Projects

Environmental Compliance Construction Inspection for Electrical Transmission Improvement Projects

Coastal Resources, Inc. (CRI) is providing environmental compliance inspection services and reporting for 14 electrical transmission projects whose purpose is to enhance reliability and/or upgrade the electrical transmission infrastructure in Washington, DC, Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, MD. Some of these projects include:

Emergency Work Feeder 69019 Potomac River:  Emergency replacement of a submarine transmission cable across the Potomac River. The cable spanned the width of the river just south of the Arlington Memorial Bridge and involved in-stream construction near sensitive resources along the banks of the Potomac River and tie-ins to the existing power grid on either side of the river.

Capital Grid Project:  Upgrades of the existing Takoma, Harvard, and Champlain Substations in the Washington, DC and Maryland. In addition, the installation of approximately 10 miles of underground transmission cables connecting both existing and upgraded substations within the project area. By increasing substation and transmission capacity, the Capital Grid Project will increase the grid’s capacity to accommodate more customer-generated power, such as rooftop solar. This project began construction in 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2026.

White Flint Substation:  Construction of a new substation in the rapidly growing North Bethesda / White Flint area. Substation work started in 2020 and associated overhead and underground construction along Nebel Street, Marinelli Road, Old Georgetown Road, Citadel Avenue, Randolph Road, and Parklawn Drive. This project is expected to be completed by December 2023. 

For all projects, CRI’s inspectors review project E&S Plans, permits, and other contract documents to gain a thorough understanding of all environmental compliance requirements and commitments.  Inspectors then perform regular site visits (weekly and bi-weekly depending on the project and construction schedules) to document that all environmental compliance measures, such as erosion and sediment (E&S) controls and best management practices (BMP’s) are installed properly and being followed as permitted.  Noncompliance or potential noncompliance issues noted in the field are brought to the contractor’s attention for immediate remediation.  Site conditions are documented following each site visit in electronic reports submitted through an Environmental Compliance Achievement Tracking (ECAT) system.  Reports note any issues or potential issues and how they were resolved.  Issues that could not be resolved with the contractor immediately onsite are documented and elevated to the client and project leadership to ensure timely resolution. 

CRI’s construction inspectors provide coordination between the contractor, regulatory compliance agencies, and the client as necessary throughout the project.  In addition to regular reporting, CRI staff conduct site visits and reporting following significant rain events (>1/4” within 24 hours) to identify any compliance issues and ensure that no significant discharge of sediment had occurred.  Weekly NPDES reports are also prepared to report back to the Maryland Department of the Environment to provide a record of any compliance issues and how they have been addressed.

CRI also participates in weekly project progress and coordination meetings. Staff follow established safety protocols throughout the project and participate in daily safety evaluations of site conditions prior to any site walks.  Any noted safety hazards or issues are discussed at project coordination meetings to ensure all staff are alerted to potential hazards.

Location:

Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, MD and Washington, DC

Client:

Electric Transmission Client

Key Services:

Environmental Construction Inspection