Supplement Analysis
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SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION NORTH AREA RIGHT-OF-WAY MAINTENANCE PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOE/EA-1539-SA-01 Final SIERRA NEVADA REGION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 114 Parkshore Drive Folsom, California 95630 April 2021 SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION NORTH AREA RIGHT-OF-WAY MAINTENANCE PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT DOE/EA-1539-SA-01 Final WESTERN AREA POWER ADMINISTRATION SIERRA NEVADA REGION U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 114 Parkshore Drive Folsom, California 95630 April 2021 SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS Western Area Power Administration North Area Right-Of-Way Maintenance Program Environmental Assessment CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations .............................................................................................................. i Chapter 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1-1 1.1 Background .............................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Purpose and Need for the North Area Program ........................................................ 1-1 1.3 Purpose and Need for the Supplement Analysis ....................................................... 1-2 Chapter 2. Review of Project Changes .................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Changes in the Project Area and Project Activities .................................................. 2-1 Changes in Project Area .............................................................................. 2-1 Changes in Project Activities ....................................................................... 2-2 Changes in Standard Operating Procedures and Project Conservation Measures.................................................................................................... 2-12 Chapter 3. Analy sis ................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 Analysis .................................................................................................................... 3-1 Habitats and Vegetation .............................................................................. 3-7 Special-Status Plants and Plant Communities ............................................. 3-8 Wildlife...................................................................................................... 3-10 Special-Status Wildlife .............................................................................. 3-11 Fish ............................................................................................................ 3-24 Special-Status Fish .................................................................................... 3-24 Cultural Resources .................................................................................... 3-27 Paleontological Resources ......................................................................... 3-28 Land Use ................................................................................................... 3-29 Recreation.................................................................................................. 3-31 Aesthetics .................................................................................................. 3-31 Water Resources ........................................................................................ 3-32 Geology and Soils...................................................................................... 3-33 Public Health and Safety ........................................................................... 3-33 Air Quality................................................................................................. 3-34 Noise ......................................................................................................... 3-42 Transportation ........................................................................................... 3-43 Environmental Justice ............................................................................... 3-43 Intentional Destructive Acts ................................................................................ 3-44 Climate Change ................................................................................................... 3-45 Chapter 4. Conclusion ............................................................................................................... 4-1 Chapter 5. Determination ......................................................................................................... 5-1 Ap SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ril Western Area Power Administration North Area Right-Of-Way Maintenance Program 20 FINAL 21 TOC-i Chapter 6. References ................................................................................................................ 6-1 TABLES Table 2-1 Category A: Inspection and Minor Maintenance Activities Comparison of Updated Description of Typical Activities with Description Provided inthe June 2010 Final EA ................................................................................................... 2-7 Table 2-2 Category B: Routine Maintenance Activities Comparison of Updated Description of Typical Activities with Description Provided in the June2010 Final EA .................................................................................................................... 2-9 Table 2-3 Category C: New Infrastructure Comparison of Updated Description of Typical Activities With Description Provided in the June 2010 Final EA .............. 2-12 Table 2-4 Changes to SOPs Since the June 2010 Final EA ..................................................... 2-13 Table 2-5 Changes to PCMs Since the June 2010 Final EA .................................................... 2-17 Table 3-1 (Summary of the Results of the Analysis) ................................................................. 3-1 Table 3-2 NPS and BLM Sensitive Plant Species Not Addressed in June 2010Final EA ........ 3-9 Table 3-3 ESA and CESA Status Changes Since the June 2010 Final EA .............................. 3-14 Table 3-4 BLM and USFS Sensitive Animal Species and CDFW Species of Special Concern Not Addressed in June 2010 Final EA ...................................................... 3-20 Table 3-5 California and National Ambient Air Quality Standards forAir Pollutants ............ 3-34 Table 3-6 Air Pollutant Designation for Counties within the North Area Program Project Area ......................................................................................................................... 3-36 Table 3-7 Applicable Federal De Minimis Thresholds for the North Area Program ............... 3-37 Table 3-8 Air Pollutant Thresholds of Significance ................................................................ 3-38 Table 3-9 Operations and Maintenance Equipment and Vehicles ........................................... 3-39 Table 3-10 North Area Program Emissions Estimates .............................................................. 3-39 Table 3-11 Estimated GHG Emissions ...................................................................................... 3-47 FIGURES Figure 1.0 Program Area ............................................................................................................ 2-3 APPENDICES Appendix A Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculations FINAL TOC-i April 2021 Acronyms and Abbreviations AAQS ambient air quality standards ACHP Advisory Council on Historic Preservation BLM U.S. Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management BMP Best Management Practice CAAQS California Ambient Air Quality Standards CARB California Air Resources Board CDFW California Department of Fish and Wildlife CESA California Endangered Species Act CEQA California Environmental Quality Act CFR Code of Federal Regulations CHRIS California Historical Resources Information System CNDDB California Natural Diversity Database CNPS California Native Plant Society CO carbon monoxide CO2 carbon dioxide CO2e carbon dioxide equivalents COTP California-Oregon Transmission Project CVP Central Valley Project dBA A-weighted decibel scale DOE U.S. Department of Energy EA Environmental Assessment EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ESA federal Endangered Species Act ESU Evolutionarily Significant Unit FONSI Finding of No Significant Impact GHG greenhouse gas GPS global positioning system GIS geographic information system HCPs habitat conservation plans IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers IVM Integrated Vegetation Management kV kilovolt Ldn day-night average sound level NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NAHC Native American Heritage Commission NCCP Natural Community Conservation Plan NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NERC North American Electric Reliability Council NESC National Electric Safety Code NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NMFS National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service NO2 nitrogen dioxide North Area Program North Area Right-of-Way Maintenance Program NPS National Park Service NRA National Recreation Area NRHP National Register of Historic Places FINAL PAGE i April 2021 SUPPLEMENT ANALYSIS ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Western Area Power Administration North Area Right-Of-Way