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EFFECTIVE STORMWATER AND SEDIMENT CONTROL DURING PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION USING A NEW FILTER FENCE CONCEPT
Impact/Purpose:
- Prepare and present two workshop at the IPEC meeting: a) an initial workshop to develop consensus among leading researchers, industry, and environmental agencies on design and performance criteria for new silt fence technology to be used in the petroleum industry (completed and reported 1/10/04)
- Develop threshold design criteria for sediment control, effluent guidelines under Phase II SWP based on a regional impact analysis (reported 7/12/04)
- Prove the FAEST silt fence design and implementation concept under laboratory and field conditions where current silt fence fails due to:
- Flow concentrations that result from current installation technology
- Failure to trap clays and fine silts addressed through: flow barriers
- Prove the FAEST silt fence design and implementation concept under laboratory and field conditions where current silt fence fails due to:
- Failure to trap clays and fine silts addressed through: use of polyacrylimide (PAM) applied upslope of the fence or fused onto the apron to enhance settling
- Write proposed BMP guidelines and develop design aids for the technology
- Develop design requirements for machine systems to install fences (reported on 7/12/04)
Objective(s) Proposed for Year 2 Project Period to be Addressed in Current Project Period:
Description:
Sediment has recently become an emphasis in the EPA NPDES storm water rules because of its impact on habitat and the macro-invertebrates in stream channels. This is particularly critical for pipelines and will become even more important under Phase II of the Clean Water Act. Current sediment control BMP technology for linear construction and brine reclamation projects is primarily limited to silt fence since it does not cause significant additional disruptions to the landscape during installation and removal. Since silt fence has been found to be practically ineffective in a recent national study this project address modifications of current technology to make silt fence effective. A dramatically modified to current silt fence technology, known as FAESF, has been investigated which has the potential to: a) control undercutting and overtopping due to cross-contour installations, b) control lateral flow along the silt fence, c) improve the trapping of fine silts and clays, d) provide adequate strength of posts and fence to prevent excessive stretching and overturning, and e) provide for adequate bearing capacity of post footings. Field testing has been successful and investigators are meeting with regulators and holding workshops to communicate their findings.