ABSTRACT 7th International Symposium on Environmental Concerns in Rights-of-Way Management
TITLE:	The Value of a Third Party Inspection Program During the Construction of Natural Gas Pipelines in Maine
AUTHOR(S):	Linda Kokemuller - Linda.K.Kokemuller@state.me.us Maine Department of Environmental Protection Portland, ME, USA
In 1998 and 1999, two major interstate natural gas pipelines were constructed in Maine. Prior to this construction, Maine had very few miles of gas pipeline located within the state an no experience with permitting interstate gas pipeline projects. Maine did have experience with the use of third party inspectors to monitor large construction projects for compliance with the approved plans and their impacts on protects natural resources. During the permitting process, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (MDEP) determined that third part inspectors would be required for the construction of the two projects. MDEP worked with both companies to create the documentation that would be necessary to run the program and to hire the appropriate inspectors. The MDEP found the third party inspection program to be beneficial for several reasons, including the following: 1. The MDEP project manager was able to maintain direct daily overview of the pipeline construction and react quickly to resource issues that arose. 2. The third party inspector was immediately available to respond to specific landowner and/or public concerns. 3. MDEP was able to delegate certain specified functions to the third party inspectors, including the ability to grant variances from permit requirements based on site-specific conditions. Keywords: Erosion, environmental, FERC, inspectors, natural resources Ref#: 14-7