WorldWide Drilling Resource

Wastewater Plant to Replace Pipeline Compiled by Amy White Associate Editor, WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Last year, the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department (MDWASD) announced the Norris Cut Project would replace the existing 54-inch force main (FM) from the Virginia Key Central District Wastewater Treatment Plant (CDWWTP) below Biscayne Bay Norris Cut to Fisher Island, Florida, with a new 60-inch replacement FM. The FM is a portion of the sole pipeline collecting raw sewage from Miami Beach and Northern municipalities and transport- ing it to the CDWWTP for treatment. Nicholson Construction was recent- ly awarded a $72.1 million design-build contract which includes planning, engi- neering, designing, permitting, procure- ment, construction/installation, testing, and start-up of the replacement FM. Key elements of the project include: S Approximately 5200 linear feet of tunnel boring with precast seg- mental liners capable of accommo- dating a 60-inch-internal-diameter carrier pipeline. S Roughly 2500 l inear feet of open-cut construction to install a 60-inch-diameter pipe. S About 1000 linear feet of hori- zontal directional drilling to install 8-inch pipe for sewage transport from the Fisher Island Pump Station to the tunnel. S The replaced 54-inch FM will be cut, flushed, plugged at terminal locations, and abandoned for pos- sible rehabilitation in the future. Bertha Goldenberg, an official with the MDWASD, said electrical equipment will be raised and additional flood pro- tection measures will be implemented at the plant as part of the wastewater upgrade. According to Goldenberg, these protections should prepare the facility for an additional 3 feet of sea-level rise and storm surges. The project is expected to be com- plete in approximately two years. 68 MAY 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Big Improvements Within the Mining Industry Adapted from Information Provided by the Mine Safety and Health Administration In a recent meeting with the National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association (NSSGA), Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Joseph A. Main updated the board of directors on recent actions taken by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to improve miner safety and health. The NSSGA represents companies which produce more than 90% of the crushed stone and 70% of the sand and gravel consumed annually in the United States. Main stated mine safety has been on a steady path of improvement since the agency began implementing reforms in 2010, including the Rules to Live By initiative focusing on the most common causes of mining deaths, impact inspections of prob- lem mines, and the Pattern of Violations program targeting chronic violators. The latter initiative has resulted in improved compliance, reduced injuries, and an 83% reduction in the number of chronic violators. The industry as a whole achieved the lowest fatality and injury rates in the history of mining in 2011 and again in 2012, a trend which continued through 2013. Overall, between 2010 and 2013, there has been a 25% decrease in violations in the metal and nonmetal mining industry. MSHAworked with stakeholders to identify areas to improve compliance and min- ers' safety and health, and the results have been positive... Read the rest online! If yo aren’t receiving our E-News Fl sh you missed this great article. Sign up t day by calling 850-547-0102, or e-mailing: e-news@worldwidedrillingresource.com! “To be good is not enough; a man must be good for something.” h Henry Ford engines with new Tier 4 engines, and maintain transpor- tation and drilling capability," stated Fred McAnnich, The Rig Doctor and an NGWA DOT- OSHA subcommit- tee member. Unlike some other indus- tries, water wel l drilling rigs quite frequently last long- er than 25 years. The new rule, which allows water well drilling rigs to use new exempt en- gines as a replacement for failing engines in rigs up to 40 years old, allows the indus- try to improve air quality while maintain- ing business operations. "We are very pleased that the agency worked with NGWA to revise its final rule so as to advance our mutual goals of improving air qual ity and meeting the nation's water supply needs," stated Crayon. A copy of the final rule is available by going to the Federal Register, Volume 79, page 7077 or by visiting: gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/FR-2014-02- 06/2014-02612/content-detail.html GREAT NEWS! Revised Ruling for Water Well Rigs Adapted from Information from the National Ground Water Association The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has modified its final rule to allow the use of new exempt engines to replace failed engines in water well drilling rigs up to 40 years old. "The revised rule is a major improve- ment over EPA's previous proposal," said Denis Crayon, NGWA (National Ground Water Association) DOT-OSHA subcom- mittee chair. The EPA's initial proposal required a new engine meeting current emission standards be used in the case of engine failure on water well drilling rigs older than 25 years. Some experts believe roughly 30% of water well rigs would have had physical and performance issues in bringing the equipment up to Tier 4 engine standards, which in turn, would create a tremendous burden on drilling contractors. "Through photos and other commu- nication, NGWA was able to explain the inability, in some cases, to switch out old The WWDR camera caught up with The Rig Doctor at the 2014 Mountain States Ground Water Expo.