Construction Monitoring Services
Projects that have the potential to affect natural or cultural resources may have permits that include a requirement for construction monitoring. The purpose of monitoring is to assist the contractor in complying with the permit conditions and mitigation measures. ECORP provides qualified personnel as part of our Construction Monitoring Services to help satisfy these project requirements.
Because ECORP is a multidisciplinary environmental consulting firm, our team works seamlessly with CEQA and NEPA specialists and field personnel to ensure that mitigation measures are written correctly and feasibly before the project goes to construction and that the procedures that are prescribed by these mitigation measures benefit from the knowledge gained from decades of field experience.
Construction Monitoring Services Offered by ECORP
Our qualified construction monitors are empowered to ensure that:
- The contractor understands and adheres to the permit conditions we are monitoring;
- Environmentally Sensitive Areas are avoided by all construction activity and equipment;
- Previously unidentified resources are managed in accordance with permit conditions and state laws; and
- In doing so, the contractor avoids penalties, fines, and project delays for violating permit requirements.
Different types of projects require distinct forms of construction monitoring to ensure that the particular environmental resources at or potentially at the project site are protected from construction impacts:
Construction Monitor Qualifications
Many agencies require construction monitoring by a professional construction monitor, including:
- California Department of Fish and Wildlife
- US Army Corps of Engineers
- US Fish and Wildlife Service
- Federal Emergency Management Agency
- Bureau of Land Management
- California Department of Transportation
- Regional Water Quality Control Boards
- Local city/county/state agencies
Different agencies often have different qualification requirements for monitors, depending on the project, location, and potential for the project to impact a resource. ECORP’s construction monitors span a wide range of qualifications and are experienced in construction monitoring for all of these agencies.
Preconstruction Surveys and Biological Resources Monitoring
Before you break ground for your project, we can also perform a preconstruction survey of the site, which is almost always a permit requirement. This survey looks for any biological resources that have entered the property since permit approval, particularly migratory birds and animals in their mating season. Upon identifying any “new arrivals,” our site monitors document the find, notify the relevant agency of the discovery, and ensure the construction monitoring plan either provides adequate protection or requires a modification to ensure proper protection. These actions protect migratory species that enter the work site after construction begins.
Cultural Resources Monitoring
ECORP’s staff of archaeologists and historic resources specialists are fully versed in procedures to comply with the cultural resource provisions of:
- Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
- The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA)
- Other Federal, State, and local statutes
Our in-house expertise enables ECORP’s construction monitors to help contractors and workers follow all requirements for known resources and the procedures to follow upon the event of an unanticipated discovery.
Coordination with Native American Monitors
ECORP’s cultural resources monitors work closely with Native American tribes, who have the expertise to identify and treat tribal cultural resources.
We coordinate and liaison with the tribal monitors during construction to comply with all provisions of CEQA, NEPA, and other laws that protect tribal cultural resources and land from construction impacts and new land-use operations.
English-Spanish Translation for Worker Communication
Because both English and Spanish speakers are common on construction crews, agencies typically require bi-lingual versions of the mitigation requirements to inform the construction crews about the site’s resources.
Before the start of construction or on the first day, we train the workers on monitoring guidelines in both English and Spanish. ECORP creates the project-specific materials which commonly include:
- Explanation of the site boundaries and protected areas
- What to look for and when to call a monitor
- The procedures after discovering a resource, such as when to stop work in an area, how to work around resources, and how to be sensitive to the resources
- Define and explain the penalties for disturbing the resources, which can range from infractions to felonies
Open Space Monitoring
Another type of monitoring service that ECORP performs for project proponents involves inspections of resources in open spaces and preserves, and locations near construction sites to ensure the resource’s integrity in those areas as well as near residential or commercial areas where construction noise or pollution could negatively affect human health and nearby wildlife.
The site’s permit conditions will describe the frequency and methodology of these surveys with the objective of identifying impacts and space changes that negatively affect protected resources like water quality, air quality, or existing ambient noise levels. As with our construction monitoring services, ECORP negotiates the plan details, including the monitors’ qualifications and reporting requirements.
Learn More about ECORP’s Construction Monitoring Services
Most permits require construction monitoring to ensure the contractor follows the permit’s restrictions and provisions. Our exceptional staff, unmatched knowledge of regulations and processes, and professional working relationships with Federal, State, and local regulatory agencies make us the best choice for your project.
Contact ECORP today to discuss your project and learn more about our Construction Monitoring Services.