NATURAL GAS

Natural Gas Transmission Line Extension Project, Harford and Baltimore Counties, MD

McCormick Taylor provided the Environmental Project Management and support, and Environmental Compliance Inspection for this project which involved extending an existing 26-inch natural gas pipeline for 21.1 miles and consisted of three phases and two sub-phases completed over the course of three years. McCormick Taylor was instrumental in helping to navigate challenging environmental regulations and opposition from local landowners and non-government organizations to reach project completion on time. Our work included:

• Obtaining approvals for the local, State, and Federal environmental permit requirements. This included, but was not limited to: FERC, USACE, MDE, USFWS, SHPO (MHT), County, Soil Conservation District, and others. 
• Coordination and Communication with the project team, including clients, agencies, and the public.
• Environmental Inspection for compliance with local, state, and federal environmental permit regulations.
• Development and implementation of environmental awareness training.

AC Mitigation Projects, MD & VA

McCormick Taylor has obtained clearance and regulatory permitting for AC mitigation activities and canopy tree trimming along multiple existing pipeline corridors in Maryland and Virginia. The installation of AC mitigation elements included zinc ribbon, zinc rods, and zinc matting. McCormick Taylor supported our client by performing the following services:

• Field and GIS desktop surveys to ver verify wetlands and streams and assess access along the corridor.
• Coordinating with the Baltimore District, Maryland Section, of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
• Preparing project narratives, mapping, and impact plates to identify impacts to Waters of the US and other resources of concern.
• Conducting reviews for federally-listed Rare, Threatened, and Endangered species using the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service IPaC database for the pipeline corridor.
• Determining E&S Control and Resource Protection requirements.
• Developing sets of E&S control plans for each county for which the projects generated disturbed grounds.
• Coordinating with local and county agencies for their plan review and approval process in efforts to successfully obtain grading permits.
• Environmental Compliance Inspection during construction and post-construction.

Natural Gas Transmission Line NEPA Services, Eddy County, NM & Loving, Ward, and Reed Counties, TX

McCormick Taylor was chosen to perform third-party NEPA services for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s (FERC) Office of Energy Projects (OEP) on a new pipeline project in Eddy County, NM and Loving, Ward, and Reeves Counties, TX. The project consisted of 133 combined miles of varying diameter trunk-line and lateral-line steel natural gas pipeline in the Arid Plains of West Texas and New Mexico. It connected natural gas production from the Permian Basin to distribution points at the Waha Hub, where pipelines connect to the Gulf of Mexico and the Western United States.

Tasks included:

• Developing an Environmental Assessment (EA) that supported the project’s potential FERC approval.
• Coordinating with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) since most of the pipeline in New Mexico was located on BLM-owned land.
• Extensive environmental documentation
• Attending meetings with the BLM and hosting regional Open Houses
• Conducting a field review
• Participating in the Pre-NEPA filing review.

Following the project’s NEPA filing, the McCormick Taylor team reviewed the final environmental reports and developed the Agency Draft EA, Final EA, and the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).

Natural Gas Transmission Line HCA Replacement Project, Loudoun County, VA

McCormick Taylor obtained clearances and regulatory permitting for a pipe replacement project in Loudoun County, Virginia, which involved temporary impacts to streams and wetlands, as well as temporary impacts to a county road. This project consisted of replacing approximately 7,400 linear feet of existing natural gas transmission line with a new 24” pipe through a High Consequence Area (HCA) along the pipeline's right-of-way (ROW).