North Shore Gas Marina Drive

North Shore Gas

OBJECTIVE

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and Lake County Forest Preserve District (LCFPD) requested that North Shore Gas relocate an existing 4-inch steel gas main along Marina Drive at Dead Dog Creek. HLR was contacted by North Shore Gas to help tackle several environmental and right-of-way concerns.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Marina Drive extends through North Point Marina State Recreation Area and LCFPD Spring Bluff Forest Preserve.  This area contains high quality wetlands and provides habitat for the State-threatened Blanding’s turtle (Emydoidea blandingii). Soils in the area are known to be sandy and not typically well suited for directional drilling.  Limited right-of-way, close proximity of other underground utilities, multiple regulatory agency involvement, and the presence of wetlands along the project area presented issues.

To combat these immense challenges, open and frequent involvement with all regulatory agencies, constant communication with North Shore Gas, immediate response to problems, and creative solutions were implemented by our environmental team, resulting in the successful installation of 2,000 linear feet of new plastic gas main.

Scope of Work:

• Wetland delineation
• Permitting
• Regulatory agency coordination
• Erosion control inspections and oversight during construction
• Educational presentation and materials on the threatened Blanding’s Turtle
• Dewatering system design