Dear Neighbor:
With summer upon us, we wanted to provide an update on the status of the Liquefaction project heading into the next several months.
Throughout the winter and spring, construction has been on-going in support of the installation of the liquefier on the site. The on-going construction activities include the completion of the installation of the drilled micro-piles to support foundations; installation of utility corridors -- including electrical duct banks—pouring major foundations setting the Power Distribution Center Building in place on piers, and raising the grade (or level) of the site. Air monitoring in accordance with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management Short Term Response Action Plan (STRAP) has been ongoing and continues.
Over the next few months, our work will consist of continuing to pour concrete for equipment and building foundations, and cranes will continue setting new equipment into place, and begin mechanical connections of equipment.
Our team continues to work closely with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in their on-going review of the construction occurring at the Site. FERC performs Site inspections every six to eight weeks. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the FERC has switched to virtual inspections based on site photos and documents utilizing WebEx and/or Microsoft Teams platforms. For reports on the most recent FERC inspections please click on the following links here and here. Please note, these links take you to PDFs of the inspection reports, which you’ll need to click on to open.
We recognize that some may be concerned about National Grid, its workers, and contractors performing this work during the COVID-19 pandemic. National Grid has taken a number of steps to modify our business practices and daily operations to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on our customers and employees. The company understands the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed. As such, we have enacted policies and guidelines for our field and office personnel that are in line with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines. Our staff and our contractors are following recommended social distancing protocols, using personal protection equipment, and more. Additional information about how we are addressing the COVID-19 situation can be found on our website at ngrid.com/covid-19.
