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Copano Processing LP Final Biological Biological Assessment Houston Central Gas Plant Expansion Project Colorado County, Texas Prepared for Copano Processing, L.P. Prepared by Whitenton Group, Inc. June 2012 Revised January 2013 3413 Hunter Road • San Marcos, Texas 78666 • office 512-353-3344 • fax 512-392-3450 www.whitentongroup.com Biological Assessment Houston Central Gas Plant Expansion Project Colorado County, Texas Prepared for Copano Processing, L.P. Sheridan, Texas Prepared by Whitenton Group, Inc. 3413 Hunter Road San Marcos, Texas 78666 WGI Project No. 1213 June 2012 Revised January 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................... II ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. IV 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 3 3.0 AGENCY REGULATIONS ................................................................................................................. 5 3.1 REGULATIONS AND STANDARDS ........................................................................................... 5 3.2 ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ..................................................................................................... 6 3.3 MIGRATORY BIRD TREATY ACT ............................................................................................... 6 3.4 BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLE PROTECTION ACT ................................................................. 7 3.5 MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT .................................................................................. 7 4.0 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ................................................................................................................... 7 4.1 PROJECT PURPOSE AND LOCATION ...................................................................................... 7 4.2 CONSTRUCTION INFORMATION ............................................................................................. 8 4.2.1 CONSTRUCTION DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................ 8 4.2.2 CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES AND SCHEDULE ............................................................ 9 4.2.3 CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT REQUIRED ................................................................... 10 4.2.4 STORMWATER ...................................................................................................................... 10 4.2.5 CONSTRUCTION NOISE LEVELS ..................................................................................... 10 4.3 OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE INFORMATION ........................................................ 11 4.3.1 OPERATION DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................... 11 4.3.2 WATER USE............................................................................................................................ 12 4.3.3 WASTEWATER ...................................................................................................................... 12 4.3.4 OPERATION NOISE LEVELS .............................................................................................. 12 4.3.5 EMISSION CONTROLS ........................................................................................................ 12 5.0 BACKGROUND INFORMATION .................................................................................................. 14 5.1 GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION .................................................................. 14 5.1.1 GENERAL REGION INFORMATION ................................................................................ 14 5.1.2 LAND USE .............................................................................................................................. 15 5.1.3 CLIMATE ................................................................................................................................ 15 5.1.4 TOPOGRAPHY ...................................................................................................................... 16 5.1.5 GEOLOGY ............................................................................................................................... 16 5.1.6 SOILS ........................................................................................................................................ 16 5.1.7 WATER RESOURCES ............................................................................................................ 18 5.2 PROTECTED SPECIES .................................................................................................................. 18 5.2.1 THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST ........................................................ 18 5.2.2 THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES DESCRIPTIONS .................................... 19 5.2.3 TEXAS NATURAL DIVERSITY DATABASE RESULTS .................................................. 26 5.2.4 MARINE MAMMAL HABITAT .......................................................................................... 26 5.2.5 HOUSTON TOAD KNOWN POPULATIONS .................................................................. 26 5.2.6 HOUSTON TOAD SUITABILITY MODEL ........................................................................ 27 Houston Central Gas Plant Expansion Project – Biological Assessment ii 6.0 PROTECTED SPECIES HABITAT EVALUATION....................................................................... 28 6.1 PLANT COMMUNITIES OBSERVED ........................................................................................ 29 6.2 PROTECTED SPECIES HABITAT ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 30 6.3 HOUSTON TOAD PEDESTRIAN SURVEY .............................................................................. 32 6.4 HOUSTON TOAD HABITAT ANALYSIS................................................................................. 33 7.0 AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS RESULTS ............................................................................................. 33 7.1 ESTIMATED TOTAL ANNUAL EMISSION RATE OVERVIEW ........................................... 33 7.2 AREA OF IMPACT DISPERSION MODELING RESULTS ..................................................... 34 7.2.1 DISPERSION MODELING METHODS .............................................................................. 34 7.2.2 DISPERSION MODELING RESULTS ................................................................................. 37 7.3 NON-CRITERIA POLLUTANTS MODELING RESULTS....................................................... 39 8.0 EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ....................................................................................... 40 8.1 AIR POLLUTION EFFECTS BACKGROUND RESEARCH ................................................... 40 8.2 AIR QUALITY EFFECTS .............................................................................................................. 43 8.2.1 EMISSIONS ............................................................................................................................. 43 8.2.2 FUGITIVE DUST .................................................................................................................... 43 8.2.3 IMPACTS OF AIR POLLUTION SOURCES ON FLORA AND FAUNA ...................... 43 8.3 WATER QUALITY EFFECTS ....................................................................................................... 46 8.3.1 WASTEWATER ...................................................................................................................... 46 8.3.2 SURFACE WATER ................................................................................................................. 47 8.4 NOISE EFFECTS ............................................................................................................................ 48 8.5 INFRASTRUCTURE-RELATED EFFECTS ................................................................................ 48 8.6 HUMAN ACTIVITY EFFECTS .................................................................................................... 48 8.7 FEDERALLY PROTECTED SPECIES EFFECTS ....................................................................... 49 8.7.1 FEDERALLY LISTED SPECIES ............................................................................................ 49 8.7.2 MIGRATORY BIRDS ............................................................................................................. 57 8.7.3 BALD AND GOLDEN EAGLES .......................................................................................... 58 8.7.4 MARINE MAMMALS ........................................................................................................... 59 9.0 CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................. 60 9.1 DETERMINATION OF EFFECT ................................................................................................. 60 9.2 INTERDEPENDENT AND INTERRELATED ACTIONS ....................................................... 60 9.3 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ............................................................................................................
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