20200135 Ver 1_Attachment_G_PNG_ROW_Protocol_20200123

PIEDMONT NATURAL GAS
Permanently Maintained Access Corridor Protocol
To Comply with NC Water Quality General Certification No. 4133
To comply with the NC Water Quality General Certification No. 4133 condition for permanent maintained
access corridors in wetlands and across stream channels to not exceed 30 feet wide for gas utility lines,
Piedmont Natural Gas has implemented the following protocol.
Piedmont Natural Gas does not use herbicides to maintain vegetation on permanent access corridors.
Mowing equipment and tree trimming equipment is utilized where feasible to ensure there is a clear line
of sight of the pipeline corridor to perform inspections per Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration (PHMSA) regulations. Much of the inspections are conducted using aerial patrols which is
why it is important to ensure the tree canopy does not cover the pipeline corridor.
Piedmont Natural Gas right-of-way(ROW) maintenance staff utilize GIS software to identify permanent
access corridors based on recorded property easement data imported to the company internal asset
management system. Note, the ROW maintenance staff do not use construction or permit drawings to
plan maintenance activities. Once a project obtains environmental permits and/or approvals, the
shapefile data of the jurisdictional features delineation is imported to the internal asset management
system, displaying on an environmental layer which allows the jurisdictional boundaries viewable by the
ROW maintenance staff when planning maintenance activities.
Piedmont Natural Gas ROW maintenance staff have been trained on the NC GC 4133 conditions for
permanent maintained access corridors and are aware of the allowable maintenance widths. Often it is
difficult to perform vegetation maintenance in wetlands and at stream channels where there is steep
terrain or wet conditions limiting vehicular use resulting in less than 30 feet maintained, thus complying
with the NC GC 4133.
January 2020