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Land Management
Vectren strives to protect and preserve the beautiful lands that host our facilities
and carry our pipelines and power lines. We balance environmental responsibility and
our customers' needs for affordable, reliable energy by effectively managing the
environmental impact of our gas and electric operations.
Vectren Conservation Park
Manufactured Gas Plants (MGP)
Tree Trimming
Vectren Conservation Park
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In 1999, Vectren, through one of its predecessor companies, purchased 1,100 acres of river
bottomland along the Wabash River in Gibson County. The property had been cultivated
historically for agricultural purposes, but crops were frequently flooded due to its
immediate proximity to the river. Vectren purchased the property and placed a permanent
conservation easement on the property and enrolled it in the USDA Natural Resource
Conservation Service's Wetlands Reserve Program under a conservation easement.
This conservation easement permanently restricts any development on or agricultural use of
the property.
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Chris Hochwender, UE biology profesor, and his students studying the land at the Vectren Conservation Park-University of Evansville Environmental Research Lab.
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In 2007, Vectren entered into a long-term lease with the University of Evansville to
establish the University of Evansville Environmental Research Site, an outdoor
classroom that provides invaluable learning opportunities for students and
researchers in the environmental sciences.
To date, Vectren has planted 120,000 trees and 14,000 native shrubs on the property.
The site is characterized by a complex of meadow, prairie, riparian and floodplain
forests along with aquatic habitats including ponds and wetlands. Once the trees
reach maturity, the property will serve valuable carbon sequestration functions
and act as a local carbon "sink" to help absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.
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Why are former MGP sites a concern?
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Most of these plants have been closed for at least 50 years, and in some cases over 100 years.
In many cases, subsequent redevelopment of the MGP sites has removed or covered wastes that
were exposed at the surface. However, these sites often contain abandoned underground
structures and pipes containing coal tar or other MGP residuals. Some of these waste materials
(especially coal tars) may have migrated from existing/former structures and may be present
in the subsurface.
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Phase 2: Terre Haute MGP destruction and disposal efforts in the late 1990s.
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Our Progress
To date, remedial activities have been completed at 15 of the 31 MGP sites. In 2005,
Vectren completed a $2 million clean-up of the former manufactured gas plant site located
near the Terre Haute, Indiana riverfront and Vectren's operations center. Supplemental
investigations and clean-up plans are underway for the remaining sites. Some recently
completed clean-up efforts throughout Indiana include Evansville, Liberty, Seymour,
Muncie, and Washington.
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Phase 3: Former site of the Terre Haute MGP and the current site of the Vectren Energy
Delivery Terre Haute operations center.
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Quality Tree Care & Trimming
In order to protect electric infrastructure, prevent outages and protect the public, Vectren must trim and maintain the foliage in and around power lines. Vectren has permission to trim trees in the communities it serves through franchise and easement agreements. However, we always make it a point to give proper notification to property owners about our tree trimming activities before the process begins.
To do this trimming properly, Vectren uses pruning practices that are recommended by the National Arbor Day Foundation, which are described in "Pruning Trees Near Electric Utility Lines: A Field Pocket Guide For Qualified Line-Clearance Tree Workers" by Dr. Alex L. Shigo.
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Vectren employs tree trimming and pruning practices in compliance with the
National Arbor Day Foundation.
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These practices avoid topping, tipping, removing branch collars and leaving long stubs. Proper
tree care ultimately increases reliability of service by maintaining healthy trees with less
decay and structural weakness, resulting in fewer downed power lines during storms. Pruning
methods are monitored for safety, environmental impact and costs.
When trimming trees, Vectren follows these tips and encourages property owners to do so as well.
- Cut as close as possible to the branch collar: A ring, or "doughnut", of living tissue will
form around a correct cut after one growing season.
- Do not leave stubs: they are entry courts for rot-causing fungi.
- Make cuts at nodes, which are the place where a branch meets another branch or the trunk.
Making cuts between nodes leads to excessive sprouting, cracks and rot.
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Tree Line USA Utility
Since 2009, Vectren has annually received the Tree Line USA Utility designation by the National Arbor Day Foundation for its commitment to public education about the importance of trees and quality tree care. Vectren was recognized for its tree-friendly efforts, including:
- training tree trimming crews about proper tree pruning practices;
- educating the public about appropriate tree species for planting near utility lines;
- educating customers about energy efficient landscapes to reduce home cooling and heating;
- sharing proper tree-pruning practices with customers; and
- sponsoring community tree planting programs and/or participating in Arbor Day events.
For more information visit, www.vectren.com/arborday.
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Environmental Policy
