extension, including the trackway, systems, tie-in at the Fremont Station, and the new Warm Springs / South Fremont Station and parking lot. This contract also included certain provisions to facilitate both the further extension of BART into Santa Clara County (by VTA), and the construction of an intermediate station in the Irvington District. As consulting engineer, provided the design/build contractor, Warm Springs Constructors, with environmental compliance support (stormwater, spill prevention, soil characterization and disposal, soil management plan compliance). Additional support was provided during contract change order negotiations regarding soil disposal costs.
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