Insignia Environmental

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Jefferson-Martin 230 kV Transmission Project – Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E)

After the Jefferson-Martin 230 kV Transmission Project was approved by the California Public Utilities Commission, PG&E contracted Insignia Environmental to provide environmental training and environmental compliance inspection services for the construction phase of the project. This project involved construction of an approximately 27-mile-long, 230-kV power line located in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Insignia Environmental began work on this project with the preparation and delivery of an environmental awareness training to over 2,000 project personnel. During construction, Insignia Environmental staff provided environmental, biological, cultural, and paleontological resource monitoring for all segments in compliance with the project permits and plans. This work included having personnel on the ground up to 24 hours per day, seven days a week to ensure compliance and prepare daily environmental reports, which were distributed to the team.

The biological component of the project included monitoring for listed species, including the California red-legged frog, San Francisco garter snake, Pacific pond turtle, raptors, and nesting birds. To this end, we obtained approvals from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and California Department of Fish and Game to relocate sensitive species out of harm’s way.

Work on this project also included preparation of a Wetland Monitoring Plan, Final Paleontological Monitoring Report, and Final Post-Construction Report for submittal to the agencies.

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KLM to Valero Interconnection Pipeline Project - Contra Costa County Community Development Department

Insignia Environmental prepared a Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) for the Contra Costa County Community Development Department for a Chevron Pipe Line project involving construction of a 2-mile-long, 12-inch-diameter oil pipeline and associated aboveground pumping facilities.

In addition to preparing the environmental document, Insignia Environmental assisted Contra Costa County during the construction phase of this project. Prior to the commencement of construction, our team reviewed the applicant’s submittals and verified that all of the relevant plans had been prepared and permits had been secured. During construction, our environmental inspectors oversaw environmental compliance on this project, ensuring that the mitigation measures in the MND and other permits were properly implemented.

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Tri-Valley 2002 Capacity Increase Project, Phase III - PG&E

Insignia Environmental provided biological and environmental inspection for construction of Phase III of the project. This phase involved construction of an approximately 6-mile-long, 230-kV transmission line and a 0.33-acre wetland mitigation site in Alameda County and Contra Costa County. The environmental compliance inspection program included conducting environmental trainings in the field and inspecting for compliance with Environmental Impact Report and permit conditions. All of Insignia Environmental’s on-site inspectors were authorized to survey, monitor, handle, and relocate California red-legged frog and California tiger salamander, in addition to survey for San Joaquin kit fox and burrowing owl.

Since completion of construction, Insignia Environmental has been contracted to conduct a three-year post-construction assessment of the wetland site to monitor its success.

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2008 Expansion Project – Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company (now owned by TransCanada)

Insignia Environmental assisted Tuscarora Gas Transmission Company with permitting the 2008 Expansion Project, which involved construction of a compressor station in Modoc County, California and approximately 515 feet of pipeline near the Tracy Power Plant in Storey County, Nevada. This work included:

preparing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Environmental Report and associated landowner and interested parties notifications,
preparing applicable permit applications, and
preparing the FERC Implementation Plan, including an Environmental Compliance Management Plan, Erosion and Sediment Control Plan, Dust Control Plan, and Reclamation Plan for the project.

After the project was approved, Insignia Environmental provided environmental inspection on a weekly basis. This work included preparing regular inspection reports and biweekly compliance status reports, which were filed with the FERC.

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Buena Vista Wind Energy Project – Contra Costa County Community Development Department

Insignia Environmental is currently conducting avian and bat mortality studies for Contra Costa County to analyze the mortality trends associated with the reduction of wind turbines for the Buena Vista Wind Energy Project. This project involved the removal of 179 older wind turbines, replacing them with 38 new, larger, more efficient turbines. These turbines are located on 2,400 acres of agricultural land in the Byron area.

This three-year avian and bat mortality monitoring study is designed to assess mortality due to collisions with the new turbines. In addition to carcass searches, our biologists are conducting 360-degree visual scan surveys to collect information about bird species and behavior in the project vicinity.To detect biases associated with this data, our staff is conducting searcher efficiency trials and carcass removal trials during the first year of this program.

Insignia Environmental is also preparing annual monitoring reports that include a summary of raptor use in the project area, a summary of the mortality surveys, a description of any environmental factors that may have affected the results, and a description of any remedial actions taken during the course of the year.

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Line 6914 Loop Imperial Valley Project – Southern California Gas Company (SCG)

Insignia Environmental was contracted by SCG to assist in obtaining the relevant permits required to construct the Line 6914 Loop Imperial Valley Project, a 22-mile-long natural gas pipeline in Imperial County, California. At the same time, Insignia Environmental was contracted to perform environmental inspection and construction monitoring during the project’s construction phase.

Working closely with SCG, Insignia Environmental has developed a comprehensive permitting strategy for the project that is designed to ensure all authorizations are obtained prior to the construction start date. Insignia Environmental then prepared all of the permit application packages, consulted with agency representatives, and prepared an Applicant-Prepared Environmental Impact Assessment that addresses all California Environmental Quality Act requirements. Document for submittal to the lead agency. Insignia Environmental will also be providing environmental inspection for the construction phase of the project.

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107 Line Reconstruction Project – Sierra Pacific Power Company (SPPCo)

Insignia Environmental was contracted by SPPCo to prepare a Preliminary Plan of Development (POD) for reconstruction of the 107 Line, which involved replacement of 14 existing wood structures, complete removal of 2 existing wood dead-end structures, replacement of approximately 2.2 miles of existing conductor, and construction of a new switching station at the terminus of the line. After approval of the project was received by the Bureau of Land Management, Insignia Environmental provided environmental inspection during construction of the facilities, which included weekly visits to the site, preparation of weekly reports, regular coordination with construction personnel while not on site, and communications with agency personnel.