ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL SERVICES FOR THE MARCELLUS AND UTICA SHALE GAS INDUSTRIES
Cultural Resource Consultants DBE/WBE/SBE Certified RGA, Inc. Cultural Resource Consultants www.rgaincorporated.com
RGA, Inc. (Richard Grubb & Associates) was established in 1988 as a full-service cultural resource management firm and has since grown to become one of the largest independent archaeological and historic preservation consulting companies in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. The firm is DBE/WBE/SBE certified and has 39 full time professionals on staff. RGA has successfully completed over 450 energy sector projects in compliance with federal and state regulations for new substation and electric transmission lines, natural gas pipelines, and for Marcellus and Utica shale gas gathering lines and facilities.
RGA Projects: Over 5,000 in 17 states RGA Energy Projects: Over 450 in 8 states
RGA has developed innovative systems to effectively manage concurrent surveys and reporting for large-scale, time- sensitive energy projects. Presently our team of experts continues to support one of the largest mid-stream Marcellus shale gas companies in northeastern Pennsylvania. Our regional expertise in Marcellus and Utica shale gas infrastructure projects is broad and includes comprehensive knowledge of the natural and regulatory landscape, Native American and historic contexts, geomorphology, logistical challenges, and landowner and municipal concerns.
Please contact us at one of our locations or e-mail Alice Domm at [email protected].
New Jersey (Headquarters): Pennsylvania: Maryland: Ohio: 259 Prospect Plains Road, Building D 1480 Hilltop Road PMB 157, 861 Washington Avenue 140 Gross Street, #123 Cranbury, New Jersey 08512 Chester Springs, Pennsylvania 19425 Chestertown, Maryland 21620 Marietta, Ohio 45750 609-655-0692 484-202-8187 410-420-7422 740-434-0302
KLEINFELDER MARCELLUS SHALE MIDSTREAM INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS: NORTHEAST REGION OF PENNSYLVANIA
CLIENT: Kleinfelder
PROJECT SPONSOR: Major Natural Gas Operator
REVIEW AGENCY: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
DURATION: 2010-Present
Since 2010, RGA has been providing cultural resource management services to PROJECT STAFF: Kleinfelder in connection with Section 106 requirements for Marcellus shale gas Michael L. Young infrastructure projects in Pennsylvania. RGA has conducted desktop reviews, and Principal Senior Archaeologist Phase I and II archaeological investigations for gathering lines, well lines, access Michael J. Gall roads, and associated facilities. The projects are located in the rugged, rural terrain Senior Archaeologist throughout the northeast region of Pennsylvania, where careful logistical Philip Hayden and coordination between field teams, land agents, and project managers is necessary. Michael Tomkins Senior Historians RGA services included: x Section 106 guidance x Research and context development x Archaeological sensitivity assessments x Geomorphological assessments x Historic map georeferencing x GPS navigation x Phase I and II archaeological surveys x Artifact analyses and curation x Reporting x Consultation
RGA works closely with project managers to expedite the investigation of individual route changes and project additions, respond to landowner issues, and develop feasible alternatives to avoid and minimize impacts to archaeologically sensitive areas. RGA has consulted with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission on behalf of the proponent, and has achieved cultural resource clearances needed for US Army Corps of Engineers permitting within schedule.
STANTEC UTICA AND MARCELLUS SHALE MIDSTREAM INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS: EASTERN OHIO AND WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
CLIENT: Stantec Consulting Services Inc.
PROJECT SPONSOR: Major Natural Gas Operator
REVIEW AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh and Huntington Districts
DURATION: 2012-Present
PROJECT STAFF: Since 2012, RGA has been working with Stantec to streamline and complete Michael L. Young and various due diligence and compliance studies for Utica and Marcellus shale gas Mary Lynne Rainey infrastructure projects in Ohio and Pennsylvania. In Ohio, RGA developed an Principal Senior Archaeologists innovative Process Flow document to help guide project schedules. A GIS-based archaeological sensitivity corridor map is prepared for the engineering and environmental routing team to utilize during initial field surveys. For each project, desktop cultural resource reports are prepared in accordance with US Army Corps of Engineers, Nationwide Permits. Field teams are then mobilized to complete surveys in archaeologically sensitive areas, evaluate the significance of identified cultural resources, and work toward minimizing project effects to potentially significant sites. RGA has also prepared Standard Operating Procedures for Unanticipated Discoveries during construction.
In Pennsylvania, RGA’s depth of experience working within the regulatory framework of shale gas infrastructure projects in consultation with agency reviewers has been an advantage to Stantec project managers. Taken together, these Ohio and Pennsylvania projects are sited across the rugged, rural terrain of the Appalachian Plateau Province where RGA’s exceptional field operations, project management, and real-time reporting are critical.
TRANSCO LEIDY NATURAL GAS PIPELINE EXTENSION MONROE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CLIENT: Niclaus Engineering Corporation
PROJECT SPONSOR: Pocono Mountains Industries
REVIEW AGENCY: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
DURATION: 2010
RGA completed a Phase I archaeological survey for the 12.3-mile, 8-inch PROJECT STAFF: diameter Transco Leidy Natural Gas Pipeline Extension project. The project, Michael L. Young funded by the US Department of Agriculture, was completed in compliance with Principal Senior Archaeologist Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Jesse Walker Senior Archaeologist RGA services included: x Research and context development x Geomorphological assessments x Archaeological sensitivity assessments x GPS Navigation and mapping x Phase I archaeological field testing in x Artifact analysis high sensitivity areas x Phase I survey reporting
The principal survey challenge was navigating crews and equipment across the rugged and remote Glaciated Pocono Plateau to complete sampling along nine archaeologically sensitive sections of the project corridor. RGA recommended a portion of the route be shifted into an existing roadway that effectively resolved a landowner conflict. In order to mobilize the survey, RGA’s GPS specialists georeferenced the engineer’s plans to create a digital centerline and survey corridor, which was then imported into GPS field survey equipment. The geomorphological study determined that the Pocono Creek floodplain had no potential for deeply buried archaeological resources.
SHOAF COMPRESSOR STATION GERMAN AND MENALLEN TOWNSHIP, FAYETTE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CLIENT: Herbert, Rowland, and Grubic, Inc.
PROJECT SPONSOR: Burnett Oil Co., Inc.
REVIEW AGENCIES: US Army Corps of Engineers; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
DURATION: 2011- 2012
RGA conducted a Phase I archaeological survey for the proposed Shoaf PROJECT STAFF: Compressor Station in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. The survey was conducted Michael L. Young, RPA in support of a permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Principal Senior Archaeologist Pittsburgh District. Sean McHugh Senior Archaeologist RGA’s services included:
x Section 106 guidance x Geomorphological investigation x Archaeological sensitivity assessment x Phase I archaeological testing x Historic map georeferencing x PHMC Consultation x GPS navigation x Preparation of a PHMC Negative Survey Form
The Phase I archaeological survey did not identify any archaeological resources within areas possessing high sensitivity; therefore, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s (PHMC) Negative Survey Form was prepared. The PHMC concurred with the recommendation that no further archaeological investigation was required within the USACE archaeological permit area.
SUSQUEHANNA GATHERING SYSTEM: SOUTHERN SEGMENT SUSQUEHANNA COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CLIENT: JHA Companies, LLC
PROJECT SPONSOR: Laser Northeast Gathering Company, LLC
REVIEW AGENCY: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
DURATION: 2011 RGA completed geomorphological and archaeological assessments for the Susquehanna Gathering System, South Segment in Pennsylvania. This segment is PROJECT STAFF: an element of Laser Northeast’s Marcellus shale midstream infrastructure Michael L. Young, RPA development in Susquehanna County to transport natural gas from wells into the Principal Senior Archaeologist Millenium Interstate Pipeline in Broome County, New York. Scott Wieczorek, RPA Senior Archaeologist RGA services included: x Research and context development x GIS Mapping x Phase IA archaeological sensitivity x Consultation assessment x Phase IA survey reporting x Geomorphological assessment
The Phase IA archaeological survey was carried out in response to the project requirements for a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section 404 Water Quality Permit, and were completed in compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. The geomorphological assessment found all floodplain areas to exhibit evidence of flood scouring associated with historic deforestation, and were therefore ranked as possessing low archaeological sensitivity. The Phase IA survey report concluded there would be no direct project effects to archaeological resources.
LOWER MOUNT BETHEL GAS PIPELINE LOWER MOUNT BETHEL TOWNSHIP, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA
CLIENT: STV, Inc.
PROJECT SPONSOR: Pennsylvania Power and Light - Interstate Energy Company
REVIEW AGENCY: Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
DURATION: 2001-2002
PROJECT STAFF: RGA completed an archaeological assessment, geomorphological investigation, Michael Young and Phase I/II archaeological investigation along a natural gas pipeline corridor in Principal Senior Archaeologist northeastern Pennsylvania. The project involved the construction of the 6-mile pipeline, an interconnection to an existing TRANSCO pipeline, and a metering and regulation station. The scope of work included the development of an archaeological sensitivity model for the project corridor.
The preliminary assessment and geomorphological investigation identified four areas of high probability for archaeological resources. Phase I archaeological testing in these areas identified a prehistoric site, which contained a hearth feature dating to the Late Woodland Period. The site was recommended eligible for the National Register of Historic Places under Criterion D. During the Phase II archaeological investigations, the plowzone was mechanically removed from the entirety of the portion of this site within the right-of-way of the proposed pipeline. Subsequent coordination with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission determined that no further archaeological fieldwork was necessary provided that additional archaeological research and artifact analysis was conducted on the artifacts recovered during the surveys. The work was required by FERC to comply with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
CORPORATE STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS
RGA, Inc. (RGA) was established in 1988 as a full-service cultural resource management firm, and has since grown to become one of the largest, independent archaeological and historic preservation consulting companies in the Mid- Atlantic, Midwest, and Northeast regions. The firm has a reputation for excellence among a diverse clientele and the federal and state agencies that review its products. RGA’s primary role is to assist public and private clients through the process of complying with federal, state, county, and municipal cultural resource and historic preservation regulations. The company operates regionally from its corporate headquarters in Cranbury, New Jersey and has managed cultural resource investigations throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, and northern Appalachian regions from that office. Remote locations in the cities of Philadelphia and Allentown, Pennsylvania; Chestertown, Maryland; and Marietta, Ohio, provide support to the company’s geographically broad service area. RGA is registered as a Small Business Enterprise under multiple NAICS codes, including 541720, with the State of New Jersey, Department of the Treasury, under the Small Business Set-Aside Act and Minority and Women Certification Program. RGA is certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE) under this same New Jersey agency. The firm is also certified as a WBE with the State of Delaware Office of Supplier Diversity and the City of Philadelphia Office of Economic Opportunity. RGA is registered as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) through the New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Florida Unified Certification Programs.
RGA has a current staff size of 39 including Alice Domm, Chief Executive Officer and President; Richard Grubb, Vice President; 8 full-time principal investigators for archaeology; 12 full-time and 2 part-time principal investigators for architectural history and history; and 15 field directors, field technicians, research assistants, material culture specialists, GIS and CADD technicians, and administrative staff. Ten RGA principal investigators and field directors hold current OSHA and Hazwoper training certifications. RGA’s professional staff has the experience and credentials to meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Qualifications Standards (36CFR61) in Archaeology, Architectural History, and History. In addition to this core team, RGA retains highly qualified temporary archaeological technicians as necessary during peak seasons to insure simultaneous project and client needs are planned for and addressed in all geographic regions served.
RGA has completed over 5,000 archaeological, historical and architectural projects and currently holds cultural resource consulting parent or term agreements with the Delaware and New Jersey Departments of Transportation (DelDOT, NJDOT) and New Jersey Transit (through prime engineering firms), as well as a direct ID/IQ contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Region 5) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Allegheny National and Wayne National Forests. The firm also has on-call agreements with the New York Power Authority and various counties in New Jersey.
RGA’s demonstrated success in current contracting rests in past performance, a dynamic organizational framework, state-of-the-art hardware and software resources that streamline data collection and analyses, and strong regional relationships with clients and regulatory and permitting agencies. This client focus is driven by the professionalism and dedication of individual staff with expertise and credentials in all aspects of cultural resource management, the firm’s practical approach to client communications, the achievement of scheduled milestones, and the delivery of time- sensitive, quality reports. RGA, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCE CONSULTANTS
Corporate Statement of Qualifications, Page 2
Field, Laboratory, and Office Equipment RGA owns a full suite of field and laboratory equipment necessary to support all types of cultural resource management projects. Field equipment includes four fully equipped vans, one sedan, and four SUV’s that can transport archaeological and architectural field crews to local and remote project sites. In addition to standard field equipment (shovels, augers, screens, etc.), RGA’s recording devices include 14 digital cameras, five Garmin 400T Global Positing Units (GPS), two Suunto Engineering transits, two Nikon Total Stations and two Trimble professional grade GPS Units, and eight IPad tablets. RGA uses iPad tablets during archaeological surveys, which provide access to real-time fieldwork results and informed decisions on excavation strategies and interpretations. Shovel test pit and excavation unit data are recorded via digital fieldwork forms in FileMaker. For OSHA (29 CFR 1910.120) compliant HAZMAT projects, 40- hour certified team members are outfitted with the necessary level of personal protective equipment.
RGA maintains a fully equipped archaeological laboratory facility in Cranbury, New Jersey, where all cleaning, identification, cataloguing, and curation takes place. Laboratory equipment includes an Olympus stereomicroscope, artifact processing equipment, a soil flotation device, and standard artifact conservation and archival storage supplies. The laboratory houses an extensive reference library to assist in the analyses of prehistoric and historic archaeological material culture and report preparation. RGA has prepared archaeological collections for curation to Department of Interior Standards for submission to various state and federal repositories. Faunal analyses are facilitated by an in-house zooarchaeology laboratory.
RGA’s corporate headquarters includes 41 networked computers, two networked printers, an exchange server, terminal server, and a Microsoft server with a combined five terabyte of data storage capacity. Remote desktop connections and remote access to email and voice mail allow for quick responses to clients and the completion of deliverables. A variety of licensed software as well as file transfer protocol (FTP) capabilities are utilized to provide timely production of reports and other deliverables.
GIS/GPS Operations To improve client services, fieldwork and data analysis quality, and overall project efficiency, RGA researches and collects Global Information Systems (GIS) data and utilizes GPS units as standard elements of nearly all project types. RGA utilizes combined raster and vector data in ArcGIS to create accurate up-to-date and historic representations of environmental, geographic, and political site conditions for field investigations and analysis. Publically available GIS data and in-house generated shapefile data is utilized to develop archaeological sensitivity models for viewshed mapping and field maps, and to document the location of historic properties and archaeological site boundaries. Field survey data is collected using a Trimble Pathfinder ProXH GPS Receiver and Trimble Recon Datalogger, Trimble Geo 7X Unit, and post-processed with Trimble Pathfinder Office. These sub-foot accuracy GPS units support digital and manual surveying techniques for precision drafting with AutoCAD Map3D 2013 and ArcView 10.3. As necessary the total station provides precision accuracy to facilitate mapping of archaeological data for export to AutoCAD, GIS, or simply as raw spreadsheet data. To keep up-to-date, RGA annually renews the maintenance plans for each of these software packages: AutoCAD Map 3D, ArcGIS, Pathfinder Office, and TerraSync.
The spatial analyst extension of ArcMAP in ArcGIS enables qualitative and quantitative data collected during historical, historic architectural and archaeological surveys to be efficiently queried and extracted from compiled databases, and graphically projected in a cost effective, synthesized, easily interpreted format. The data can be projected in GIS shape file format, enabling both project sponsors and clients to effectively incorporate pertinent data into project plans and designs.
MARY LYNNE RAINEY PRINCIPAL SENIOR ARCHAEOLOGIST (36 CFR 61)
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Professional Experience Summary: With this firm: Mary Lynne Rainey has worked in the fields of cultural resource management and 2010-Present environmental consulting since 1979. Ms. Rainey’s professional background includes With other firms: 28 contracting and multi-project management, agency and Native American engagement, NEPA EDUCATION: and Section 106 guidance for clients, critical path planning and execution for cultural resource MA 2004 management, methods in applied archaeology, site and material culture assemblage analyses, University of and field survey report writing and editing for quality control and regulatory compliance. She Connecticut: has directed all Phases of archaeological investigations (Reconnaissance, Phase I Intensive, Anthropology Phase II Site Examination, Phase III Data Recovery) in the Northeast region, and has extensive knowledge of the prehistoric and historic archaeology of coastal southern New BA 1981 England. Her experience in archaeological project management and large-scale feasibility for West Chester University: cultural resource compliance also spans the Great Lakes, Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic, and Gulf Anthropology regions. Ms. Rainey exceeds the qualifications set forth in the Secretary of Interior’s Standards [36 CFR 61] for archaeologists. PROFESSIONAL TRAINING: Experience Summary, Energy Sector: 2008 Portland, OR Ms. Rainey has been working with energy clients in the areas of natural gas, oil, LNG, electric Addressing Cultural transmission and cogeneration throughout her career. During the 1980’s and 90’s, she Resources in NEPA managed cultural resource surveys and associated FERC environmental resource reports for Analyses the Algonquin Gas Transmission Company’s new natural gas pipelines and facilities, and
2007 Atlanta, GA upgrades to existing facilities in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and FERC Regulatory Rhode Island. During this period, she provided similar client services for project managers with the Tennessee Gas Company, Boston Edison Company, ANP Energy, AES Corporation, Overview and Guidance and Cape Wind Energy for undertakings in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Seminar; Hampshire. & FERC Environmental In the past decade as a cultural resource project manager and principal investigator, Ms. Compliance Seminar Rainey has played a key role in providing cultural resource management services for several significant energy projects, such as Weavers Cove Energy in Massachusetts and Ecoelectrica in 2006 Washington, D.C. Puerto Rico. In recent years she has managed cultural resource sub-consultants on various Advisory Council on onshore and offshore natural gas, oil, and LNG projects and provided guidance to assist with Historic Preservation, Section 106 and NEPA compliance. Significant among these were the Manchester to Streator Section 106 Essentials oil diluent line in Illinois (Enbridge Energy), the Guardian II natural gas pipeline in Wisconsin Course (Oneok), and the REX East natural gas pipeline in Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio (Kinder Morgan). As a member of third-party review teams, she worked closely with FERC PROFESSIONAL archaeologists on the development of cultural resource EIS materials for the Hubline East to REGISTRATION: West project in Massachusetts (Spectra Energy) and the TGP 300 Line in Pennsylvania (El Register of Professional Paso Energy). From 2007 through 2010, Ms. Rainey was part of a scientific team working on Archaeologists the feasibility and permitting schedule for a confidential deepwater port in the Mid-Atlantic region. Ms. Rainey has in-depth knowledge of the regulatory framework and guidelines of the MMS and USCG with regard to offshore energy development and cultural resource management. Over the past four years she has been assisting with the management of cultural resource surveys for midstream natural gas gathering lines and facilities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.