Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit

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Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit Dakota Range III, LLC Dakota Range III Wind Power Facility Application to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission for a Facility Permit Dakota Range III, LLC Dakota Range III Wind Power Facility Grant and Roberts Counties, South Dakota prepared by Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, Inc. Centennial, Colorado COPYRIGHT © 2018 BURNS & McDONNELL ENGINEERING COMPANY, INC. Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 PROJECT DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY .......................................................... 2-1 3.0 FACILITY PERMIT APPLICATION ................................................................... 3-1 4.0 COMPLETENESS CHECKLIST ....................................................................... 4-1 5.0 NAMES OF PARTICIPANTS (ARSD 20:10:22:06) .......................................... 5-1 6.0 NAME OF OWNER AND MANAGER (ARSD 20:10:22:07) ............................. 6-1 7.0 PURPOSE OF, AND DEMAND FOR, THE WIND ENERGY FACILITY (ARSD 20:10:22:08, 20:10:22:10) .................................................................... 7-1 7.1 Wind Resource Areas .......................................................................................... 7-2 7.2 Renewable Power Demand .................................................................................. 7-2 7.3 Consequences of Delay ........................................................................................ 7-4 8.0 ESTIMATED COST OF THE WIND ENERGY FACILITY (ARSD 20:10:22:09) ...................................................................................................... 8-1 9.0 GENERAL SITE AND PROJECT COMPONENT DESCRIPTION (ARSD 20:10:22:11) ...................................................................................................... 9-1 9.1 Site Location and Overview................................................................................. 9-1 9.2 Wind Project ........................................................................................................ 9-1 9.2.1 Turbines ................................................................................................ 9-3 9.2.2 Access Roads ........................................................................................ 9-4 9.2.3 Underground Electrical Collector Lines ............................................... 9-5 9.2.4 Collector Substation .............................................................................. 9-5 9.2.5 Meteorological Towers ......................................................................... 9-6 9.2.6 O&M Facility ........................................................................................ 9-6 9.2.7 SCADA System .................................................................................... 9-7 9.3 Transmission Facility ........................................................................................... 9-7 9.3.1 Transmission Corridor .......................................................................... 9-8 9.3.2 Configuration of Pole and Conductors ................................................. 9-9 9.3.3 Temporary Laydown/Staging Area ....................................................... 9-9 9.4 Wind Farm Facility Construction and Operations ............................................... 9-9 9.5 Transmission Facility Construction and Operations (20:10:22:34) ................... 9-11 9.5.1 Mobilization, Site Preparation, and Clearing ...................................... 9-11 Dakota Range III TOC-1 Burns & McDonnell Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents 9.5.2 Transmission Facility Construction Procedures ................................. 9-12 9.5.3 Switchyard Construction Procedures .................................................. 9-13 9.5.4 Restoration Procedures ....................................................................... 9-13 9.5.5 Operations and Maintenance ............................................................... 9-14 10.0 ALTERNATE SITES AND SITING CRITERIA (ARSD 20:10:22:12) .............. 10-1 10.1 General Project Location Selection ................................................................... 10-1 10.2 Site Configuration Alternatives ......................................................................... 10-2 10.3 Lack of Reliance on Eminent Domain Powers .................................................. 10-4 11.0 ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION (ARSD 20:10:22:13) ............................. 11-1 12.0 EFFECT ON PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT (ARSD 20:10:22:14) .................... 12-1 12.1 Geological Resources ......................................................................................... 12-1 12.1.1 Existing Geological Resources ........................................................... 12-1 12.1.2 Geological Resources Impacts/Mitigation .......................................... 12-3 12.2 Soil Resources .................................................................................................... 12-4 12.2.1 Existing Soil Resources ...................................................................... 12-4 12.2.2 Soil Resource Impacts/Mitigation ..................................................... 12-11 13.0 EFFECT ON HYDROLOGY (ARSD 20:10:22:15) .......................................... 13-1 13.1 Groundwater Resources ..................................................................................... 13-1 13.1.1 Existing Groundwater Resources ........................................................ 13-1 13.1.2 Groundwater Resources Impacts/Mitigation ...................................... 13-2 13.2 Surface Water Resources ................................................................................... 13-2 13.2.1 Existing Surface Water Resources ...................................................... 13-2 13.2.2 Surface Water Resource Impacts/Mitigation ...................................... 13-4 13.3 Current and Planned Water Uses ....................................................................... 13-5 13.3.1 Current and Planned Water Uses within the Project Area .................. 13-5 13.3.2 Effect on Current or Planned Water Use ............................................ 13-6 14.0 EFFECT ON TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS (ARSD 20:10:22:16) .............. 14-1 14.1 Vegetation (Flora) .............................................................................................. 14-1 14.1.1 Existing Vegetation ............................................................................. 14-1 14.1.2 Vegetation Impacts/Mitigation ........................................................... 14-3 14.2 Wetlands and Waterbodies ................................................................................ 14-5 14.2.1 Existing Wetlands and Waterbodies ................................................... 14-5 14.2.2 Wetlands and Waterbodies Impacts/Mitigation .................................. 14-6 14.3 Wildlife (Fauna) ................................................................................................. 14-7 14.3.1 Existing Wildlife ................................................................................. 14-8 14.3.2 Wildlife Impacts/Avoidance and Minimization Measures ............... 14-16 15.0 EFFECT ON AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS (ARSD 20:10:22:17) ....................... 15-1 15.1 Existing Aquatic Ecosystems ............................................................................. 15-1 15.1.1 Federally Listed Aquatic Species ........................................................ 15-1 Dakota Range III TOC-2 Burns & McDonnell Application for Facility Permit Table of Contents 15.1.2 State-Listed Aquatic Species .............................................................. 15-1 15.2 Aquatic Ecosystem Impacts/Mitigation ............................................................. 15-2 16.0 LAND USE (ARSD 20:10:22:18) .................................................................... 16-1 16.1 Land Use ............................................................................................................ 16-1 16.1.1 Existing Land Use ............................................................................... 16-1 16.1.2 Land Use Impacts/Mitigation ............................................................. 16-2 16.2 Public Lands and Conservation Easements ....................................................... 16-3 16.2.1 Existing Public Lands and Conservation Easements .......................... 16-3 16.2.2 Impacts/Mitigation to Public Lands and Conservation Easements ..... 16-4 16.3 Sound ................................................................................................................. 16-5 16.3.1 Existing Sound Levels and Regulatory Framework ........................... 16-5 16.3.2 Sound Level Impacts/Mitigation ......................................................... 16-7 16.4 Shadow Flicker ................................................................................................ 16-10 16.4.1 Existing Shadow Flicker and Regulatory Framework ...................... 16-10 16.4.2 Shadow Flicker Impacts/Mitigation .................................................. 16-11 16.5 Electromagnetic Interference ........................................................................... 16-11 16.6 Visual Resources .............................................................................................
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