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Enron Mail |
With respect to the September 13, 1999 letter from Richard and Oreane Garcia
concerning pipeline integrity and noise issues, Transwestern Pipeline Company offers the following response: Pipeline Integrity. With the construction of the evaporation ponds over Transwestern's right of way and pipline, Transwestern has closely monitored the potential for impacts for the pipeline. This includes a more frequent inspection of the pipeline conditions underlying the ponds by taking potentiometric readings to verify that corrosion is not present. Transwestern has also installed rectifiers to assist in eleminating the potential of pipeline corrosion. As a DOT requirement, Transwestern has cathodically protected the entire pipeline system with an external pipeline coating to further ensure the integrity of the pipeline underlying the evaporation ponds. The pipline safety measures implemented by Transwestern are designed to not only identify corrosion iimpacts to the pipeline system at the inception of detrimental impacts as a result of corrosion, but also allow for long term stability and integrity by conducting state of the art monitoring and detection. Noise Issue. In the initial environmental assessment and study, Transwestern conducted baseline surveys of the area to determine existing noise levels. This study was completed to assist Transwestern in the mitigation measures which will be implemented after construction of the Gallup Compresso Station. Pending completion of the facility, Transwestern will conduct post noise studys to determine whether facility noise levels have increased above those levels mandated by FERC. In the event of operational noise levels exceeding the FERC regulatory level of 55 ldn, Transwestern is committed to performing any and all mitigation measures necessary to ensure that the post noise level of the facility will not be above the level mandated by FERC. Decrepancy of trailer park residents. In the letter by Mr. Garcia, it was stated that Transwestern's assessment of the number of residences in the adjacent trailer park was not 18 as had been stated in our original study, but "more like 35 trailers". The number of mobile home residences currrently in the trailer park may in fact be closer to 35. Transwestern's trailer park residence count was taken in the winter of the year when the fluctuating job market is normally down and the number of residences in the park was low. The transient nature of mobile home residences and the fluctuating job economy of the area is probably a direct reflection of the up and down nature of the residences. It should also be noted that during the time that the trailer park count was made, the owner of the trailer park who is also the operator of the evaporation ponds was experiencing major difficulties in the operation of the ponds and raw sewage had overflowed the pond embankments and had resulted in the raw sewage ponding in the yards of many of the trailer park residents. It was actually noted that many of the spaces normally occupied by mobile homes had been vacated. This unsanitary condition was also identified by the New Mexico Environment Department. The NMED had implemented enforcement actions against the trailer park owner.
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