A major investor-owned electric utility sought to complete a near total rehabilitation of two separate segments of an existing electric transmission line in West Texas. The two-year project consisted of approximately 56 miles of transmission lines through four counties. Kleinfelder was tasked with providing environmental permitting and planning so that the rehabilitation could proceed.

A Remote, 56-Mile Linear Project

Permitting activities were time-intensive due to the site’s size and remoteness. In order to not impact the construction schedule, it was necessary to have a comprehensive understanding of all the required permits and lead times for each at the start of the project. Obtaining timely stormwater permits was particularly challenging due to the vastness of the area that had to be inspected.

Permit Phasing to Meet Target Deadline

Kleinfelder completed a Desktop Review to identify potential constraints to the project’s permitting, approvals, design, or construction schedule. This allowed Kleinfelder to prepare a permitting plan and matrix that identified federal, state, and local permits likely required for the project. The stormwater permitting was divided into four phases along the corridor to allow for timely SWPPP close-out as construction and restoration could progress gradually while adhering to agency regulations. We also completed a wetland delineation of the entire project right-of-way (ROW), along with a habitat assessment and nest survey.

Project Results

Proactively identifying potential permitting issues allowed Kleinfelder to create plans for early mitigation and agency coordination. By segmenting project construction across four different SWP3s, NPDES coverage of areas was closed out incrementally as they were restored to pre-construction conditions. Avoiding continuous inspection of the entire ROW until all areas were qualified for closure reduced the construction schedule by roughly a year.

Project Details

Location:
West Texas

Owner:
Major Investor-Owned Electric Utility