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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1.0 ApplicationAPPLICATION SPECIAL/ - L USE PERMIT Date: November 3, 1995 Applicant: Public Service Company of Colorado Address of Applicant: 5909 East 38th Avenue, Denver, Colorado 80207-1295 Special/Conditional Use: Natural Gas' Pipeline Legal Description: See Attached Legal Description Practical Description (location with respect to highways, county roads, and residences): An easement located approximately one (1) mile west of the City of Rifle. Requirements: 1. Plans and specifications for proposed use (hours of operation, number ofvehicles/day, location and size of structures, etc.). 2. Existing or proposed method ofsewage, source ofdisposal and water. Road access and other information deemed necessary to explain proposed use. 3. A vicinity map drawn to scale depicting the subject property, location, and use of building and structures on adjacent lots. 4. An impact statement on the proposed use where required by Sections 5.03-5.03.12 of Zoning Regulations. 5. A copy of Assessor's map showing property; and a listing of all adjoining property owners of said property. 6. A base fee of $ shall be charged for each application and shall be submitted with the application, additional charges may be imposed if county review costs exceed the base fee. 7. Attach a copy of proof of ownership for your property (deed, title insurance). If public notice is required, notice provided by the Planning Department shall be sent out at least fifteen (15) days prior to hearing by return -receipt mail to all the above noted adjoining property owners. Mailing is the applicant's responsibility and proof of mailing must be presented at the hearing. Additionally, the same notice shall be published one (1) time in the official County newspaper at least fifteen (15) days prior to such hearing date. Applicant shall bear the cost of publication and be responsible for presenting the "Proof of Publication" at the hearing. The above information is correct to the best of my knowledge. Public Service Company of Colorado ppl' and Pout Pr ject %1X.3/45 Date W. Dalton Land Rights Agent JvY SURVEYING LO. BOX X153 MEEKER, CO 81641 (303) 878-5292 LEGAL DESCRIPTION AU EASEMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OR RECONSTRUCTION OF A GAS PIPELINE DESCRIBED AS BEING 25 FEET ON EACH SIDE OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED CENTERLINE; A PARCEL OF LAND LYING IN SECTION 13, T6S, R94W OF THE 6TH P.M., COUNTY OF GARFIELD, STATE OF COLORADO BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS; COMMENCING AT THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF SAID SECTION 13 (BEING A FOUND STONE MONUMENT) ; TEENCE S01°59'11"E, 1380.82 FEET TO A POINT WHENCE THE NORTH ONE- QUARTER CORNER OF SAID SECTION 13 (BEING A FOUND BRASS CAP) BEARS N63°32'49"W, 3097.88 FEET; WHENCE N85°05'06"W, 132.4 FEET TO THE TRUE POINT OF BEGINNING, SAID. POINT BEING ON THE WEST BOUNDARY LINE OF THE RIFLE C0TRESSOR STATION AS DESCRIBED IN BOOK 669 PAGE 461; TEENCE N85°05' 06"W, 8.99 FEET; TE CE N08°28'27"E, 70.16 FEET; THENCE S89°29'14"W, 714.79 FEET; THENCE N16°42' 06"W, 420.29 FEET; THENCE N25°44'06"W, 440.49 FEET; THENCE N56°41'51"W, 477.03 FEET; THENCE N66°53'16"W, 33.25 FEET; THENCE N84°10'36"W, 41.6 FEET TO THE POINT OF TERMINUS OF SAID CENTERLINE, SAID POINT BEING ON THE EASTERLY BOUNDARY LINE OF THE RIFLE GAS PLANT AS DESCRIBED IN BOOK 0906 PAGE 806; THENCE N84°10'36"W, 49.39 FEET TO A POINT WHENCE SAID NORTHEAST CORNER OF SECTION 13 BEARS N82°15'53"E, 1644.24 FEET AND WHENCE SAID NORTH ONE-QUARTER CORNER OF SECTION 13 BEARS N78°35'16"W, 1118.51 FEET. GARFIELD COUNTY SPECIAL USE APPLICATION PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO 8" RIFLE INTERCONNECT II PREPARED FOR AND SUBMITTED TO GARFIELD COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT PREPARED BY PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO OCTOBER 25,1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Summary Statement SECTION 1 SECTION 2 2. Routes a. Alternatives b. Existing Corridors c. Reasons for Selected Route SECTION 3 3. Project Design a. Detail of Construction b. Plan of Operation c. Work Force d. Construction Equipment 4. Project Costs 5. Project Schedule SECTION 4 6. Land Uses a. Description of Lands b. Easements c. Eminent Domain d. Road Crossings e. Acreage f. Access SECTION 5 7. Project Impacts & Mitigation a. Agriculture b. Soils c. Vegetation d. Air Resources e. Water Resources f. Wetlands g. Wildlife Habitats h. Visual Impacts i. Mineral Resources j. Dust & Erosion k. Drainage L Cultural Resources m. Local Governments & Special Districts n. Noise & Vibration o. Vapor SECTION 6 8. Hazards & Mitigation 9. Emergency Procedures 10. Water Requirements 11. Traffic Generation 12. Reclamation SECTION 7 13. Adjacent Property Owners SECTION 8 14. Survey Information and Maps A Legal Description B Plan & Profile Map C Assessors Maps GARFIELD COUNTY SPECIAL USE APPLICATION PUBLIC SERVICE COMPANY OF COLORADO 8" RIFLE INTERCONNECT II 1. SUMMARY STATEMENT SECTION 1 Public Service Company of Colorado (Public Service Company or PSCo) submits this Special Use Permit application pursuant to Colorado Revised Statute 30-28- 110 and Conditional and Special Uses Section 5.03.07 of the Garfield County Zoning Resolution. Public Service Company, in conjunction with the Rifle to Avon system reinforcement project and operational issues, proposes the construction of an additional 8" high pressure natural gas pipeline in Section 13, Township 6 South, Range 94 West, west of Rifle Colorado. The pipeline will serve as a second system interconnect between Public Service Company's Rifle Compressor Station and the natural gas processing facility jointly owned by Public Service Company and Rocky Mountain Natural Gas Company. This second interconnect will tie natural gas transmission and supply systems within the area bound by Grand Junction, Vail, Craig and Rangely. The result will be an enhancement of system flexibility for purposes of both supply and competitive marketing. The route for the proposed pipeline will substantially parallel the recently installed 8" and 12" natural gas pipelines for 1485.56 feet from the gas processing facility on the west end of the project to south side of Garfield County Road 264. At this point it will then turn east and parallel County Road 264 for 714.79 feet, then south an additional 70.16 feet, then east 8.99 feet to Public Service Company's Rifle Compressor Station property line. The total length is 2,279.50 feet and, with the exception of those portions within the compressor and gas processing sites, lies entirely on William Clough property. GARFIELD COUNTY SPECIAL USE APPLICATION 8" RIFLE INTERCONNECT II 2. ROUTES SECTION 2 a. Alternatives No alternative routes were considered. The proposed route not only parallels a recently installed 8" high pressure natural gas pipeline, owned by Public Service Company of Colorado and a 12" inch high pressure natural gas line partially owned by Public Service Company of Colorado, but also shares part of the respective easements. Some additional right of way will be acquired which will expand and overlap the existing easements. b. Existing Corridors As stated above and shown on the accompanying plat, the proposed pipeline will be within pipeline and county road corridors for the entire 2,279.50 feet. c. Reasons for Selected Route The pipeline route was selected first for the existing corridor and second the existing right of way. As with the existing 8" and 12" pipelines the route was also selected because of the surrounding terrain. There are several arroyos in the area that are best traversed at right angles if possible, which was the case for the existing pipelines and now this new pipeline. And finally, the route is one of the shortest possible routes between the two facilities. 3. PROJECT DESIGN SECTION 3 a. Detail of Construction With the exception of the facilities at either end of the pipeline, both of which are currently permitted under special use, all of the proposed construction will be underground piping with a minimum cover (dirt above the pipe) of four feet. Subject to availability and contractual agreements, the source and direction of the flow of natural gas can change frequently. The pipeline will be tested to safely operate at 1000 psi. b. Plan of Operation Engineering , construction, and operation of the proposed facilities will be performed by or under the supervision of qualified personnel, pursuant to PSCo's policies and standards, established by the Department of Transportation, as contained in CFR Title 49 Part 192. The requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act will be followed in the construction and operation of the subject facilities. PSCo's right of way agents have personally met with the landowner of the property to be traversed by the route. Landowner's requests for special construction and restoration requirements will be factored into PSCo's overall environmental program. Once the right of way acquisition is complete and necessary permits are acquired, a pre -construction survey and staking will take place. This would include staking of the permanent and construction easement at 100 foot intervals. Many of the stakes will remain throughout the cleanup and reclamation activities. After the rights of way have been surveyed and easements secured, portions of the 50 -foot -wide right of way will be cleared of vegetation, rocks, and debris. The right of way will then be graded as necessary to provide a relatively level surface for trench excavation equipment and for the safe passage of heavy construction equipment. Debris generated will be removed and properly disposed of, at the direction of PSCo, in conformance with applicable state and county regulations. Topsoil will be removed and segregated. Care will be taken to control erosion. During this initial phase, temporary fences will be installed, where necessary, to control livestock and prevent unwanted traffic. The trenching crew will then excavate a ditch approximately three feet wide and to a minimum depth of five feet to provide a least 48 inches of cover over the buried 8 -inch pipeline. The width at the top of the trench will vary with soil conditions and slope stability. The ditch will be excavated by a track -mounted backhoe, or similar trenching machine. In areas where bedrock is too consolidated or extensive to trench, pneumatic hammers or blasting will be used to remove the rock. Materials removed during the trenching operation will be temporarily placed to one side of the trench. There are no plans currently to construct containment structures around the stockpiles due to their temporary nature. Pipe will be shipped in double random lengths, varying from 40 to 44 feet, and strung along the right of way. Pipe joints will be welded together in long sections and placed on temporary supports at the side of the trench. Welds will be visually inspected, X-rayed, and repaired as necessary. The entire pipe will be electronically inspected to identify any faults or voids in the coating. Once the integrity of the coating has been verified, the pipe will be lowered into the trench. The trench will then be backfilled, with previously excavated materials, and the right of way graded to pre -construction contours, except for a slight crown of soil to compensate for the natural subsidence of the backfill. In rock areas, the pipeline is protected with appropriate padding or rock shield material. After backfilling, a cleanup crew will remove all materials and debris from the site. Excess trench materials will be spread uniformly over the construction zone or removed to a suitable location. The final process will be to place the stored topsoil over the trench and to areas from where it was removed. Slopes will be stabilized by seeding or other appropriate method in rangeland areas. Fences will be restored to their pre -construction condition or better. c. Work Force The anticipated size of the work force is expected to be 12 people. The entire work force will be temporary for the three week duration of the project. Ongoing operations and maintenance will be accomplished with existing employees. d. Construction Equipment Type Number Size (Typicall Backhoe 1 Cat 225 Backhoe 1 Case 580 Lowboy 1 Bulldozers 1 Cat D6 Side Boom Crawlers 2 Cat D6 Flatbeds 1 2 Ton Welder Units 2 Pickups 4 e. Nitrogen Gas Testing When completed, the proposed pipeline will be tested with nitrogen gas at 1,500 lbs. psi for eight hours. The nitrogen gas will be vented to atmosphere following the test. 4. PROJECT COSTS SECTION 3 The anticipated cost of the project, including right of way acquisition, surveying, materials, construction, and reclamation is $190,000. 5. PROJECT SCHEDULE SECTION 3 Public Service Company would like to start the project as early as December 11, 1995 for completion by January 31, 1996. We recognize that this may be an unrealistic time frame, however, we will be prepared to begin on that date and will assist the County in any way possible to achieve that goal. 6. LAND USES SECTION 4 a. Description of lands The land involved with this project is arid rangeland dedicate to essentially two uses; grazing, and oil and gas processing and transmission. There is no irrigation or cultivation involved. b. Easements One easement is required for the pipeline, which has been acquired from William Clough. The easement width is 50.0 feet with an overlap of the existing easements for most of 2,279.50 feet of pipeline. All right of way acquisition has been accomplished by Public Service Company employees. c. Road Crossings Two road crossing are involved with this proposed construction. One is Garfield County Road 264, which is improved dirt/gravel at the crossing location, and the second is an unimproved access road. To limit the impact on adjacent property owners, both roads will be open cut and properly compacted. d. Acreage Approximately three acres of land are impacted by this proposed project. e. Access Easements will be accessed by way of existing roads_ During construction, contractors and employees will be required to limit and control access and vehicular traffic in a manner that will protect the public and livestock from hazards associated with construction. 7. PROJECT IMPACTS AND MITIGATION SECTION 5 a. Agriculture There is no current agriculture use of the subject property. b. Soils The soils in the areas of disturbance sustain limited amounts and varieties of vegetation. They are also subject to moderate to high erosion factors for which PSCo will pro -actively use best management practices to minimize erosion and promote stabilization following installation of the pipeline. The area will be continuously monitored for erosion and success of reclamation. c. Vegetation The area is dominated by sagebrush and indigenous grasses. The disturbance will be of a short duration and in much of the area, the root systems will be left undisturbed. Immediately following construction, the areas of disturbance will be reseeded using a seed mixture recommended by the Soil Conservation Service. Areas will be continuously monitored and supplemented until reclamation is successful. d. Air Resources There is no permanent impact on air resources. The low precipitation and low relative humidity, generally found in this area, will add to fugitive dust problems created by the proposed construction. If necessary, dust will be controlled by watering of the right of way. e. Water Resources The major water body, relative to this project, is the Colorado River, approximately 4/5 of a mile to south, and at an elevation 70 to 80 feet lower than the project area. The pipeline also crosses a generally dry stream bed north of County Road 264 in Section 13, Township 6 South, Range 94 West. Due to the short duration of the project and the time of year construction will take place, there should be little or no impact on the stated water body or drainage area. f. Wetlands There are no wetlands involved or affected by this project. g. Wildlife & Wildlife Habitats The general wildlife resource in the area along the pipeline is upland in nature. The area of disturbance however, is subject to significant vehicular traffic, and oil and gas related activities. For these reasons, there are marginal wildlife habitats that would be only temporarily affected by construction. Mitigation measures will be taken if necessary. In addition, there may be some involvement with livestock. If necessary, a livestock control fence will be installed to protect animals from open trenches and other construction hazards. h. Visual Impacts As previously stated all additional facilities involved with this project will be underground, with no above -ground appurtenances. The visual impacts will therefore, be temporary in nature resulting from the loss of ground cover. These impacts will be mitigated through revegetation, which will be repeated as necessary to achieve an acceptable cover. i. Mineral Resources The proposed pipeline project has no relative impact on mineral resources. j. Dust and Erosion Both fugitive dust and erosion are factors that will require attention on this project. Dust will be controlled with water when necessary during construction. A review and analysis will be conducted when construction is complete to determine what erosion control methods will be initially required, both short and long term. Following construction, the route will be routinely monitored for erosion and the success of the reclamation efforts. k Drainage No changes in grade or contours will be necessary with this construction. Historic runoffs should not be affected and there will be no permanent impact on any floodway or flood plain. 1. Cultural Resources The area of construction has been heavily impacted by pipeline construction, and other oil and gas activities. Unless otherwise directed, no record search or site review will be conducted. However, if during construction any artifact or evidence of historic or cultural interest is found, the relative activity will be stopped and the State office of Historic Preservation will be notified. m. Impacts on Local Governments and Special Districts Likely impacts on local governments and special districts will be with county road maintenance and traffic during construction. Post -construction impacts will be essentially limited to fire protection and emergency response. No other utilities or services will be required as a result of this project. n Noise & Vibration There are no noise or vibration impacts involved with this project. The pipeline project is a pipe only project. Associated metering equipment is located at both end points in the facilities approved for this use. No other facilities are required or involved. o. Vapor Occasional releases of natural gas can occur at the connected sites during maintenance and operation. This gas is not odorized at these points and therefore undetectable. In addition, these releases are in volumes that are non -explosive in nature. No significant impact is involved. 8. HAZARDS Sr MITIGATION SECTION 6 In addition to the hazards associated with the actual construction, there are marginal hazards from fire and explosion associated with the operations of the pipeline. Nationwide, experience has shown the primary cause of natural gas pipeline accidents, resulting in fire and/or explosion, is third party damage, i.e. outside force, such as construction or excavation equipment. To minimize the associated hazards, Public Service Company has an ongoing pipeline marker program as well as a continued commitment to the "One Call" program. The Company also engages in frequent safety awareness programs, using various media sources, including its own billing functions, as a means to present safety information. With that said, it should be noted that pipelines have the best safety record among all major US. transportation systems. 9. EMERGENCY PROCEDURES SECTION 6 Copies of the Gas Emergency Plan and Procedures are available upon request. 10. WATER REQUIREMENTS SECTION 6 The single water requirement for this project is for dust control during construction. The water needed for this purpose will be purchased from a local source and transported to the site as needed. 11. TRAFFIC GENERATION SECTION 6 During the course of construction multiple trips daily will be generated involving pickups, single axle flatbeds, and occasionally a lowboy delivering or receiving pipe and equipment. The routes most likely used will be I-70, State Highway 6 & 24 and County Road 264. There will be minimal traffic to and from Rifle, primarily for meals and lodging. The staging areas for this project will be the gas processing facility at the west end of the pipeline, and the PSCo Rifle Compressor Station at the east end. 12. RECLAMATION SECTION 6 Reclamation will be provided by a contractor specializing in revegetation and soil stabilization. Seed mixtures will be determined by the contractor or will be requested from the local Soil Conservation Service office. The surface of the ground along the proposed route will be fine graded and disked prior to broadcast seeding. If needed, a mulch and tackifier will be added. 13. ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNERS. SECTION 7 2177-071-00-042 W. F. Clough P. O. Box 686 Rifle, CO 81650 2177-131-00-055 Umetco Minerals Corp. Section G-3 Old Ridgebury Road Danbury, CT 06817 2177-182-00-110 Questar Pipeline Co. 79 South State Salt Lade City, UT 84111 2175-111-00-956 Bureau of Land Management P. O. Box 1009 Glenwood Springs, CO 81602 2175-121-00-012 W. F. Clough P. O. Box 686 Rifle, CO 81650 2175-131-00-109 Northwest Pipeline Corp. Advelorum Tax M. S. 10453 P. O. Box 58900 Salt Lake City, UT 84111 2177 -182-00-287 Public Service Company of Colorado