Wind Energy Center Edgeley/Kulm Project, North Dakota
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Environmental Assessment Wind Energy Center Edgeley/Kulm Project North Dakota FPL Energy North Dakota Wind, LLC DOE/EA-1465 April 2003 Summary S - 1 SUMMARY The proposed Edgeley/Kulm Project is a cooperating agency with Western in 21-megawatt (MW) wind generation preparing the EA. project proposed by Florida Power and Light (FPL) Energy North Dakota Wind This document follows regulation issued LLC (Dakota Wind) and Basin Electric by the Council on Environmental Quality Power Cooperative (Basin). The proposed (CEQ) for implementing procedural windfarm would be located in La Moure provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), County, south central North Dakota, near and is intended to disclose potential the rural farming communities of Kulm and impacts on the quality of the human Edgeley. The proposed windfarm is environment resulting from the proposed scheduled to be operational by the end of 2003. Dakota Wind and other project project. If potential impacts are proponents are seeking to develop the determined to be significant, preparation proposed Edgeley/Kulm Project to provide of an Environmental Impact Statement utilities and, ultimately, electric energy would be required. If impacts are consumers with electricity from a determined to be insignificant, Western renewable energy source at the lowest would complete a Finding of No possible cost. Significant Impact (FONSI). A new 115-kilovolt (kV) transmission line Environmental protection measures that would be built to transmit power would be included in the design of the generated by the proposed windfarm to an existing U.S. Department of Energy, proposed project to mitigate potential Western Area Power Administration impacts include: (Western) substation located near Edgeley. The proposed interconnection ¾ FPL Energy’s General Bidding would require modifying Western’s Instructions to prospective windfarm Edgeley Substation. construction contractors; Modifying the Edgeley Substation is a ¾ Best Management Practices (BMPs) Federal proposed action that requires developed by FPL Energy for similar Western to review the substation projects; modification and the proposed windfarm project for compliance with Section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act ¾ Western’s Construction Standard 13, (NEPA) of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4332, and Environmental Quality Protection Department of Energy NEPA document, which provides general Implementing Procedures (10 CFR Part guidance for environmental protection 1021). Western is the lead Federal agency during both the construction and for preparation of this Environmental operation of the proposed windfarm; Assessment (EA). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is a ¾ North Dakota Department of Health permit requirements for storm water runoff control; Final EA S-2 Summary ¾ Air quality and erosion mitigation per foreseeable future activities in the North Dakota Department of Health area. requirements; and, A Draft EA was distributed for comment to ¾ Suggested Practices for Raptor cooperating agencies, interested agencies, Protection on Power Lines developed and interested members of the public by the Edison Electric Institute (EEI). during March 2003. Comments received are summarized in Chapter 4, and have ¾ In addition, Dakota Wind and its been addressed in this EA. partners have agreed to cooperatively participate with the USFWS and U.S. In summary, potential impacts to each Geological Survey (USGS) in a resource were evaluated to assess the Migratory Bird Baseline Investigation potential for significant impacts from and Monitoring Program that would be construction and operation of the proposed implemented at the time of start-up of project. No significant impacts were found the proposed windfarm. Because of based on the mitigation and commitments the proposed project’s location near contained in this EA. The evaluation high populations of nesting and considered the implementation of migratory species, these investigation mitigation prescribed by FPL Energy’s and monitoring efforts would provide BMPs and construction contractor baseline data to the wind energy requirements, Western’s Construction industry, USFWS, and USGS for future Standard 13, North Dakota Department of planning and regulation of wind Health permit requirements, and adopted energy projects. guidelines. Of specific importance to eliminating or minimizing impacts to the Potential impacts analyzed in this EA environment as a result of the proposed include those related to the following project is Dakota Wind’s and Basin’s siting resources: of project components to avoid such features as residences, wetlands, and ¾ Physical resources including geology cultural sites that occur in the project area. and soil, air, and water (surface and groundwater); Finally, an adjacent wind energy development project proposed by Otter ¾ Biological resources including Tail Power Company comprises a vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, and “reasonably foreseeable future action” in threatened, endangered, proposed, the project area. In the EA, Western and sensitive species; evaluated Otter Tail’s proposed project as having a cumulative effect on resources in ¾ Social resources including the project area. Consistent with the socioeconomics, environmental justice, proposed Edgeley/Kulm Project, the land use, visual, noise, recreation, proposed Otter Tail Project is not expected cultural, and Native American religious to result in any additional or cumulative concerns; and, impacts to those resources evaluated, if mitigation similar to the proposed ¾ Cumulative effects in consideration of Edgeley/Kulm Project is implemented. past, present, and reasonably Final EA TABLE OF CONTENTS Page SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................................S-1 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................1-1 Purpose of and Need for Action ................................................................................................1-2 Authorizing Actions ...................................................................................................................1-6 Public Scoping.............................................................................................................................1-6 CHAPTER 2: DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES....................2-1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................2-1 Proposed Action .......................................................................................................................2-1 Substation Modification.......................................................................................................2-1 Transmission Line and Collector Substation ....................................................................2-1 Windfarm.............................................................................................................................2-10 Environmental Protection Measures................................................................................2-18 Project Alternatives..................................................................................................................2-21 No Action Alternatives ......................................................................................................2-21 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis ................................2-22 CHAPTER 3: AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ...................................................................................3-1 Introduction.................................................................................................................................3-1 Physical Resources.....................................................................................................................3-2 Geology and Soil...................................................................................................................3-2 Air Resources........................................................................................................................3-8 Water Resources...................................................................................................................3-9 Biological Resources ................................................................................................................3-10 Vegetation...........................................................................................................................3-10 Wetlands .............................................................................................................................3-15 Wildlife.................................................................................................................................3-17 Threatened, Endangered, Proposed, and Sensitive Species.........................................3-20 Social Resources .......................................................................................................................3-21 Socioeconomics ..................................................................................................................3-21 Environmental Justice .......................................................................................................3-22 Land Use..............................................................................................................................3-23