Piles, Trenching, Inverters, Cables, Material Deliveries

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Lydia Jackson
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1 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Albany Date of Inspection Start/End Time 7:50 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles, Trenching, Inverters, Cables, Material Deliveries Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Mostly cloudy, temperature in the upper 30 s to low 40 s. General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson, and Ryan Molsee (Enel). Site is in good condition. Most compliance items observed last week have not yet been resolved as Minnesota Native Landscapes (MNL) has been working on other sites; compliance work for this site is scheduled. Michels is planning to use a skid-steer to begin dressing up closed trenches and remove any excess subsoil remaining on the topsoil surface. An improper de-watering set up was observed in the southeast corner of the site. The hose was discharging onto a composite mat to prevent scouring but no sediment bag was present. Topsoil was pushed up in unprotected berms on either side of the discharging water to route the water offsite. The water was discharging into vegetation but no other sediment treatment was occurring. The pump was shut down and the site manager was notified. Issues Noted During Inspection: Compliance items noted during the previous inspection on 10/6/2016 remain; compliance work is scheduled with MNL. Water was being pumped and discharged offsite without the use of a sediment bag or other treatment. Unprotected topsoil was used to divert the pumped water offsite. Agricultural Inspection Report Albany

Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Use of an adequate filter bag for sediment collection when de-watering; Use of straw wattles or equivalent treatment of water leaving

2 Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Use of an adequate filter bag for sediment collection when de-watering; Use of straw wattles or equivalent treatment of water leaving the site; and Use of alternative methods to divert water; if topsoil is the only option, protective covering to prevent topsoil loss is required. Photos: Photo 1: De-watering hose discharging onto composite mat to prevent scouring. Unprotected topsoil berms used to divert water offsite, no further treatment of water prior to leaving site. Agricultural Inspection Report Albany

3 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Annandale Date of Inspection Start/End Time 3:00 pm Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles and inverters installed, access roads complete, SWPPP updates/maintenance, material delivery, trenching, cabling, assembly Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Partly Cloudy, Low 60s General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Ryan Molsee (Enel), and Jacob Thompson (Barr Engineering). Soil mixing is occurring in trench spoils in some areas where soil horizons are clearly defined; problem areas were pointed out to Nate (Biosar site manager). Appropriate de-watering methods were discussed as trenching has encountered ground water in some locations due to the elevated water table. Various instances of deep rutting caused by lull traffic were discussed. Ruts typically are not resulting in mixing of soil horizons. Erosion control devices in the southwest portion of the site have held up relatively well; Jacob and Paula discussed repairs that were needed to the area. Issues Noted During Inspection: Soil horizon mixing in trench spoils clearly defined horizons. Rutting (not severe at this point) Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Agricultural Inspection Report Annandale

4 Ensure equipment operators understand soil segregation requirements. Limit traffic to the extent possible to designated travel routes. Photos: Photo 1: Soil horizon mixing in trench spoil piles. Agricultural Inspection Report Annandale

5 Photos: Photo 2: Trench with clearly defined soil horizons; topsoil not placed a sufficient distance from trench. Photo 2: Trench with ground water present. Agricultural Inspection Report Annandale

6 Photos: Photo 4: Minor SWPPP repairs needed at borrow area. Agricultural Inspection Report Annandale

7 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Atwater Date of Inspection Start/End Time 11:45 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles, Inverters, Material Deliveries and Staging, Trenching, Assembly, SCADA house. Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Partly cloudy, temperatures in the low 40s. General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson (Barr) and Ryan Molsee (Enel. Most trenches are excavated properly with good segregation of soil horizons. One location along the eastern portion of the southeast inverter did not have adequate soil segregation. Space in the area was limited and the trench involved a portion of the access road. Spoil piles had evidence of more topsoil material in the bottoms of the piles with subsoil piled on top. Spoils were also falling into adjacent trenches. Topsoil remaining from the SCADA house and junction box excavations can be used to cover areas where sufficient topsoil is lacking due to mixing in spoil piles. An improper de-watering set up was observed on the north side of the main wetland. Only a small filter sock was present at the discharge point; the sock had blown off the end of the hose and cloudy water was present in an area approximately five feet wide and 50 to 60 feet long along the wetland perimeter silt fence. Water entering the wetland was clear. Most of the sediment had settled out of the water on the outside of the wetland silt fence. A second area of de-watering was observed near the southeast inverter. Pumping was complete but evidence of scouring was present. There was no indication that a sediment bag or other appropriate filtration or velocity dissipation measures were used. Issues Noted During Inspection: De-watering of trenches without proper measures taken to prevent erosion and sedimentation. Agricultural Inspection Report Atwater

8 Mixing of soil horizons during trenching activities in one location. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Photos: Review of proper de-watering requirements, and Discussion on mitigation of mixed topsoil. Photo 1: Insufficient filter sock at discharge location. Agricultural Inspection Report Atwater

9 Photos: Photo 2: Sediment remaining at water discharge location; sediment will not have a significant impact on topsoil. Photo 3: Second de-watering location; hose imprint and scoured area are visible. Agricultural Inspection Report Atwater

Photo 4: Aggregate material stored on top of access road area

10 Photos: Photo 3: Scouring caused by lack of sediment bag and velocity dissipation measures during dewatering. Photo 4: Aggregate material stored on top of access road area to avoid mixing with topsoil. Agricultural Inspection Report Atwater

11 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Dodge Center Date of Inspection Start/End Time 5:05 pm Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles, inverters, and most panels installed; trenching; cabling; SCADA work. Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Clear to partly cloudy, temperature in the low to mid-50 s General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson (Barr), and Ryan Molsee (Enel). Vacuum trucks were used to suck the water and sediment out of the combiner box trenches. A makeshift pit area was constructed at the top of the site just to the west of the main laydown yard for the trucks to empty into. The area was surrounded by the perimeter silt fences on the south, an unprotected earthen berm on the east, one row of silt fence on the west, and a partial earthen berm on the north (front) side of the dumping area. When we arrived for the inspection, the pit was failing, causing sediment-laden water and muck to pour over and seep under the perimeter controls. Several cubic yards of subsoil material will need to be scraped off of topsoil within and vegetation surrounding the dumping area. A second location was used to dump vacuumed material on the north end of the site near the lower entrance. This location also require sediment to be scraped up off of topsoil. Minnesota Native Landscapes (MNL) has performed maintenance of erosion control devices onsite and upgraded installations in some areas. Issues Noted During Inspection: Dumping of vacuum truck contents has resulted in a substantial amount of sediment placed directly on top of topsoil. Agricultural Inspection Report Dodge Center

12 Sediment laden water and muck has breached the perimeter silt fence in multiple locations along the southwestern portion of the site. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Allow sediment to dry; scrape material off of topsoil and vegetation within and surrounding the pit area. Replace SWPPP devices impacted by the sediment flows. Remove and protect topsoil that was used to create the earthen berms. Photos: Photo 1: Vacuum trucks rinsing out into a containment area. Double row of perimeter silt fence formed the southern boundary of the area. Agricultural Inspection Report Dodge Center

damaged, allowing sediment and water to continue flowing

13 Photos: Photo 2: Perimeter silt fence was breeched by the muck. Photo 3: West edge of the containment area was damaged, allowing sediment and water to continue flowing downhill to the west. Agricultural Inspection Report Dodge Center

14 Photos: Photo 4: Water and sediment traveling beyond the perimeter silt fence. Photo 5: New BMP installation in southwest corner of the site. Agricultural Inspection Report Dodge Center

15 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Eastwood Date of Inspection Start/End Time 1:30 pm Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles, material delivery, inverters set, trenching, SCADA house work Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Sunny, temperature in the 50 s General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson (Barr), and Ryan Molsee (Enel). Site is in overall good condition. A large amount of sand remains along the central access road and will be used to backfill trenches. The site manager is aware of the need to scrape up the excess sand to prevent excessive amounts of sand being incorporated into the topsoil. No compliance items were noted at this time. Issues Noted During Inspection: None at this time. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: None at this time. Agricultural Inspection Report Eastwood

16 Photos: Photo 1: Area with trenching and cabling completed. Photo 3: Remaining sand stockpile. Agricultural Inspection Report Eastwood

17 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Hastings Date of Inspection Start/End Time 7:45 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Assembly, pile driving, pile drilling, material deliveries, inverters Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Clear, temperature in the low 40s. General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson (Barr) and Ryan Molsee (Enel). Canada thistle and other weeds throughout a portion of the site were mowed by the pile driving crew. However, dense patches of flowering and seeding thistle remain in the southwest corner of the site and pose a risk to the neighboring field. Jacob and Paula discussed appropriate methods of control, including cutting and bagging the flowering and seeding plants to avoid spreading seed and mowing of the remaining vegetative plants. Minnesota Native Landscapes has not yet been onsite to repair the damaged silt fence that was observed last week. Issues Noted During Inspection: Noxious weeds (Canada thistle) are still a problem in the southwest corner of the site and are spreading seed. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Properly dispose of flowering and seeding plants to avoid spreading seed; mow remaining plants. Agricultural Inspection Report Hastings

18 Photos: Photo 1: Example of well-established vegetative thistle plants. Agricultural Inspection Report Hastings

19 Photos: Photo 2: Canada thistle plants flowering and dispersing seed. Photo 3: Silt fence has been completely flattened; silt still needs to be removed and relocated up the hill. Agricultural Inspection Report Hastings

20 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Lake Pulaski Date of Inspection Start/End Time 7:40 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Grading, piles, access roads Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Mostly cloudy, upper 60s General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson (Barr) and Ryan Molsee (Enel). The site is in nearly the same condition as during last week s site visit. Topsoil stockpile covers have been replaced and fixed more securely. The earthen berm along the northeast corner of the site is complete and topsoil was spread over the berm. It was noted that the dozer that spread the topsoil traveled along the length of the berm, perpendicular to the slope. This action results in the cleats of the dozer tracks leaving shallow imprints that run parallel all along the slope and provide a route for rain runoff to create rills. We discussed alternative methods to finish the berm that would help to secure the soil. A crew was working on the access road, filling the road cut with compacted sand. Crushed granite rock was added to the wheel tracks in soft areas. It is our understanding that additional rock will be laid to finish the road and provide stability. Little further work was done in the western portion of the site due to continued wet conditions. Issues Noted During Inspection: No new compliance items were noted. Corrective Actions: Agricultural Inspection Report Lake Pulaski

21 Corrective actions discussed onsite included: None. Photos: Photo 1: Repaired topsoil covering. Agricultural Inspection Report Lake Pulaski

22 Photos: Photo 2: Crushed granite added to soft spots in the road. Photo 3: Access road work. Agricultural Inspection Report Lake Pulaski

23 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Montrose Date of Inspection Start/End Time 5:25 pm Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles, access road and laydown yard complete; trenching and drain tile work. Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Mostly cloudy, temperature in the mid 50 s. General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Jacob Thompson (Barr) and Ryan Molsee (Enel). Blattner personnel were onsite beginning trenching activities in the southern portion of the site. Equipment was removing the topsoil layer only from the southernmost trench. Topsoil removal was excellent. Hodgeman drain tile personnel were onsite installing new tile through the central portion of the site. Soil horizons were appropriately separated and segregated. Site is in good condition. Issues Noted During Inspection: No new compliance items were observed. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: None. Agricultural Inspection Report Montrose

24 Photos: Photo 1: Topsoil removed from first trench. Photo 2: Subsoil replaced over newly installed drain tile. Topsoil remains segregated. Agricultural Inspection Report Montrose

25 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Paynesville Date of Inspection Start/End Time 10:20 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Piles installed, trenching, cabling, inverters, SCADA work, assembly, deliveries. Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Partly sunny, temperature in the upper 30 s to low 40s. General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald, Jacob Thompson (Barr) and Ryan Molsee (Enel). Site was sprayed for noxious weed control on Friday, October 7, There are multiple places throughout the site where lull tracks are found to be causing ruts. According to Mark (Biosar site manager), it is difficult on this site to restrict access for the lulls due to muddy conditions. None of the rutting was observed to be causing mixing of soil horizons at this time, though additional widespread de-compaction efforts will likely be necessary at this site during restoration. Bio-rolls around the boring site within the wetland on the west portion of the project site were installed incorrectly; MNL will be notified of necessary corrections. Issues Noted During Inspection: Rutting this is not a compliance item at this time but site conditions will continue to be monitored; an increase in severity of ruts may result in non-compliance. SWPPP device installations minor item that will be flagged for correction. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: Agricultural Inspection Report Albany

26 Reduce traffic routes, Correct SWPPP installations where necessary. Photos: Photo 1: Increase in redundant travel routes. Agricultural Inspection Report Albany

27 Photos: Photo 4: Incorrect SWPPP device installation; no overlapping of ends and the roll does not maintain contact with the ground. Agricultural Inspection Report Albany

28 Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name West Waconia Date of Inspection Start/End Time 9:45 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction Shannon Kulseth Agricultural Monitor Grading complete, pile installation nearly complete, trenching, cabling Weather Information Weather at time of this inspection? Overcast, temperature in the mid-50 s. General Inspection Notes: Additional personnel accompanying me on the site inspection today included Paula Fitzgerald (Biosar), Ryan Molsee (Enel) and Jacob Thompson (Barr). Chip (Biosar site manager) noted that composite mats were arriving onsite shortly to be used on soft portions of the access road to reduce rutting. We noted a few areas where residual subsoil from trenching activities may adversely affect vegetation establishment during restoration; Chip stated that additional subsoil cleanup activities will occur when trenching is complete. Trench spoils were mixed in areas that had previously been graded; this has been a common occurrence since the re-grading of topsoil over subsoil increases the difficulty of later separation. An improper de-watering set up was observed on the west side of the wetland in the southern portion of the site. A filter bag was present but was not attached to the discharge hose. The water was flowing directly toward the wetland perimeter silt fence. The water was not being pumped at a high velocity and the water entering the wetland through the silt fence was clear. Chip attached the filter bag while we observed the setup. Canada thistle plants were found to be going to seed in several locations across the site. The large topsoil sediment flow on the northeast side of the wetland needs to be scraped up and either replaced uphill or stored for later use. Equipment is traveling through the area and rutting the sediment. Agricultural Inspection Report West Waconia

29 Issues Noted During Inspection: De-watering set up did not have a filter bag attached. This was remedied while we were onsite. Noxious weeds (Canada thistle) are flowering and dispersing seed in various locations across the site. Other items noted were not significant at this time. Corrective Actions: Corrective actions discussed onsite included: In addition to the correction of the immediate problem with the de-watering set up, the subcontractor (Michels) needs to be informed of de-watering requirements as at least three improper set ups were observed during this week s inspections. Properly dispose of thistle plants that are flowering and going to seed; mow vegetative plants to prevent flowering. Photos: Photo 1: Canada thistle is flowering and dispersing seed. Agricultural Inspection Report West Waconia

30 Photos: Photo 2: Soil horizons seem to be very difficult for operators to separate once they have been graded. Photo 3: De-watering hose with filter bag unattached. Agricultural Inspection Report West Waconia

31 Photos: Photo 4: Topsoil that washed downhill during previous rain events needs to be collected and stockpiled or replaced uphill. Agricultural Inspection Report West Waconia

Piles, inverters, trenching, cabling, assembly.

Piles, inverters, trenching, cabling, assembly. Agricultural Inspection Report General Information Project Name Montrose Date of Inspection 11/9/2016 Start/End Time 7:00 am Inspector s Name(s) Inspector s Title(s) Describe present phase of construction