The City of El Dorado Wind Energy Project
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DOE/EA 1833 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT THE CITY OF EL DORADO WIND ENERGY PROJECT EL DORADO, BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Golden Field Office FEBRUARY 2011 DOE/EA 1833 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT THE CITY OF EL DORADO WIND ENERGY PROJECT EL DORADO, BUTLER COUNTY, KANSAS U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Golden Field Office FEBRUARY 2011 COVER SHEET RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) TITLE: Final Environmental Assessment for the City of El Dorado Wind Energy Project, El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas (DOE/EA 1833). CONTACT: For additional copies or more information on this Environmental Assessment (EA), please contact: Amy Van Dercook NEPA Document Manager U.S. Department of Energy Golden Field Office 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401-3305 Phone: 720.356.1666 E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT: DOE has provided an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Development Block Grant (EECBG) award to the State of Kansas and proposes to authorize the State to expend $250,000 of this Federal grant to assist with financing of the design, permitting and construction of the City of El Dorado Wind Energy Project (the proposed project), a proposed 1.0-megawatt wind turbine to be located immediately west of the El Dorado Wetlands and Water Reclamation facility located at 105 Wetlands Drive in El Dorado, Butler County, Kansas. DOE has authorized the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to use a percentage of Federal funding for preliminary activities, which includes preparation of this EA, analyses 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 site is in a rural area, approximately 1.5 miles south of downtown El Dorado and adjacent to U.S. Route 77. The City has selected the Nordic Windpower N1000 wind turbine, which would provide approximately 2,430 megawatt-hours of renewable energy annually to the Reclamation Facility and result in a net decrease in emissions of approximately 2,223 short tons of carbon dioxide equivalents for each year of operation. The wind energy produced would meet approximately 98 percent of the Facility’s average annual electricity needs. This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the proposed construction, operation, and eventual decommissioning of the proposed project and the alternative of not implementing this project (the No-Action Alternative). PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT: The public was provided with an opportunity to comment on the draft EA via email or written correspondence. Details regarding the comments and responses are included in Appendix E. AVAILABILITY: This EA is available on the DOE Golden Field Office Public Reading Room website, (http://www.eere.energy.gov/golden/reading_room.aspx) and on the DOE NEPA Website (http://nepa.energy.gov/DOE_NEPA_documents.htm). DOE/EA 1833 iii February 2011 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS APE area of potential effect ARRA American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 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 DNL Day Night Average Sound Level DOE U.S. Department of Energy EA Environmental Assessment EECBG Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant EMF electromagnetic fields EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency FIRM Flood Insurance Rate Map FR Federal Register GHG greenhouse gas IBA Important Bird Area KAR Kansas Administrative Regulations KCC Kansas Corporation Commission KDHE Kansas Department of Health and Environment KDWP Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks KSHS Kansas Historical Society MBTA Migratory Bird Treaty Act NAGPRA Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act NEPA National Environmental Policy Act NHPA National Historic Preservation Act NOA Notice of Availability NPDES National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System NRCS Natural Resources Conservation Service NRHP National Register of Historic Places NTIA National Telecommunication and Information Administration SHPO State Historic Preservation Office (Officer) SWPPP Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan US-77 U.S. Highway 77 U.S.C. U.S. Code USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service WSU Wichita State University DOE/EA 1833 iv February 2011 Contents CONTENTS Section Page 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.1 National Environmental Policy Act and Related Procedures ......................................................... 1 1.2 Background .................................................................................................................................... 2 1.3 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................................................... 2 1.3.1 DOE’s Purpose and Need .......................................................................................................... 2 1.3.2 Kansas’s Purpose and Need ...................................................................................................... 2 1.3.3 Kansas’ EECBG Project Selection Process ............................................................................... 3 1.4 Public and Agency Involvement .................................................................................................... 3 1.4.1 Public Scoping ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.4.2 Public and Agency Coordination............................................................................................... 3 1.4.3 Draft Environmental Assessment .............................................................................................. 4 2. PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................. 6 2.1 DOE’s Proposed Action ................................................................................................................. 6 2.2 Kansas’ Proposed Project ............................................................................................................... 6 2.2.1 Project Location ........................................................................................................................ 6 2.2.2 Construction and Installation ..................................................................................................... 6 2.2.3 Operations and Maintenance ..................................................................................................... 8 2.2.4 Decommissioning ...................................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Alternatives .................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3.1 DOE Alternatives ...................................................................................................................... 8 2.3.2 No-Action Alternative ............................................................................................................... 9 2.3.3 Alternatives Considered by the City of El Dorado .................................................................... 9 2.3.3.1 Turbine Selection.................................................................................................................. 9 2.3.3.2 Site Selection ........................................................................................................................ 9 2.3.3.3 Disposition of Energy and Utility Interconnections ........................................................... 10 2.4 Permits, Approval, and Notifications ........................................................................................... 10 2.5 Project Proponent-Committed Practices ...................................................................................... 11 2.5.1 Visual Quality.......................................................................................................................... 11 2.5.2 Cultural and Historic Resources .............................................................................................. 11 2.5.3 Geology and Soils ................................................................................................................... 11 2.5.4 Biological Resources ............................................................................................................... 11 2.5.5 Human Health and Safety ........................................................................................................ 12 2.5.6 Water Resources ...................................................................................................................... 12 2.5.6.1 Ground and Surface Water ................................................................................................. 12 2.5.6.2 Floodplains and Wetlands .................................................................................................. 12 2.5.7 Air Quality ............................................................................................................................... 12 2.5.8 Utilities and Energy ................................................................................................................