PROTECTING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE WETLANDS
Alabama Power Company (APC) planned to provide an alternative power source to Providence Hospital in Mobile, Alabama. However, a wetlands adjacent to the project site impacted the plans as construction of an access road to install the substation and power line raised environmental concerns with officials and citizens.
PERVIOUS ROAD SOLUTION
APC’s storm water environmental compliance department developed a plan that addressed concerns and complied with regulatory limitations. Because the wetlands could not be impacted without building a storm water retention area along the right-of-way to retain the runoff, the Presto GEOWEB roadway system was suggested as a solution to stabilize aggregate for a ‘permeable’ access road in the upland portion of the project.
THE RESULTS
The new substation provided Providence Hospital with two sources of power to assure uninterrupted power in the event of failure at one. By working together and utilizing the GEOWEB soil stabilization system, APC and the City of Mobile were able to accomplish the project goals:
- Allow access with a permeable roadway that infiltrates storm water runoff
- Minimize disturbance of the sensitive wetlands area
- Adhere to the City’s and the Army Corps of Engineer's requirements.
