HomeMy WebLinkAboutJ_Renton Noise Variance Request Justification1
OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY LLC
600 SW 39TH ST
SUITE 275
RENTON, WASHINGTON 98057
(425) 235-7736
June 16, 2020
City of Renton
Planning Division
1055 South Grady Way 6th Floor
Renton, Washington 98057
Attention: Angelea Weihs
Re: Noise Variance Request Justification
Olympic 12RS UTWM Dig Site 2019-01
12” Products Pipeline, Renton Station to Seattle Terminal
Renton, Washington
INTRODUCTION
Olympic Pipe Line Company LLC (Olympic) operates a 12-inch-diameter pipeline that transports
petroleum products through Western Washington, including through the City of Renton (Renton).
The 12-inch diameter pipeline was recently internally inspected utilizing an in -line inspection (ILI)
tool. Olympic is required by the U.S. DOT Office of Pipeline Safety to excavate and visually inspect
sections of the pipeline where the internal inspection data indicates an anomaly so that any
established repair criteria can be met. The internal pipeline inspection identified one anomaly on
the 12-inch pipeline within the pipeline casing below the southbound/eastbound travel lane of
Renton Avenue South, east of South 132nd Street. The anomaly must be inspected and repaired (if
necessary). Olympic also will install a new vent and test wires to the existing steel casing at this
site to allow for cathodic protection monitoring of the pipeline within the casing, also an activity
required by the U.S. DOT Office of Pipeline Safety. This latter work was started in 2018 at the
casing’s north end but was not able to be completed because of buried utilities and other factors.
Work at the casing south end was postponed previously because of the complexity of accessing
the south casing end, which is relatively deep and located beneath a travel lane of Renton Avenue
S. This letter summarizes the Noise Variance Request Justification for the proposed work activities.
The purpose of this Noise Variance Request Justification is to re quest night and weekend work
hours not allowed per Renton Municipal Code (RMC) 4-4-030 to complete Olympic’s pipeline
inspection project.
Work activities that are proposed to be completed during daytime hours of 7:00 am to 8:00 pm
Monday through Sunday and during nighttime hours from 8:00 pm to 7:00 am Monday through
Sunday for the project include the following:
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• Set up traffic control
• Excavate the pipeline trench using a vacuum truck and dispose of excavated material
off site.
• Remove a section of the existing steel casing on the pipeline at the anomaly location.
• Inspect and repair, in necessary, the existing pipeline.
• Install a new vent and test wires from the existing pipeline casing to the south side of
the sidewalk on the south side of Renton Avenue South.
• Backfill the pipeline trench using imported backfill material.
• Grind and overlay asphalt and repair curb, gutter and sidewalk in the excavation area.
• Restripe Renton Avenue South.
• Remove traffic control
Standard work hours provided in RMC 4-4-030 include:
• RMC 4-4-030.2: Haul Hours shall be restricted to the hours of between 8:30 and to
3:30 pm, Monday through Friday, unless otherwise approved in advance by the
Developmental Services Division.
• RMC 4-4-030.3b: Commercial and other nonresidential construction activities shall
be restricted to the hours between 7:00 am to 8:00 pm, Monday through Friday; and
Saturdays, 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. No work shall be permitted on Sundays.
Olympic requests that the work described above, including hauling, be allowed during extended
nighttime work from Monday through Saturday between 8:00 pm and 7:00 am, Saturday daytime
hours (from 7:00 am to 9:00 am), Saturday nighttime hours (from 8:00 pm to 12:00 am) and up
to a 24-hour work day on Sunday to meet the project schedule. The project schedule as currently
planned is 7 days. Olympic is requesting a variance from RMC 4-4-030 allowable work hours for up
to 7 days and 6 nights.
Olympic addresses each of the following conditions for a variance request approval in the following
section. Additional information about the proposed Olympic pipeline relocation projects is provided
in the attached Project Narrative.
CONDITIONS FOR VARIANCE REQUEST APPROVAL
1. The applicant suffers practical difficulties and unnecessary hardship and the variance is
necessary because of special circumstances applicable to subject property or project, and that
the strict application of this Chapter is found to deprive subject property owner of rights and
privileges enjoyed by other property owners.
Olympic is required to inspect the pipeline at an anomaly location identified during their recent
internal inspection tool run. The U.S. DOT Office of Pipeline Safety requires the anomaly to be
inspected and repaired, if necessary, by October 6, 2020. A steel casing was placed around
the 12-inch pipeline during its installation to provide protection to the pipeline passing beneath
the roadway (Renton Avenue S.). The pipeline anomaly is inside the cased section of pipeline.
Olympic will use the opportunity of having the south casing end exposed during the inspection
tool dig to install replacement test wires onto the casing, and to bring the test wires to the
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ground surface in a test station (vent) located on the south side of the sidewalk along Renton
Avenue S. The test wires will be routinely monitored as part of Olympic's cathodic protection
program.
Olympic is required by the U.S. DOT to excavate, inspect and repair, if necessary, the pipeline
at the anomaly location identified during their recent internal inspection tool run. Because of
the depth and extent of the required excavation area, the contractor will need to close three
lanes of traffic, including the turn lane to S. 132nd Street, and the center median on Renton
Avenue S., condensing five travel lanes down to two travel lanes for the duration of the project.
To minimize the duration of the project and to protect workers from high traffic volume and
speed during construction for a shorter period of time, Olympic proposes to work night hours
and the weekend.
The second part of this condition, i.e., “strict application of this Chapter…” does not apply
because the applicant is not the owner. By having an easement and franchise for the pipeline
to be placed on residential property and the City right-of-way already has different expectations
of land use relative to “rights and privileges” afforded residential property owners. That is,
Olympic’s expectation is that they will be allowed to operate and maintain their pipeline under
the property agreements and franchise agreement with the City of Renton.
2. The granting of the variance will not be materially detrimental to the public welfare or injurious
to the property or improvements in the vicinity of the location in which variance is sought.
The work area is between about 150 feet and 200 feet away from the closest residences and likely
will have minimal noise impacts to the residents along Renton Avenue S. However, if the nearest
residences have offensive noise impacts, Olympic may need to address with m itigation measures
as described below.
We have summarized the typical construction equipment that may be used for the project work
activities and the average maximum noise level of each piece of equipment individually at
distances of 50 feet, 150 feet and 200 feet from the work area below. All of the noise sources will
be point sources. We also have included some typical traffic noise levels and other types of
background noise in a residential or commercial area and Renton Avenue S. ambient noise levels.
Table 1. Average noise levels at 50 feet from proposed construction equipment and common noise
sources and anticipated noise levels at 150 and 200 feet from the noise source
Proposed Equipment
Description
Impact
Device
Representative
Noise Lavga,b at 50
feet (dB)
Anticipated
Noise Level at
150 feet (dB
Anticipated
Noise Level at
200 feet (dB)
Backhoe No 78 69 66
Compactor (ground) No 83 73 71
Dump Truck No 76 65 64
Excavator No 81 71 69
Vacuum Truck No 85 75 73
Generator No 81 71 69
Generator (<25kva, VMS
signs)
No 73 63 61
1-ton Pickup Truck No 68 58 62
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Portable Light Plants and
Generators
No 64 54 52
Roller No 80 70 68
Stripe Grinder No 76 66 64
Welder/Torch No 74 64 62
Common Noise Sources
Typical Automobile Noise
at 35 mph (Speed limit on
Renton Avenue South)
No 64 54 52
Air Conditioning Unit No 60 50 48
Refrigerator Unit No 73 72 61
Garbage Trucks No 100 90 88
Noisy Restaurant No 70 60 58
Lawn Mower No 90 80 78
Business Office No 70 (in office) 60 58
a U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration’s Roadway Construction
Noise Model Database (2005).
b Lavg is the average value of a noise level in decibels (dB) that occurs across a monitored event.
MITIGATION
Olympic will implement the following noise reduction strategies to mitigate the equipment noise
levels and/or public notification to help prevent complaints:
• Provide 24- to 48- hour notice to residents via a door hanger, or equivalent, before starting
the work.
• Trucks and equipment will use a reverse signal alarms or broad band alarms instead of
standard pure-tone backup-warning devices (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.601(b)(4)).
o If needed, all backup alarms can be turned off since Olympic will employ a backup
observer to back trucks into work areas per BP safety protocols.
• Care will be taken not to bang tail gates while unloading material from truck beds.
• Contractor will avoid parking and idling trucks next to residences to the extent possible.
• Warning horns will not be used except in emergency situations.
• Traffic control drivers on Renton Avenue S. or South 132nd Street will park at least 150 feet
away from residences, when feasible.
• Residents will notice the operation of trucks and other equipment while the equipment is
moving along the work area completing their task; however, the sound will dissipate as the
trucks move away from the sensitive receiver.
• Olympic will make every effort within their control to schedule activities with the highest
noise-generating potential to occur during normal, non-variance workday hours.
• Olympic will make every effort within their control to use equipment with the highest noise-
generating potential individually and not concurrently during variance workday and night
hours.
• Fixed noise generating equipment will be positioned on-site to maximize the distance to
the nearest residences.
• The traffic control to channelize traffic to two lanes of travel will reduce noise generated by
vehicles moving past the work area.
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ALTERNATIVE MITIGATION
Additional mitigation measures associated with improving resident relations will be implemented
by Olympic, as necessary, if complaints are reported with the mitigation measures above
used. Those measures may include:
• Noise reducing technologies around pumps/generators, such as noise shields, and other
methods
• Coordination with complainants to create mutually agreeable compensation.
3. The variance sought is the minimum variance which will accomplish the desired purpose.
Olympic will work to minimize the duration of the project duration; however, Olympic anticipates
that the requested duration of the project, 7 days and 6 nights, will be required for the project.
Olympic will make every effort within their control to schedule activities with the highest noise-
generating potential, such as use of a vacuum truck, an excavator, a roller or a compactor, to
occur during normal, non-variance workday hours.
4. That the variance contains such conditions deemed to be necessary to limit the impact of the
variance on the residence or property owners impacted by the variance. The variance
approval may be subject to conditions including, but not limited to, the following:
• Implementation of a noise monitoring program;
• Maximum noise levels;
• Limitation on types of equipment and use of particular equipment;
• Limitation on back-up beepers for equipment;
• Required use of noise shields or barriers;
• Restrictions to specific times and days;
• Specific requirements for documentation of compliance with the noise variance
conditions;
• Specific requirements for notification to nearby residents;
• Required cash security to pay for inspection services to verify compliance;
• Required access to the project by the City to verify compliance with the noise variance
conditions;
• Specific program to allow for temporary hotel vouchers to effected residents;
• Requirements for written verification that all workers understand the noise variance
conditions for the project; and
• Provision allowing the City to immediately revoke the variance approval if the variance
conditions are violated.
Olympic has noted the above possible conditions of the variance and will meet the conditions
of the variance, as needed, to limit the impact of the variance on the residents by the variance.
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S. 132ND STREET SENECA AVENUE NW84TH AVENUE S.PARCEL
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12RS UTWM DIG SITE
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OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY LLC
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P:\0\0894126\CAD general\44\12RS UTWM Dig Sites 2019-01\12RS UTWM Dig Sites 2019-01-A_1-1.dwg TAB:S01 Date Exported: 05/19/20 - 12:32 by syiDATA SOURCE:
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PROJECTION: NAD83 WASHINGTON STATE PLANES, NORTH ZONE, US FOOT.
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INACTIVE PIPE
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OLYMPIC PIPELINE (12")
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84TH AVENUE S.PARCEL
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#2144800776
PARCEL
#2144800777
PARCEL
#2144800775
PARCEL
#1823059055 PARCEL
#1823059199
PARCEL
#2144800485
PARCEL
#2144800720
PARCEL
#2144800520
PARCEL
#2144800487
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PARCEL#2144800488PARCEL#2144800523PARCEL
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PARCEL
#1823059224PARCEL
#1823059054
PARCEL
#2144800486
PARCEL#2144800526PARCEL
#2144800270
300'
300'
PARCEL
#1823059050
PARCEL
#1823059050
S. 132ND STREET SENECA AVENUE NW84TH AVENUE S.PARCEL
#2144800774
12RS UTWM DIG SITE
2019-01
POST NOTICE OF
APPLICATION
SIGN LOCATION
POST NOTICE OF
APPLICATION
SIGN LOCATION
POST NOTICE OF
APPLICATION
SIGN LOCATION
OLYMPIC PIPE LINE COMPANY LLC
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P:\0\0894126\CAD general\44\12RS UTWM Dig Sites 2019-01\12RS UTWM Dig Sites 2019-01-A_1-1_Sign Location Map.dwg TAB:S01 Date Exported: 05/28/20 - 16:37 by syiDATA SOURCE:
DATA FROM CITY OF RENTON GIS DATA AND AERIAL PHOTO FROM BING AERIAL.
PROJECTION: NAD83 WASHINGTON STATE PLANES, NORTH ZONE, US FOOT.
W E
N
S
LEGEND
SEWER LINE
WATER LINE
STORM DRAIN LINE
INACTIVE PIPE
PARCEL BOUNDARY
OLYMPIC PIPELINE (12")
10-FOOT CONTOUR
50-FOOT CONTOUR
NEIGHBORHOOD
NOTIFICATION LINE (WITHIN
300 FEET OF PROJECT SITE)
OPL12
SCALE:
NEIGHBORHOOD DETAIL MAP
1" = 100'0
SCALE IN FEET
100 200