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Final Environmental Assessment for Heartland Community College Wind Energy Project, Normal, Mclean County, Illinois (DOE/EA 1807)

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Final Environmental Assessment for Heartland Community College Wind Energy Project, Normal, Mclean County, Illinois (DOE/EA 1807) DOE/EA 1807 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HEARTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE WIND ENERGY PROJECT NORMAL, MCLEAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Golden Field Office DECEMBER 2010 DOE/EA 1807 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HEARTLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE WIND ENERGY PROJECT NORMAL, MCLEAN COUNTY, ILLINOIS U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Golden Field Office DECEMBER 2010 COVER SHEET RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) TITLE: Final Environmental Assessment for Heartland Community College Wind Energy Project, Normal, McLean County, Illinois (DOE/EA 1807). CONTACT: For additional copies or more information on this Environmental Assessment (EA), please contact: John Jediny NEPA Document Manager Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (OIBMS-EE-3C) Rm. 5H-095 U.S. Department of Energy 1000 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, DC, 20585 Phone: 202-586-4790 Fax: 202-586-6551 Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT: DOE has provided a State Energy Program (SEP) grant to the State of Illinois and proposes to authorize the State to expend $500,000 of this Federal grant to assist with the financing of the design, permitting, and construction of the Heartland Community College (HCC) Wind Energy Project, a proposed 1.5-megawatt wind turbine on the northern end of the HCC campus, just south of Interstate 55, in Normal, Illinois. DOE has already authorized the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to use a percentage of Federal funding for preliminary activities, which includes preparation of this EA, conducting analysis, and agency consultation. These activities do not significantly impact the environment nor represent an irreversible or irretrievable commitment by DOE in advance of the conclusion of the EA. The proposed wind turbine would provide electricity directly to HCC, enabling it to reduce the electrical demands of the institution and lower the carbon footprint associated with daily operations. HCC has not finalized the selection of a manufacturer or wind turbine. Therefore, the analysis in this EA used specifications for one of the largest 1.5-megawatt models under consideration, the GE 1.5 MW XLE. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed construction, operation, and decommissioning of the HCC Wind Energy Project (proposed project) and the alternative of not implementing this project (the No-Action Alternative). PUBL IC INVOL VEMENT: The public was provided with an opportunity to comment on the draft EA via email or written correspondence. Details regarding the comment process are included in Section 1.4 of this document. Public comments and responses are included in Appendix E. DOE/EA 1807 iii December 2010 AVAILABILITY: This EA is available on the DOE Golden Field Office Reading Room website, http://www.eere.energy.gov/golden/Reading_Room.aspx , and the DOE NEPA Website, http://nepa.energy.gov/DOE_NEPA_documents.htm. DOE/EA 1807 iv December 2010 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APE area of potential effect ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 BBS Breeding Bird Survey BMP best management practice CFR Code of Federal Regulations dBA Decibel on an A-weighted scale, used to approximate the human ear’s response to sound DCEO (Illinois) Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity DOE U.S. Department of Energy DNL Day Night Average Sound Level EA Environmental Assessment EcoCAT Ecological Compliance Assessment Tool EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration GE General Electric GHG Greenhouse Gas HAARGIS Historic Architectural and Archaeology Resources Geographic Information System HCC Heartland Community College I-55 Interstate 55 IBA Important Bird Area IDNR Illinois Department of Natural Resources IHPA Illinois Historic Preservation Agency INHD Illinois Natural Heritage Database IPCB Illinois Pollution Control Board MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NOA Notice of Availability NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NRHP National Register of Historic Places NTIA National Telecommunications and Information Administration OSHA Occupational Safety and Health Administration SEP State Energy Program SHPO State Historic Preservation Office or Officer U.S.C. United States Code USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service DOE/EA 1807 v December 2010 Contents CONTENTS Section Page 1. INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................................1 1.1 National Environmental Policy Act and Related Procedures .............................................1 1.2 Background ........................................................................................................................1 1.3 Purpose and Need ...............................................................................................................2 1.3.1 DOE’s Purpose and Need ..............................................................................................2 1.3.2 Illinois’ Purpose and Need .............................................................................................2 1.3.3 ILLINOIS’ SEP PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS ..................................................3 1.4 Public and Agency Involvement ........................................................................................3 1.4.1 Scoping ..........................................................................................................................3 1.4.2 Draft Environmental Assessment ..................................................................................4 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ....................................................................6 2.1 DOE’s Proposed Action .....................................................................................................6 2.2 Illinois’ Proposed Project ...................................................................................................6 2.2.1 Project Location .............................................................................................................6 2.2.2 Construction and Installation .........................................................................................8 2.2.3 Decommissioning ........................................................................................................10 2.3 Alternatives ......................................................................................................................10 2.3.1 DOE Alternatives .........................................................................................................10 2.3.2 No-Action Alternative .................................................................................................11 2.3.3 Alternatives Considered by the Project Proponent ......................................................11 2.4 Permits, Approvals, and Notifications .............................................................................12 2.5 Project Proponent-Committed Practices ..........................................................................12 2.5.1 Bird, Bat, and Raptor Avoidance and Minimization Measures ...................................12 2.5.2 Cultural and Historic Resources ..................................................................................13 2.5.3 Human Health and Safety ............................................................................................14 2.5.4 Noise ............................................................................................................................14 2.5.5 Soil and Geology..........................................................................................................14 2.5.6 Waste Management ......................................................................................................14 2.5.7 Operation and Maintenance .........................................................................................14 2.5.8 Utilities and Energy .....................................................................................................14 3. AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ...........................15 3.1 No-Action Alternative ......................................................................................................15 3.2 Illinois’ Proposed Project .................................................................................................16 3.2.1 Considerations Not Carried Forward For Analysis .....................................................16 3.2.1.1 Intentional and Destructive Acts .............................................................................16 3.2.1.2 Waste Management .................................................................................................16 3.2.1.3 Water Resources ......................................................................................................16 3.2.2 Considerations Carried Forward for Further Analysis.................................................17 3.2.2.1 Land Use ..................................................................................................................17 3.2.2.2 Visual Quality ..........................................................................................................19 3.2.2.3 Noise ........................................................................................................................24
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