sectors to avoid the filling of wetlands and the loss of valuable fish 

 and wildlife habitat used for breeding/spawning, rearing of young, and 

 food production. 



Construction : With the necessity for pipe-coating yards to be 

 flat, the major construction activity is the alteration of the topography 

 into level land. This requirement will cause large acreages to be 

 cleared of vegetation and will cause a drastic change in the microclimate 

 of the area. Species which previously occupied the sector will now find 

 the area uninhabitable. Also, with the vegetation removed, erosion may 

 occur if appropriate control measures are not taken. Without proper 

 control there may be excessive sedimentation into streams and rivers 

 producing degraded fish habitats. 



Operation : The operations of cleaning and coating the pipe with 

 petroleum-based "mastic", synthetic, or cement will involve water 

 cooling of the newly applied material. The water from these processes 

 should be collected, transferred to cooling ponds, and treated by aeration 

 and methods to reduce contaminants prior to release into natural waterways. 



Regulatory Factors 



A pipe-coating yard faces many of the same regulatory hurdles that 

 are posed for platform-fabrication sites. State and local regulatory 

 programs may be as important as the Federal permits that are required 

 for dredge and fill and channel maintenance. 



State and Local Role : State and local permits and certifications 

 required for the development and operation of a coating yard will depend 

 on the laws and regulations of the particular state, town or county in 

 which the yard will be located. A new yard is likely to require zoning 

 permission because of its size and the required water access facilities. 

 State wetlands or dredge and fill permits are also likely to be required. 



Federal Role : The Corps of Engineers issues permits for dredge and 

 fill or alteration of the water areas of the United States. These 

 permits are issued under Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 

 1899 and Section 404 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments 

 of 1972. 



Other important considerations in particular situations include the 

 Endangered Species Act and Federal highway decisions that require Fish 

 and Wildlife Service comment. 



Development Strategy 



The decision to construct a pipe-coating yard is an economic one 

 but beyond that, time, weather, and distance are important factors. A 



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