How do you dig a tunnel under a bay?  Michels Pipeline Construction knows how to do that, and knows how to do it well.  The trick is to use Bentonite, a clay like substance used to stabilize the tunnel walls and prevent fluid invasion.   

What do you do with all the Bentonite when you're done with it?  You call Russell Reid.

That's exactly what Michels Pipeline Construction did during a recent large scale project.  The company was tasked with installing a new 6,300-foot-long, 16-inch steel pipeline into the bedrock under the Newark bay from Bayonne to Elizabeth.  The pipeline was to be the new location for an existing gas line which needed to be relocated due to ongoing dredging of the harbor's shipping channels.

Michels was already very familiar with Russell Reid's services and knew that they were uniquely positioned to handle the large scale project.  Along with their large fleet of service vehicles, Russell Reid was able to provide a dedicated Account Manager to handle all aspects of the project from start to finish, project management services, in-house compliance support for all disposal issues, and turnkey solutions for related project needs.

Russell Reid Account Manager Fred Farina worked on a project plan in order to utilize a large number of men and equipment while allowing for the servicing of the company's current customer base.  The team had to be ready on a moment's notice to satisfy the requirements of the project.

Michels Pipeline Construction would be generating a large volume of spent bentonite and bentonite drill cuttings which required on site storage as well as offsite disposal.  Russell Reid deployed bulk liquid storage tanks as well as sealed roll off containers to hold the waste on site.  On demand disposal was necessary, so a fleet of vacuum trucks and service technicians were deactivated from regular service in order to remain available to remove loads from the site when needed.  Due to the viscous nature of the slurry, proper management was essential in order to keep the equipment functioning properly.  Trucks were routinely inspected for residuals and often cleaned between loads.  This process was also labor intensive. 

Proper disposal is key when faced with 1,000,000 gallons of displaced bentonite slurry.  Luckily, Russell Reid maintains excellent relationships with a large network of disposal facilities throughout its service area. That plus the expertise of an in house Compliance Officer ensures that the waste is handled in accordance with the DEP.  Each load was taken to a NJ DEP permitted facility and received proper manifested disposal.   

While staffing and scheduling where challenging components to this large scale project, Russell Reid was able to meet and exceed the requirements of the job by maintaining constant communication and by having a detailed plan of action.  The scope of services and equipment available as well as being able to respond at a moment's notice resulted in a successful project and very satisfied customer.