Vineyard Wind Connector 2
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Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) Office Environmental Notification Form For Office Use Only EEA#: MEPA Analyst: The information requested on this form must be completed in order to submit a document electronically for review under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act, 301 CMR 11.00. Project Name: Vineyard Wind Connector 2 Street Address: Offshore export cables from Federal/Massachusetts offshore boundary, northerly to Craigville Public Beach in Barnstable (Preferred Route), and onshore underground cables to a new substation in Barnstable and ultimately to an interconnection point at Eversource’s existing 345-kV West Barnstable Substation. An alternative onshore route in Barnstable between the same landfall site, substation, and interconnection point is also possible, as is an alternative landfall site at Covell’s Beach in Barnstable. Municipality: Barnstable Watershed: Cape Cod Universal Transverse Mercator Coordinates: Latitude: 41.637 to 41.686 388228 (easting) 4610344 (northing) to 387647 Longitude: -70.342 to -70.3501 (easting) 4615794 (northing) (UTM Zone 19N) Estimated commencement date: 2023 Estimated completion date: 2025 Project Type: Utility infrastructure Status of project design: 25% complete Proponent: Vineyard Wind LLC Street Address: 700 Pleasant Street, Suite 510 Municipality: New Bedford State: MA Zip Code: 02740 Name of Contact Person: Holly Carlson Johnston Firm/Agency: Epsilon Associates, Inc. Street Address: 3 Mill & Main Place, Suite 250 Municipality: Maynard State: MA Zip Code: 01754 Phone: 978-897-7100 Fax: 978-897-0099 E-mail: [email protected] Does this project meet or exceed a mandatory EIR threshold (see 301 CMR 11.03)? Yes No If this is an Expanded Environmental Notification Form (ENF) (see 301 CMR 11.05(7)) or a Notice of Project Change (NPC), are you requesting: a Single EIR? (see 301 CMR 11.06(8)) Yes No a Special Review Procedure? (see 301CMR 11.09) Yes No a Waiver of mandatory EIR? (see 301 CMR 11.11) Yes No a Phase I Waiver? (see 301 CMR 11.11) Yes No (Note: Greenhouse Gas Emissions analysis must be included in the Expanded ENF.) 1 UTM Coordinates and Latitude/Longitude are given for the preferred landfall site at Craigville Public Beach and the interconnection point at the 345kV West Barnstable Substation. Effective January 2011 Which MEPA review threshold(s) does the project meet or exceed (see 301 CMR 11.03)? ♦ 301 CMR 11.03(7)(b)(4): Construction of electric transmission lines with a Capacity of 69 or more kV, provided the transmission lines are one or more miles in length along New, unused, or abandoned right of way. ♦ 301 CMR 11.03(3)(a)(1)(b): Provided that a Permit is required: alteration of ten or more acres of any other wetlands (no BVW alteration; temporary disturbance of ocean bottom, RFA and LSCSF) (ENF and EIR Threshold). ♦ 301 CMR 11.03(3)(b)(3): Dredging of 10,000 or more cy of material ♦ 301 CMR 11.03(1)(b)(3): Conversion of land held for natural resources purposes in accordance with Article 97 of the Amendments to the Constitution of the Commonwealth to any purpose not in accordance with Article 97 and/or potential for release of an interest in land held for conservation purposes(for underground easements associated with certain routes and variants). ♦ 301 CMR 11.03(2)(b)(1): Greater than two acres of disturbance of designated priority habitat, as defined in 321 CMR 10.01, that results in a take of a state-listed endangered or threatened species or species of special concern (possible pending NHESP consultation). ♦ 301 CMR 11.03(3)(b)(1)(a): Provided that a Permit is required: alteration of coastal dune, barrier beach or coastal bank (no bank will be directly altered, but a narrow strip of dune between the Craigville Beach parking lot and Craigville Beach Road may be temporarily affected, and paved portions of area mapped as barrier beach will have temporary construction impacts). Which State Agency Permits will the project require: See Attachment D for complete permit list. ♦ Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection: Chapter 91 License, 401 Water Quality Certification, Superseding Orders of Conditions (if required); ♦ Department of Public Utilities/Energy Facilities Siting Board: Approval under MGL c. 164 Sections 69J and 72, and Chapter 40A Section 3 Zoning Exemption; ♦ Massachusetts Department of Transportation: Road Crossing Permits; ♦ Massachusetts Historical Commission: Field investigation permits; and ♦ NHESP: Conservation and Management Permit (potential).2 Identify any financial assistance or land transfer from an Agency of the Commonwealth, including the Agency name and the amount of funding or land area in acres: The Project does not involve any state funding or land transfer. 2 In addition, there are a number of consultations/reviews that are required but are not technically “permits”, including MEPA Environmental Review and MHC Section 106 consultations. - 2 - Summary of Project Size Existing Change Total & Environmental Impacts LAND Total site acreage 16.9 3 New acres of land altered 7.0 4 Acres of impervious area 3.3 5 0.2 6 3.5 Square feet of new bordering 0 vegetated wetlands alteration Square feet of new other wetland 4.9 million alteration (112 acres) 7 Acres of new non-water dependent 0 use of tidelands or waterways STRUCTURES Gross square footage 17,400 8 43,600 61,000 9 Number of housing units 0 0 0 Maximum height (feet) N/A 40 10 40 TRANSPORTATION Vehicle trips per day 0 <1 <1 11 Parking spaces 0 3 3 WASTEWATER 3 16.9 acres = 4.6 acres to be occupied by the offshore export cables (assumption is two 10-inch-diameter offshore export cables installed along the 23-mile Offshore Export Cable Corridor [OECC] in state waters) + 2.8 acres to be occupied by the onshore duct bank along the preferred 4-mile transmission route and 0.7-mile grid interconnection route (assuming a 5-foot-wide duct bank) + 6.7 acres assuming maximum use of the proposed substation site + 2.8 acres for maximum build-out of parcel 214-001. 4 Calculated for onshore land area: 1.2 acres for the 11-foot-wide duct bank trench used to install the onshore duct bank along existing utility ROW on the preferred routes (0.2 miles along preferred transmission route and 0.7 miles along preferred grid interconnection route) + 3.0 acres of currently undeveloped/forested area proposed to be altered during maximum build-out of the substation site + 2.8 acres of maximum potential build-out on parcel 214-001 immediately southeast of the West Barnstable Substation (assumes use for northern terminus of Route 6 trenchless crossing and possibly some substation equipment). 5 Existing impervious area is calculated as 2.3 acres of footprint of proposed duct bank (assuming 5-foot-wide duct bank) beneath existing roadways on the preferred routes (3.8 miles) + 1 acre of existing impervious area on the site of the proposed substation. 6 The proposed substation design will increase impervious area on the substation site by approximately 0.2 acres. If assessor map parcel 214-001 is used for the relocation of some substation equipment, this estimate will need to be revised. 7 4.9 million square feet (112 acres) = ~802,000 sf (18.4 acres) for burial of two offshore export cables through 23 miles of state waters, for which trenching is expected to temporarily affect an area approximately 3.3 feet (1m) wide + 2.4 million sf (56 acres) for temporary surficial disturbance from tool skids, assuming two 5-foot (1.5-m) wide skids + 1.1 million sf (25 acres) for dredging of sand waves within state waters (inclusive of approximately 1:3 sideslopes) to achieve sufficient burial depth (this area is an incremental addition outside of the area affected by trenching or skids) + 536,000 sf (12.7 acres) for anchoring. Project engineers are currently working to estimate the possible length of cable protection that may be necessary along the two proposed offshore export cables. 8 There is an existing 17,400-square-foot motel building on the site of the proposed substation that will be demolished. 9 The only enclosures proposed for the Project are those associated with the proposed substation, estimated at approximately 61,000 square feet. 10 Substation equipment and enclosures are expected to be 40 feet or less in height. The maximum height of any element of the proposed substation is ~80 feet (slender lightning protection masts). 11 Project requires no on-site employees. Vehicle trips per day excludes construction traffic. - 3 - Water Use (Gallons per day) 0 0 0 Water withdrawal (GPD) 0 0 0 Wastewater generation/treatment 0 0 0 (GPD) Length of water mains (miles) 0 0 0 Length of sewer mains (miles) 0 0 0 Has this project been filed with MEPA before? Yes (EEA # ) No Has any project on this site been filed with MEPA before Yes No The alternative landfall site located at Covell’s Beach was the preferred landfall site in Vineyard Wind Connector 1, filed with MEPA as EEA #15787. - 4 - GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION – all proponents must fill out this section Introduction and Context Off the coast of southern New England, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has designated a Wind Energy Area (MA/RI WEA) consisting of seven lease areas reserved for the development of offshore wind energy generation projects. The location of these lease areas was determined through a process that involved significant public input over a period of more than six years. Vineyard Wind, LLC (Vineyard Wind, the Company or Proponent) holds Lease Area OCS-A 0501 (Lease Area), where it is developing several projects.12 Vineyard Wind’s first project is fully permitted at the state level as Vineyard Wind Connector 1 (EEA #15787).