WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC.

Valley Expansion Project

FERC Docket No. CP17- -000

Resource Report No. 6

Geological Resources

FINAL

Volume II – Public

April 2017

WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC. – Valley Expansion Project REPORT NO. 6 – GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

RESOURCE REPORT NO. 6 – GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES INFORMATION REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Requirement Location Addressed Identify the location (by milepost) of mineral resources and any planned or active Section 6.1.4 surface mines crossed by the proposed facilities. (§ 380.12(h) (1 & 2)) • Describe hazards to the facilities from mining activities, including subsidence, blasting, slumping or landsliding or other ground failure. Identify any geologic hazards to the proposed facilities. (§ 380.12(h)(2)) Section 6.1.6 • For the offshore this information is needed on a mile-by-mile basis and will require completion of geophysical and other surveys before filing. Discuss the need for and locations where blasting may be necessary in order to Section 6.1.5 construct the proposed facilities. (§ 380.12(h)(3)) For LNG projects in seismic areas, the materials required by "Data Requirements Not Applicable for the Seismic Review of LNG Facilities," NBSIR84- 2833. (§ 380.12(h)(5)) For underground storage facilities, how drilling activity by others within or Not Applicable adjacent to the facilities would be monitored, and how old wells would be located and monitored within the facility boundaries. (§ 380.12(h)(6)) Additional Information Often Missing and Resulting in Data Requests Identify any sensitive paleontological resource areas crossed by the proposed Section 6.1.8 facilities. (Usually only if raised in scoping or if the project affects federal lands.) Briefly summarize the physiography and bedrock geology of the project. Sections 6.1.1, 6.1.2, and 6.1.3 If the application is for underground storage facilities: Not Applicable • Describe monitoring of potential effects of the operation of adjacent storage or production facilities on the proposed facility, and vice versa; • Describe measures taken to locate and determine the condition of old wells within the field and buffer zone and how the applicant would reduce risk from failure of known and undiscovered wells; and • Identify and discuss safety and environmental safeguards • Identify and discuss safety and environmental safeguards required by state and federal drilling regulations.

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FERC Comments on Draft Resource Report 6 – Geological Location Addressed, and/or Response to Resources Comment

MARCH 15, 2017 COMMENTS

1. Section 6.1.4 describes non-hydrocarbon resources within 0.25 Section 6.1.4 mile of the project. Although bedrock formations overlain by Quaternary glacial deposits may not be amenable to hydrocarbon resource production and/or storage, describe the nearest hydrocarbon (oil and natural gas) exploration, production, and storage to the project area. 2. Provide the location of all underground injection control wells Section 6.1.6.1 used for waste-water disposal within the project area, if any. Describe any known incidences of induced seismicity within the project area, their magnitude, and discuss the potential for future induced seismic events, potential impact, and mitigation for the planned natural gas facilities. 3. Revise section 6.1.6.1 to include the peak ground acceleration Section 6.1.6.1 with a 10 percent probability of being exceeded in 50 years; and provide mapping that depicts the 2 and 10 percent probability in relation to the project.

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Contents

6.0 GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...... 6-1 6.1 GEOLOGIC SETTING ...... 6-1 6.1.1 Physiography and Topography ...... 6-1 6.1.2 Surficial Geology ...... 6-2 6.1.3 Bedrock Geology ...... 6-6 6.1.4 Mineral Resources ...... 6-6 6.1.5 Blasting ...... 6-6 6.1.6 Geologic Hazards ...... 6-9 6.1.7 Flash Flooding ...... 6-13 6.1.8 Paleontological Resources ...... 6-13 6.2 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ...... 6-15 6.3 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ...... 6-16 6.4 REFERENCES ...... 6-17

List of Figures Figure 6.1.2-1 Surficial Geology ...... 6-4 Figure 6.1.3-1 Bedrock Geology ...... 6-7 Figure 6.1.6-1 Two Percent Probability of Exceedance in 50 Years of Peak Ground Acceleration ..... 6-10 Figure 6.1.6-2 Ten Percent Probability of Exceedance in 50 Years of Peak Ground Acceleration ...... 6-11 Figure 6.1.6-3 Nearest Injection Wells ...... 6-12 Figure 6.1.7-1 Floodplains...... 6-14

List of Tables Table 6.1.1-1 Elevation at Project Facilities ...... 6-2 Table 6.1.2-1 Surficial Geology and Thickness of Glacial Drift ...... 6-3

List of Appendices Appendix 6A – Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources During Construction

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Abbreviations and Acronyms

CFR Code of Federal Regulations Commission Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FERC Federal Energy Regulatory Commission FMADP Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion Project g gravitational acceleration HDD horizontal directional drill MGS Minnesota Geological Survey MP milepost NDGS North Dakota Geological Survey NDIC North Dakota Industrial Commission PGA peak ground acceleration Project Valley Expansion Project TBS Town Border Station USGS U.S. Geological Survey Viking Viking Gas Transmission Company WBI Energy WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.

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6.0 GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. (WBI Energy) owns and operates a natural gas transmission pipeline system and associated aboveground facilities in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. WBI Energy is filing an abbreviated application with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC or Commission) pursuant to Section 7(c) of the Natural Gas Act, as amended, and Title 18 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 157 of the Commission's regulations requesting approval to construct, install, operate, and maintain the proposed facilities described below.

WBI Energy is proposing to construct, install, operate, and maintain the Valley Expansion Project (Project), which will consist of approximately 37.3 miles of 16-inch diameter natural gas pipeline from a proposed interconnect with the existing Viking Gas Transmission Company (Viking) pipeline near Felton, Minnesota (milepost [MP] 0.0) to a new electric-driven compressor station near Mapleton, North Dakota (MP 37.3) that will be tied into WBI Energy’s Line Section 24. Associated auxiliary facilities will also be constructed with the Project. The pipeline will transport natural gas with bi-directional flow capabilities and will span across the state border from Clay County, Minnesota into Cass County, North Dakota. In order to provide the volumes of natural gas requested through the open season process, WBI Energy will also replace town border stations (TBS) and construct a regulator station in Barnes, Stutsman, and Burleigh counties, North Dakota, respectively. Construction of each facility will involve a new footprint; therefore, these facilities are evaluated in this environmental report. A complete description of the Project facilities is provided in section 1.1 of Resource Report 1.

Resource Report 6 describes the geologic resources crossed by the Project facilities. This report identifies potential impacts of the Project on geologic resources, geologic hazards that may potentially affect construction and operation of the facilities, and geologic hazards that may place the facilities and/or public at risk. Where appropriate, mitigation measures are described that are intended to reduce the impact of the Project on geological resources and/or reduce the impact of geological hazards on the facilities. Information contained in this resource report was obtained from desktop analysis and review of available literature.

6.1 GEOLOGIC SETTING

6.1.1 Physiography and Topography

All Project facilities except for the Apple Valley TBS are located within the Western Lake Section of the Central Lowland Physiographic Province of the Interior Plains Region (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS], 2016a). The geologic terrain of this province is characterized by bedrock overlain by significant deposits of glacial drift with relatively low surficial relief. The oldest basement rocks of the Interior Plains Region are comprised of ancient pre-Cambrian igneous and metamorphic rocks that were generally formed from the tectonic collision of smaller continental plates over 1 billion years ago, which resulted in continental accretion and expansion of the North American craton. These rocks were subsequently uplifted and eroded to a relatively low-relief plain, forming the stable geologic core of the North American continent known as the “craton.” The North American craton has been tectonically stable for more than 500 million years. In some areas, these basement rocks were overlain by Mesozoic age sedimentary rock formations. Multiple continental glaciations during the Quaternary Period subsequently deposited thick sequences of glacial drift over the bedrock formations.

The Apple Valley TBS is located within the Missouri Plateau, Glaciated Section of the Great Plains Physiographic Province of the Interior Plains Region (USGS, 2016a). The Missouri Plateau, Glaciated Section is predominantly a terminal moraine complicated by recessional moraines (Laird, 1955). The geologic terrain is characterized by Mesozoic sedimentary bedrock overlain by glacial sediment of varying thicknesses. Typical landforms include hilly areas formed by stagnant ice disintegration features, including

6-1 WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC. – Valley Expansion Project REPORT NO. 6 – GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES kames, kettles, collapsed glacial sediments, collapsed lake plains, collapsed floodplains, as well as various types of ice disintegration features (Kume and Hansen, 1965).

As indicated in table 6.1.1-1, there is little topographic relief along the pipeline route or surrounding the aboveground facilities.

TABLE 6.1.1-1

Elevation at Project Facilities Elevation Above Mean Sea Level (feet) Facility, County, State Minimum Maximum Pipeline, Cass County, ND 852 934 Pipeline, Clay County, MN 852 907 Mapleton Compressor Station, Cass County, ND 901 907 Viking Interconnect, Clay County, MN 930 934 Sanborn Regulator Station, Barnes, ND 1,448 1,452 Jamestown Town Border Station, Stutsman, ND 1,486 1,487 Apple Valley Town Border Station, Burleigh, ND 1,770 1,781 ______ND = North Dakota MN = Minnesota Source: USGS. 2001. National Elevation Dataset (NED) – 30 meter elevation data. Accessed at: https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=ned,nedsrc&title=3DEP%20View#productSearch. Accessed December 2016.

6.1.2 Surficial Geology

Surficial geology at the Project facilities is characterized by unconsolidated deposits from Pleistocene continental glaciation. These sediments were deposited primarily during four major episodes of glaciation. The sediments from these glacial events are typically comprised of both ground and end moraine, outwash deposits, ice-contact stratified drift (e.g., kames and eskers), and lacustrine sediments, including lake bottom and beach ridge deposits. Soils consist of deposits of clay, silt, sand, and gravel. Additionally, there are more recent deposits of alluvium in river channels and floodplains that are characteristic of the interrupted drainage of glaciated terrain. These recent alluvial deposits overlie glacial sediments. Figure 6.1.2-1 is a simplified map (Minnesota Geological Survey [MGS], 2005; North Dakota Geological Survey [NDGS], 1980) of the surficial geology in relation to the Project facilities, and table 6.1.2-1 summarizes the surficial geology at each facility.

Regional coverage of depth to bedrock from the MGS (2016) and NDGS (Bluemle, 1986; Anderson, 2011) were used to determine the thickness of drift at each of the facilities, as summarized in table 6.1.2-1. Additionally, coverage of regional surficial geology for Minnesota (Hobbs and Goebel, 1982; Hobbs and Gowan, 2014) and North Dakota (Lusardi et al., 2005) were used to determine the types of surficial glacial deposits at the facilities. Except for the occurrence of Holocene alluvium in river valleys, the surficial units were deposited during the advance and retreat of the James and Des Moines Lobes of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. The majority of the pipeline route, the Mapleton Compressor Station, and the Viking Interconnect are located within the lake plain of Glacial Lake Agassiz, a lake that formed during retreat of the Des Moines Lobe, which deposited between 150 and 300 feet of silt and clay and resulted in an area of minimal topographic relief. Glacial drift deposits in these areas range from 160 feet to 315 feet thick. The Apple Valley TBS, the Jamestown TBS, and the Sanborn Regulator Station are located within the till plain of the James Lobe, which deposited less than 100 feet of glacial till in the Project area. The thickness of glacial drift deposits in these Project areas ranges from 5 to 100 feet in depth.

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TABLE 6.1.2-1

Surficial Geology and Thickness of Glacial Drift Approximate Thickness County, State or Facility Surficial Glacial Units of Drift (feet) Cass County, ND Holocene lake sediments (sand, silt, and clay), alluvium, 160 - 300 and overbank sediment Clay County, MN Holocene lake sediments (sand, silt, and clay), alluvium, 189 - 315 and overbank sediment Mapleton Compressor Station Holocene alluvium and overbank sediment 180 - 200 Viking Interconnect Holocene lake sediments (sand and silt with gravel 195 - 200 ridges) Sanborn Regulator Station Quaternary collapsed glacial till 50 - 100 Jamestown Town Border Station Quaternary collapsed glacial till 50 Apple Valley Town Border Station Quaternary collapsed glacial till, draped on older 0-5 surfaces ______Source: Minnesota Geological Survey. 2005. Geological Mapping and 3D Model of Deposits that Host Ground-water Systems in the Fargo-Moorhead Region, Minnesota and North Dakota. Available online: http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/123383. Accessed November 2016. North Dakota Geological Survey. 1980. Surficial Geology GIS layer. North Dakota Geological Survey. Derived from State of North Dakota 1:500,000 Geologic Map [Clayton, L. et al, 1980]. Available online: https://apps.nd.gov/hubdataportal/srv/en/main.home. Accessed November 2016.

As detailed in appendix 1F of Resource Report 1, WBI Energy conducted a geotechnical assessment of the locations where horizontal directional drilling (HDD) crossings are planned to assess the feasibility of success. Based on this investigation, subsurface conditions encountered along the Project pipeline corridor generally consist of 1.0 to 6.5 feet of topsoil and potential fill, underlain by Glacial Lake Agassiz sediments that range from soft to stiff fat clay and silty fat clay. The Glacial Lake Agassiz sediments are underlain by glacial till encountered at depths of 51 to 98 feet below grade that consist of sands and gravels and lean clay with sand and gravel.

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6.1.3 Bedrock Geology

The bedrock geology underlying the proposed pipeline route and the Viking Interconnect consists of Archean igneous and metamorphic rocks. These rocks are arranged in belts with a west-southwest to east- northeast trend, and can include granite and other intrusive rocks, low-grade metamorphic rocks, including felsic to mafic metavolcanics and metasedimentary rocks, as well as high-grade metamorphic rocks including schist and gneiss (Jirsa et al., 2011). The western portion of the pipeline route (west of MP 31), the Mapleton Compressor Station, the Sanborn Regulator Station, and the Jamestown TBS are underlain by Cretaceous sedimentary rocks, including shale and sandstone. The Apple Valley TBS is underlain by Tertiary sedimentary shale and sandstone. Figure 6.1.3-1 illustrates the Project facilities and the bedrock formations that subcrop below them based on review of available data for Minnesota (MGS, 2011) and North Dakota (NDGS, 2001).

6.1.4 Mineral Resources

Mineral resources in the Project area include industrial, aggregate (e.g., sand, gravel, and crushed stone), and in Minnesota, metallic (e.g., iron ore, copper, nickel, and titanium) minerals. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (2015) indicates that none of the Project facilities in Minnesota are located within 0.25 mile of a potential source of aggregate. This is corroborated by visual inspection of topographic and aerial photographic coverage, which did not indicate the presence of mining or quarrying activities for aggregate or other materials in Minnesota. Sand and gravel mining occurs to the east of the Viking Interconnect within beach ridges of Glacial Lake Agassiz, but the pits are located greater than 0.25 mile from the Project area and will not be affected by the Project. Visual inspection of topographic and aerial photographic coverage did not indicate the presence of mining or quarrying activities within 0.25 mile of the Project facilities in North Dakota. Additionally, no industrial or metallic mineral leases were found within 0.25 mile of the Project facilities in Minnesota or North Dakota (Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, 2016; USGS 2013).

In general, hydrocarbon exploration activities do not occur near the Project area in Minnesota and North Dakota. WBI Energy reviewed North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC), Oil and Gas ArcIMS website to identify the nearest hydrocarbon exploration wells, production wells, and underground hydrocarbon storage to the Project areas in North Dakota (NDIC, 2017). Exploration wells have been drilled within 20 miles of Project facilities; however, all wells have been dry. The nearest hydrocarbon (oil and natural gas) production well to the Project area in North Dakota is approximately 93 miles west/northwest from the Apple Valley TBS. The nearest underground hydrocarbon storage to the Project area in North Dakota is approximately 162 miles southwest of the Apple Valley TBS. Hydrocarbon exploration and production does not occur in Minnesota as the geologic setting in this state does not support economically viable sources of hydrocarbons.

6.1.5 Blasting

Given that the typical thickness of unconsolidated deposits beneath the Project facilities is greater than 50 feet (see table 6.1.2-1), the need for blasting of shallow bedrock for construction of most of the Project facilities is not anticipated. At the Apple Valley TBS, where bedrock may be present within 5 feet of the ground surface, WBI Energy does not anticipate the need to do any blasting to complete construction.

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6.1.6 Geologic Hazards 6.1.6.1 Seismic Hazards and Faults The area crossed by the Project has been tectonically stable for more than 500 million years as evidenced by the lack of recently (less than 1.6 million years old) active faults in the vicinity of the Project area (USGS, 2016b). In addition, the risk of seismic-related events in or near the Project area is very low according to the USGS Seismic Hazards mapping program. The shaking during an earthquake can be expressed in terms of the acceleration due to gravity (g). The USGS National Seismic Hazard Map indicates a 2 percent chance of an earthquake with an effective peak ground acceleration (PGA) of 2 to 4 percent g being exceeded within a 50-year period and a 10 percent chance of an earthquake with an effective PGA of 0 to 1 percent g being exceeded within a 50-year period for the Project areas (see figures 6.1.6-1 and 6.1.6-2) (USGS, 2014). This level of ground movement is considered to be light and has low potential to cause damage to structures. However, between 1975 and 2011, four earthquakes greater than magnitude 2.5 have occurred in west-central Minnesota and northeastern South Dakota, approximately 70 to 100 miles south of the Project area. The recorded earthquake magnitudes ranged from magnitude 2.5 to 4.6 (USGS, 2016c). Modified Mercalli Intensity values up to VI (i.e., events felt by all, with slight damage) for these earthquakes has been reported (Chandler, 2014). FERC requested that WBI Energy review the Project area to identify underground injection wells used for wastewater disposal. Based on review of the NDIC Oil and Gas ArcIMS website, there are no underground injection wells used for wastewater disposal within the Project area; figure 6.1.6-3 depicts the results of this review (NDIC, 2017). The nearest underground injection well is located approximately 89 miles to the west/northwest of the Apple Valley TBS. The USGS has assessed the potential for deep fluid injection to contribute to earthquake activity in the United States. The USGS determined there is less than 1 percent chance for a damaging earthquake with a PGA of 0.12 g to occur in the Project area due to combined natural or induced causes within the next year, and concluded that North Dakota is not at risk for earthquakes due to wastewater injection disposal (USGS, 2017). Further, the USGS is providing a 1-year seismic hazard forecast for the Central and Eastern U.S. from induced and natural earthquakes. The current forecast for 2017 states that there is 1 percent chance that an earthquake in the Project area would have a Modified Mercalli Intensity greater than III (i.e., shaking weak, felt indoors by several) (USGS, 2017). The USGS intends to continue to monitor induced earthquake activity and revise its risk assessment annually.

6.1.6.2 Liquefaction Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which saturated or partially saturated soil loses strength and stiffness in response to an applied stress, such as an earthquake or other rapid loading event, causing it to behave like a liquid. Soil liquefaction occurs in loose, granular soils when excess pore pressure generated by earthquake shaking reaches or exceeds the effective stress. Susceptible areas are found along rivers, streams, lake shorelines, and in areas with relatively shallow groundwater (i.e., less than 30 feet from the ground surface). Although saturated granular soils exist in the vicinity of Project facilities, due to the low potential for earthquakes or other rapid loading events to occur in the vicinity of the Project facilities, the potential for soil liquefaction to occur in the Project area is low.

6.1.6.3 Landslides Landslides refer to the gravity-induced downward and outward movement of slope-forming materials and pose the greatest risk to facilities on or near steep slopes or on soil materials that are susceptible to failure, particularly in response to earthquakes, heavy precipitation, or soil saturation. A map developed by the USGS illustrates that the potential for landslide incidence and susceptibility is low at each Project facility site (Radbruch-Hall et al., 1982). In addition, topographic relief in the Project area is relatively low which further corroborates the USGS map.

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Much of the Red River Valley is underlain by silty-clay and clay soils deposited by Glacial Lake Agassiz. These soils have a low strength, high shrink-swell properties, and high plasticity that can cause slope instability and slumping. Valley and channel walls of the Red River of the North and other tributaries are prone to slope failure.

6.1.6.4 Subsidence Ground subsidence, involving the localized or regional lowering of the ground surface, may be caused by karst dissolution, sediment compaction, oil and gas extraction, underground mines, and groundwater pumping, with groundwater pumping being the main cause of subsidence (USGS, 1999). Because no karst terrain is present within the Project area and activities such as oil and gas extraction, underground mining, and groundwater pumping are limited or non-existent in the Project area, the potential for subsidence in the Project area is negligible.

6.1.7 Flash Flooding An examination of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (2016) flood maps indicates that approximately 18.3 miles of the pipeline route and the Mapleton Compressor Station are located within areas with more than a minimal chance of flood hazard (see figure 6.1.7-1). The pipeline route crosses flood zones A, AE, and AE Floodway which are defined below:

• Zone A: Areas subject to inundation by a 1 percent annual chance flood event (100-year flood), generally determined using approximate methodologies. • Zone AE: Areas subject to inundation by a 1 percent annual chance flood event, as determined by detailed methods. • Zone AE Floodway: The channel of a river or other watercourse and the adjacent land areas that must be reserved in order to discharge the base flood without cumulatively increasing the water surface more than a designated height within the 100-year floodplain.

The Mapleton Compressor Station and the mainline block valve at MP 14.2 will be sited within zone AE. The remainder of the pipeline route and aboveground facilities are not located within flood hazard areas and are, therefore, not included in figure 6.1.7-1. Construction of the Mapleton Compressor Station will comply with local floodplain and building regulations that require “no rise” in flood levels; therefore, construction of the Mapleton Compressor Station will not significantly alter the floodplain characteristics. Further discussion on floodplains and Project impacts are presented in section 6.2, below, and sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.8 of Resource Report 2.

6.1.8 Paleontological Resources Significant paleontological resources are not likely to be encountered during construction given the thickness of the unconsolidated glacial drift in the Project area. Although the glacial deposits in Minnesota and North Dakota are of Pleistocene age, megafauna fossils tend to be scarce where glacial ice was present because glacial deposition processes rarely preserve specimens intact. Beach ridges of Glacial Lake Agassiz in Minnesota and North Dakota have been the setting for the limited Pleistocene vertebrate fossils (Ashworth and Cvancara, 1983). Therefore, the potential for the Project to impact paleontological resources is considered minimal.

Paleontological resources on land owned by the State of North Dakota and its political subdivisions are protected and managed under Chapter 54-17.3 of the North Dakota Century Code and Chapter 43-04 of the North Dakota Administrative Code. A permit is required to investigate, excavate, collect, or otherwise record paleontological resources on these lands (NDGS, 2011). The only North Dakota state-owned lands crossed by the Project will be state highway rights-of-way.

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6.2 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION

The overall effects of construction and operation of the Project facilities on topography and geology will be temporary and minor. Primary impacts will be limited to construction activities and include temporary disturbance to slopes within the right-of-way resulting from grading and trenching operations. WBI Energy will minimize impacts by using best management practices during construction that are in accordance with the FERC Upland Erosion Control, Revegetation, and Maintenance Plan (FERC, 2013) including returning surface contours to preconstruction conditions to the extent practicable with the exception of the compressor station and aboveground facilities, where grading and filling will be required to create a safe and stable land surface, and to support facility drainage.

No mining or quarrying operations were identified within 0.25 mile of the Project facilities; therefore, construction and operation of the Project will not impact mineral resources. The use of HDD and guided bore methods will minimize potential for slope failures at river crossings.

North Dakota Century Code Chapter 54-17.3-05 requires the reporting of all Quaternary paleontological finds that potentially or actually contain cultural resources to the State Historical Society of North Dakota, in addition to the State Geologist (State of North Dakota, 2011). If Quaternary paleontological resources are discovered during construction of the Project, they will be treated as cultural resources in accordance with WBI Energy’s Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources During Construction, which is provided in appendix 6A. WBI Energy will utilize the HDD or guided bore techniques to install the pipeline at all state highway right-of-way crossings to avoid surface impacts on paleontological resources. In addition, WBI Energy’s environmental inspectors will be instructed to watch for paleontological materials in the unlikely event that they may be encountered during clearing, grading, or trenching operations, and WBI Energy will notify FERC and other required agencies if fossil materials are encountered.

The pipeline and compressor station will be designed and installed in accordance with the U.S. Department of Transportation’s standards found in Title 49 CFR Part 192, Transportation of Natural and Other Gas by Pipeline: Minimum Federal Safety Standards, to provide adequate protection from hazards that could cause the pipe and facilities to move or to sustain abnormal loads such as washouts, floods, subsidence, landslides, and earthquakes. Maintained pipeline facilities constructed using modern arc-welding techniques have performed well in seismically active areas of the United States, such as California (O’Rourke and Palmer, 1996). Given the very low potential for seismically induced ground movements in the Project area, there is little risk of earthquake-related impacts on the Project facilities.

Construction of the pipeline will not impact flood elevations because the pipeline will be buried and the surface restored to pre-construction contours to the extent practicable. If a flooding event should occur in the Project area, it is possible the pipeline could begin to float to the ground surface. In order to prevent the pipeline from floating, WBI Energy will install saddle weights and may use concrete coated pipeline as necessary to ensure negative buoyancy is maintained along the pipeline.

For aboveground facilities located within the floodplain (i.e., the Mapleton Compressor Station and MP 14.2 mainline block valve), WBI Energy will comply with local floodplain and building regulations that require floodproofing of structures and no impact on surrounding flood elevations. As discussed in section 8.4 of Resource Report 8, the Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion Project (FMADP) is a planned 36-mile long and 1,500-foot wide flood water diversion channel that is designed to mitigate the impacts of flooding events in the Red River Valley on the cities of Fargo, North Dakota and Moorhead, Minnesota. The Mapleton Compressor Station is located to the west of, and in an area that is not protected by, the FMADP; however, Cass County, North Dakota is expected to review the Mapleton Compressor Station design specifications and will consider the FMADP in their analysis on Project effects to floodplain. The

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Mapleton Compressor Station and MP 14.2 mainline block valve will be constructed above the 100-year floodplain, in accordance with local building codes and associated floodplain zoning requirements; therefore, construction and operation of the Mapleton Compressor Station and MP 14.2 mainline block valve are not expected to significantly alter the floodplain.

6.3 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS

The pipeline portions of the Project are expected to have a direct but temporary impact on near-surface geology. The effects on surficial geology will be highly localized and limited primarily to the period of construction. Although clearing activities could expose the soil to erosive elements such as precipitation and wind, WBI Energy will minimize impacts on geological resources by returning contours to preconstruction conditions to the extent practicable. Therefore, cumulative impacts on geology will only occur if other projects are constructed at the same time and region of influence as the proposed facilities. None of the past, present, or reasonably foreseeable projects that have been identified in the Project region of influence (see table 1.11-1 in Resource Report 1) occur sufficiently close to the Project facilities to create cumulative impacts on geology, with the exceptions of the Fargo-Moorhead Area Diversion Project, the Viking Meter Station, and the Otter Tail Power Line Project.

As discussed in section 8.4 of Resource Report 8, construction of the FMADP will be accomplished in multiple phases and construction in the Project area is expected to begin in early 2018 and to be completed within approximately 4 to 6 years. Because construction of the Project will be completed prior to the completion of the FMADP and would not share construction workspace, no cumulative impacts on geological resources are anticipated. Construction of the Viking Meter Station and the Otter Tail Power Line Project are expected to occur concurrently with construction of the Project and at both the eastern and western terminus of the pipeline route; however, because both projects are fairly limited in scope and would impact a relatively small area of the ground surface, the impact of these projects is expected to be minimal and construction of these projects and WBI Energy’s Project will not have a significant cumulative effect on geology in the surrounding area.

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6.4 REFERENCES

Anderson, F. J. 2011. Depth to Bedrock in the Fargo Area, North Dakota. North Dakota Geological Survey. Geologic Investigation No. 142. Available online at: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/documents/Publication_List/pdf/geoinv/GI_142.pdf. Accessed November 2016.

Ashworth, A. C. and A. M. Cvancara. 1983. Paleoecology of the southern part of the Lake Agassiz Basin; pp. 133-156 in J. T. Teller and C. Clayton (eds.), Glacial Lake Agassiz. Geological Association of Canada Special Paper 26.

Bluemle, J. P. 1986. Depth to Bedrock in North Dakota. North Dakota Geological Survey. Miscellaneous Map No. 26. Available online at: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/documents/Publication_List/pdf/MisMaps/MM-26.pdf. Accessed November 2016.

Chandler, V. W. 2014. Earthquakes in Minnesota – Are We Getting a Fair Shake?; Minnesota at a Glance. Minnesota Geological Survey. Available online at: http://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/59426/mn_glance%20earthquakes_revised.p df?sequence=7&isAllowed=y. Accessed October 2016.

Federal Emergency Management Agency. 2016. FEMA Flood Map Service Center. GIS coverage available online at: http://msc.fema.gov/portal/advanceSearch. Accessed October 2016.

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. 2013. Upland Erosion Control, Revegetation, and Maintenance Plan. Available online: https://www.ferc.gov/industries/gas/enviro/plan.pdf. Accessed January 2017.

Hobbs, H. C. and J. E. Goebel. 1982. Geologic Map of Minnesota—Quaternary Geology. Minnesota Geological Survey State Map Series S-1. ftp://ftp.gisdata.mn.gov/pub/gdrs/data/pub/edu_umn_mngs/geos_quaternary_geology_mn/meta data/metadata.html. Accessed October 2016.

Hobbs. H. C. and A. S. Gowan. 2014. Surficial Geology. County Atlas Series (Clay County) Atlas C-29, Part A. Plate 3 – Surficial Geology. Available online: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/waters/programs/gw_section/mapping/platesum/claycga.html. Accessed November 2016.

Jirsa, M.A., T.J. Boerboom, V.W. Chandler, J.H. Mossler, A.C. Runkel, and D.R. Setterholm. 2011. Geologic Map of Minnesota, Bedrock Geology. State Map Series S-21.

Kume, J. and Hansen, D. E. 1965. Geology and Ground Water Resources of Burleigh County, North Dakota, Part I – Geology. North Dakota Geological Survey Bulletin 42. Available online: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/documents/outofprint/Bulletins/Bulletin%2042.pdf. Accessed December 2016.

Laird, W. M. 1955. Contributions to the Geology of North Dakota. North Dakota Geological Survey Bulletin 28. Available online: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/documents/outofprint/bulletins/bulletin_28.pdf. Accessed December 2016.

6-17 WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC. – Valley Expansion Project REPORT NO. 6—GEOLOGICAL RESOURCES

Lusardi, B., F. Anderson, and K. Harris. 2005. Surficial Geology of the Fargo-Moorhead Area. Minnesota Geological Survey, North Dakota Geological Survey, and U.S. Department of Interior – Bureau of Reclamation. Available online: https://www.usbr.gov/gp/dkao/redriver/rrvwsp/Support/Fargo- Moorhead%20Groundwater%20Report%20from%20MNGS/Maps/Fargo%20Moorhead%20su rficial%20geology.pdf. Accessed November 2016.

Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2016. Active State Mineral Leases, as of January 1, 2016. GIS coverage available online at: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/lands_minerals/min_leases.html. Accessed November 2016.

Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2015. Aggregate Source Information System. GIS coverage available online at: http://www.dot.state.mn.us/materials/aggsource.html. Updated June 2015. Accessed November 2016.

Minnesota Geological Survey (MGS). 2005. Geological Mapping and 3D Model of Deposits that Host Ground-water Systems in the Fargo-Moorhead Region, Minnesota and North Dakota. Available online: http://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/123383. Accessed November 2016.

MGS. 2011. S-21 Geologic Map of Minnesota – Bedrock Geology. Minnesota Geological Survey. Available online: https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/101466. Accessed November 2016.

MGS. 2016. Bedrock Topography and Depth to Bedrock. GIS coverage available online at: http://www.mngs.umn.edu/service.htm. Accessed November 2016.

North Dakota Industrial Commission (NDIC). 2017. NDIC, Oil and Gas: ArcIMS Viewer. Available online at: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/OaGIMS/viewer.htm. Accessed March 2017.

North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS). 1980. Surficial Geology GIS layer. North Dakota Geological Survey. Derived from State of North Dakota 1:500,000 Geologic Map [Clayton, L. et al, 1980]. Available online: https://apps.nd.gov/hubdataportal/srv/en/main.home. Accessed November 2016.

NDGS. 2001. Bedrock Geology GIS Layer. North Dakota Geological Survey. Derived from Geologic and Topographic Bedrock Map of North Dakota, NDGS Miscellaneous Map 25 [Bluemle 1983]. Available online: https://apps.nd.gov/hubdataportal/srv/en/main.home. Accessed November 2016.

NDGS. 2011. Paleontological Resources. Available online at: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndgs/paleoregs/Paleoregnew.asp. Accessed October 2016.

O’Rourke, T. D. and M.C. Palmer. 1996. Earthquake performance of gas transmission pipelines. Earthquake Spectra. Vol. 12, No. 3, p.493-527.

Radbruch-Hall, D.H., R.B. Colton, W.E. Davies, Ivo Lucchitta, B.A. Skipp, and D.J. Varnes. 1982. Landslide Overview Map of the Conterminous United States, USGS Landslide Hazards Program, http://landslides.usgs.gov/hazards/nationalmap/.

State of North Dakota. 2011. 2011 North Dakota Century Code. Available online at: http://www.legis.nd.gov/cencode/t54c17-3.pdf. Accessed October 2016.

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U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). 1999. Land Subsidence in the United States. Circular 1182. Edited by D. Galloway, D.R. Jones, and S.E. Ingebritsen. Reston, Virginia 1999.

USGS. 2001. National Elevation Dataset (NED) – 30 meter elevation data. Available online at: https://viewer.nationalmap.gov/basic/?basemap=b1&category=ned,nedsrc&title=3DEP%20Vie w#productSearch. Accessed December 2016.

USGS. 2013. 2009 Minerals Yearbook – North Dakota. Available online at: http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/state/2009/myb2-2009-nd.pdf. Accessed November 2016.

USGS. 2014. Two-percent Probability of Exceedance in 50 Years Map of Peak Ground Acceleration. Earthquake Hazards Program. Available online at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/products/conterminous/2014/2014pga2pct.pdf. Accessed October 2016.

USGS. 2016a. A Tapestry of Time and Terrain: The Union of Two Maps—Geology and Topography. Available online at: http://ulpeis.anl.gov/documents/dpeis/references/pdfs/USGS_2003.pdf. Accessed October 2016.

USGS. 2016b. Interactive Fault Map. Available online at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/qfaults/map/. Accessed October 2016.

USGS. 2016c. Earthquake Information by Region. Earthquake Hazards Program http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/byregion/. Accessed October 2016.

USGS. 2017. 2017 One-Year Seismic Hazard Forecast for the Central and Eastern United States from Induced and Natural Earthquakes. Available online: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/induced/index.php#2017. Accessed March 2017.

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Valley Expansion Project

Resource Report 6

Appendix 6A

Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources During Construction

WBI ENERGY TRANSMISSION, INC.

Valley Expansion Project

Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources During Construction

Final

April 2017

Valley Expansion Project WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources During Construction

Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION ...... 2 2.0 TRAINING ...... 2 3.0 UNANTICIPATED DISCOVERY OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...... 2 4.0 REFERENCES ...... 4

1

Valley Expansion Project WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources During Construction

1.0 INTRODUCTION

This Plan for Unanticipated Discovery of Paleontological Resources during Construction (Plan) was prepared for WBI Energy Transmission, Inc.’s (WBI Energy) proposed Valley Expansion Project (Project). This plan identifies procedures to be implemented in the event that previously unreported and unanticipated paleontological resources are found during construction of the Project.

2.0 TRAINING

Prior to the commencement of construction, WBI Energy and contractor personnel will receive environmental training which will include instruction on the identification of paleontological resources and implementation of the procedures outlined in this Plan.

3.0 UNANTICIPATED DISCOVERY OF PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES

Paleontological resources on land owned by the State of North Dakota and its political subdivisions are protected and managed under Chapters 54-17.3 and 43-04 of the North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) and North Dakota Administrative Code (NDAC), respectively. A permit is required to investigate, excavate, collect, or otherwise record paleontological resources on these lands (North Dakota Geological Survey, 2016). NDCC Chapter 54-17.3-05 requires the reporting of all quaternary paleontological finds which potentially or actually contain cultural resources to the state historical society in addition to the State Geologist (State of North Dakota, 2016).

WBI Energy will implement the following procedures if paleontological resources are discovered during construction on state or private lands:

1. The contractor will stop work in the immediate area of the find to protect the integrity of the find.

2. The contractor will notify WBI Energy’s Environmental Inspector (EI) of the find. The contractor will not restart work in the area of the find until approved by the EI.

Environmental Inspector: [To be determined] Cell Phone Number: [To be determined] Fax: [To be determined] Email: [To be determined]

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3. The EI will notify WBI Energy’s representative. The representative will notify the Regulatory Affairs manager who in turn will notify the FERC Project Manager of the find.

WBI Energy Representative: Greg Huncovsky Cell Phone Number: 406-989-1068 Email: [email protected]

Regulatory Affairs Manager: Lori Myerchin Office Phone Number: 701-530-1563 Email: [email protected]

4. The EI will confirm the presence of paleontological resources. Upon confirmation, the EI will photograph representative specimens of fossils identified at the site. The EI will prepare a brief written description which identifies the location of the potential fossil material along the route, the depth and apparent thickness of the stratum containing the fossil material, local topography, and other pertinent conditions or observations.

5. If the paleontological resources are identified on state owned land, the WBI Energy Representative will notify the North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS) in order to determine if a North Dakota Paleontological Resource Collecting Permit will be required to investigate, excavate, collect, or otherwise record the fossil resources.

NDGS: Jeff Person, Paleontologist Telephone: 701-328-8000 E-mail: [email protected]

6. The WBI Energy Representative will notify the State Geologist and, upon request, provide copies of the written and photographic documentation of the paleontological materials.

State Geologist: Edward Murphy Telephone: 701-328-8000 E-mail: [email protected]

7. Once documentation of the find is completed, WBI Energy’s Representative will direct the EI to grant clearance to the Contractor to resume work in the vicinity of the site.

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4.0 REFERENCES

North Dakota Geological Survey (NDGS). 2016. Paleontology. Available online at: https://www.dmr.nd.gov/ndfossil/paleoregs/ Accessed December 8, 2016.

State of North Dakota (North Dakota). 2016. North Dakota Century Code. Available online at: http://www.legis.nd.gov/general-information/north-dakota-century-code Accessed December 8, 2016

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