San Joaquin River Pipeline Crossing Decommissioning Project

Under contract to Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) and Longitude 123, Padre provided regulatory permitting and environmental oversight for the PG&E Line 114, Line 114-1, and Line SP4Z San Joaquin River Pipeline Crossing Decommissioning Project (Project).  This included the preparation of an environmental assessment and regulatory permit applications for the Project.  The California State Lands Commission (CSLC) was the lead agency under the California Environmental Quality Act and with the support of Padre, prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Project. The final MND was adopted by the CSLC in October 2015.

Padre prepared permit applications for the Project including an application for a CSCL Lease Amendment; United States Army Corps of Engineers pre-construction notification for approval under nationwide permit 12; California Department of Fish and Wildlife Streambed Alteration Agreement notification; and an application for Regional Water Quality Control Board Water Quality Certification.  Padre also prepared a Biological Assessment for Section 7 Consultation with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service and facilitated informal consultation with the federal agencies.  Regulatory permits were issued in early 2016 and removal of approximately 3,600 linear feet of pipeline from the San Joaquin River was completed between August and October of 2016, during the aquatic work window for protection of sensitive fish species occurring in the Bay-Delta.  Padre provided pre-construction surveys and permit compliance monitoring, including water quality monitoring, for the construction phase of the Project.  Removal of the pipeline from the levee on Sherman Island is expected to occur during the 2017 construction season and Padre will provide permit support and construction monitoring services for that portion of the project as well.

The photo shows the derrick barge with a suspended segment of cut pipeline after removal from the San Joaquin River.