Biodiversity is the theme of today: the United Nations’ World Environment Day, the national day of observance to engage efforts on a pressing environmental issue. So today we are examining how our activities – and those of the trenchless industry, and specifically HDD – impact biodiversity and the larger environment we live in.
Biodiversity: the existence of a wide variety of plant and animal species living in their natural environment – Collins Dictionary
Biodiversity relates to the interdependence of every living organism on Earth, and how removal/addition of an element of this network can have negative – or disastrous – effects on the remainder. For this reason, environmental preservation and protection is a key aspect in promoting biodiversity.
Conservation first
In the trenchless industry, our major strength in environmental performance comes from the general “conservation first” approach. Unlike other pipeline installation methods, such as trenching, trenchless methods simply don’t require the disturbance of the environment along the length of the pipe. By virtue of drilling the pipeline path underground, well below the surface environment, via a rig at one end, then pulling the pipe into the pre-drilled path, environments above the pipeline remain completely intact, and impact and harm is minimised. Flora and fauna that could otherwise have been threatened along the pipeline path – as well as their habitats, nests, food sources, paths, etcetera – remain undisturbed.
These advantages provide even more benefit when considering pipelines required to be laid in marine environments and other waterways. Instead of relying on methods such as marine trenching and pipe laying, pipelines can be laid under, rather than through, these sensitive ecosystems, protecting the complex balances of these environments. By drilling underneath waterways, water quality, as well as important habitats such as river beds, reefs, wave zones and seagrass meadows – and their flora and fauna biodiversity – is protected. Projects such as NBN Redland Bay Islands, Northern Interceptor in New Zealand, and Auckland Creek are testament to this.
Of course, HDD is not perfect – some disturbance occurs on rigside and pipeside areas, and all activity has environmental impact – but this generally pales in comparison to that which would have been required were a trenched method utilised. Additionally, use of inert drilling products in conjunction with a well-planned drilling fluid plan, as well as standard practice environmental management (via a responsible construction environmental management plan), further minimises impacts of these unavoidable aspects. With good planning, investment in design and HSEQ principles, and responsible site management, less disturbance equals less impact on biodiversity and the environment as a whole.
More to be done
The nature of HDD, along with heightened environmental awareness, customer and legislative demands, technological improvements, and continuous improvement of practices in the civil construction industry, all contribute to preservation of the environment and biodiversity. Of course, more can always be done, and we appreciate the reminder that World Environment Day, and similar days of observance, provide in helping us and the industry to continually improve our environmental performance, controls, and influence.
We join the industry, and all friends of Future-Proof, in celebrating this World Environment Day.