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Porter County board approves permits for NIPSCO fiber, gas main and pole replacement with conditions
Summary
The Porter County Storm Water Management Board approved multiple permit requests from NIPSCO to place underground fiber conduit, install a new 6-inch gas main and replace a utility pole in regulated drainage easements, subject to standard restoration, hold-harmless agreements and a 72-hour preconstruction notification requirement.
The Porter County Storm Water Management Board approved a package of permits allowing NIPSCO to install underground fiber-optic conduit, place a new 6-inch gas main and replace a utility pole within several regulated drainage easements.
Storm water staff presented dockets SM26-008 through SM26-0013 and recommended approval with standard terms and conditions, execution of hold-harmless agreements and a requirement that the applicant contact the department at least 72 hours before starting work so staff may be present. "Staff recommends approval of the two-inch Duralline future path four-way conduit within the regulated drainage easement," the staff member said during the meeting.
Approvals covered several distinct locations: conduit runs and crossings near County Road 400 North that affect Flint Lake Garden Terrace Ditch and Hutton Ditch arms; a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) installation under Crooked Creek; abandonment in place of an existing 3-inch gas main and installation of a new 6-inch medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) gas main under Philip Ditch to accommodate an INDOT small-structure replacement project; and retirement and replacement of a utility pole (with as-needed tree trimming) near Letington Ditch Arm 16. Staff repeatedly emphasized erosion and sediment controls, restoration to a condition "as good or better than prior to commencement of work," and that permits for any work in road rights-of-way will be required.
On hydraulic and construction details, staff said HDD or jack-and-bore methods will be used where the line crosses open drains and that a minimum 5-foot separation from the drain invert is required when the cable is installed under a ditch; if installed along a top-of-bank alignment, staff recommended a minimum 5-foot offset from the southern top-of-bank to avoid conflict with bank repairs. For the gas main project, staff said the new 6-inch main will maintain a minimum 6-foot separation from the proposed reinforced concrete box structure and that abandoned pipe will be purged, capped and tested for contamination; contaminated sections would be removed.
Board members asked technical questions about whether the fiber would be placed beneath or alongside ditches and whether contractors are noted in the engineering plans; staff replied that contractors will sign off on environmental compliance plans and that as-built drawings and red-line documentation are a standard application condition. Motions to approve the individual dockets were made and seconded; the transcript records the board voting "all in favor" for each motion but does not include a roll-call tally.
Staff noted that the cases will be presented to the Storm Water Management Board at their meeting on June 23 at 9:00 a.m., and that hold-harmless agreements and follow-up documentation will be sent to project contacts after that meeting. The board did not place additional conditions beyond the staff-recommended standard provisions.
The approvals allow NIPSCO to move forward subject to the department’s oversight and the requirement that disturbed areas be restored and that department staff be notified before construction begins.
