Environmental Documentation
RCI assisted Kirkwood Meadows Public Utility District with the completion of CEQA, NEPA and other environmental documentation, environmental design, civil design, site surveying and construction staking, site revegetation design, permitting and construction oversight of a 28-mile buried and overhead power line between Salt Springs Reservoir and Kirkwood Meadows.
Multiple Agency Involvement
Multiple agencies were involved in the planning, environmental and permitting stages, including the U.S. Forest Service, Army Corps of Engineers, California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Central Valley Water Quality Control Board, California Division of Dams and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Additionally, RCI coordinated the acquisition of, and prepared the legal descriptions for, construction and permanent easements across portions of private land.
Environmental Expertise
This responsibility included preparing all environmental permits and regulatory authorizations, serving as the lead civil design engineer to ensure the project complied with all environmental design criteria and permit conditions, completion of the site restoration plans, subconsultant coordination, serving as the Environmental Coordinator during construction inspection, and overall construction management of four separate construction contracts and numerous owner furnished materials contracts.
RCI Specific Tasks
- Preparation of baseline and technical surveys for wildlife, sensitive plants, noxious weeds, cultural resources, wetlands, visual and aesthetic resources, soils, and geologic hazards.
- Preparation of permits, including Clean Water Act Section 404 and 401, California Fish and Game Code 1600, Caltrans Encroachment and Policy Exception, and Amador County Encroachment Permit, Stormwater General Construction Permit and Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan.
- Coordination with PG&E on the interconnection to existing facilities and the development of the long-term line maintenance plan.
RCI Specific Tasks
- Preparation of supporting documents for and coordination with PG&E to obtain an authorization to construct from the California Public Utilities Commission and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
- Overall project management, including coordination of project sub-consultants, budget management, and project scheduling.
- Review of the project design to ensure compliance with all environmental requirements.
Ongoing Environmental Monitoring
RCI continues to be retained by the District as the Project Manager and Civil Engineer for ongoing environmental monitoring of the power line corridor and oversight of the maintenance activities of the project access roads.