Prevention of biorestoration failures along pipeline rights-of-way

Inappropriate pipeline construction practices and errors in the design and installation of biorestoration on pipeline rights-of-way often give rise to severe erosion. The paper considers experiences of pipeline construction in Europe and South America which have identified a range of problems leading to failures in the biorestoration process. These include: Lack of control of the movement, placement, storage and disposal of earthworks. The presence of a pipe berm inhibiting the movement of runoff from the right-of-way. Poor dimensioning of diverter berms and selection of inappropriate techniques. Inappropriate vegetation establishment practices leading to inadequate vegetation cover to avoid severe erosion. Poor traffic and grazing management increasing erosion risk. Examples of inappropriate practices are presented together with the consequent risk to the pipeline and the local environment. Four strategies are proposed for control of erosion on sites which do not meet the performance criteria of Erosion Class 3, the accepted minimum standard for restoration work (Table 1).