Channelview North Facility Expansion, Harris County, TX

• Client

  Lyondell Chemical Corporation

• Division

  Environmental

• Scope

  Wetland Delineation, T&E Species Surveys, and Federal Permitting

• Completion

  2019

Lyondell Chemical Corporation (Lyondell) retained C. H. Fenstermaker & Associates, L.L.C. (Fenstermaker) to provide environmental services required to support expansion of their Channelview North Facility located in Harris County, Texas.  The proposed expansion encompassed an 800-acre site bordered by the San Jacinto River that contained forested habitat and grazed pastureland.  Fenstermaker’s scope of services included a wetland delineation, threatened and endangered (T&E) species survey and federal permitting.

The wetland delineation was conducted by establishing transects off an established baseline perpendicular to the San Jacinto River in accordance with the 1987 U. S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Wetlands Delineation Manual and the Regional Supplement to the Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Manual: Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain Region (Version 2.0, November 2010). Based on the extensive field data collection, Fenstermaker identified isolated non-jurisdictional wetlands and waters, generated a report, and obtained an approved jurisdictional determination from the USACE. The T&E species survey resulted in locating an active bald eagle’s nest. Thus, Fenstermaker conducted a bald eagle nest and habitat suitability survey and coordinated with U. S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) to provide Lyondell with the appropriate compliance measures required to comply with the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

Fenstermaker was responsible for preparation and submittal of report packets for the jurisdictional determination and consultation with USFWS. Fenstermaker coordinated with USFWS and Lyondell to enable an informed decision, to assist with the redesign of the project footprint, and to avoid impacts to the active eagle nest, thereby eliminating Eagle Take permitting requirements.  Fenstermaker was successful in navigating the federal permitting processes and assisting Lyondell with avoiding project delays and additional permitting and mitigation costs.