The Southern Gas Association (SGA) presented the Chairman’s Award for Environmental Excellence to Columbia Pipeline Group (CPG) on 24 June 2014 at the organisation’s Environmental, Safety & Health and Training Conference in Tampa, Fla.
SGA grants the Chairman’s Award for Environmental Excellence based on the recommendation of the group’s environmental committee, something that hasn’t been done since 2008. CPG was selected due to the comprehensive work displayed with its Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). The HCP is designed to streamline compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA), while enhancing species conservation using a single comprehensive environmental plan across the company’s multi-state natural gas pipeline network.
“We are honoured to be recognised by the Southern Gas Association with their highest distinction for environmental excellence,” said Shawn Patterson, CPG President, Operations and Project Delivery. “Being good stewards of the environment is something we take seriously every day and our Habitat Conservation Plan is a testament to that.”
The HCP covers a one mile wide corridor surrounding pipelines under CPG’s Columbia Gas Transmission, Columbia Gulf Transmission and Crossroads Pipeline systems, collectively covering more than 15 000 linear miles and 9 million acres in 14 states.
ESA compliance is very complex and typically requires federal clearance on a project-by-project basis, which can be a time and resource-intensive process for the US Fish & Wildlife Service and CPG. The HCP and its associated Incidental 50-year Take Permit (ITP) replace the project-by-project permitting approach with a self-implementing approach to ESA compliance, provided the conservation measures and best management practices to avoid or minimise impact to endangered and threatened species outlined in the HCP are followed.
Adapted from press release by Rosalie Starling