MUNICIPAL CONSULTATION FILING CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT PORTION OF THE INTERSTATE RELIABILITY PROJECT BY THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT & POWER COMPANY VOLUME 2 of 5 AUGUST, 2008 Municipal Consultation Filing for the Interstate Reliability Project VOLUME 2 – ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBITS EX.1: Supplemental Environmental Information EX.2: Wetlands and Watercourse Delineation Report 2004 EX.3: Wetland and Watercourse Report – Loop of the Manchester to Millstone Line into Card Street Substation – 2008 EX.4: Historic and Archaeological Resources EX.5: Inventory of Potential Breeding Bird Species and Habitat in the Proposed Connecticut to Rhode Island 345-kV Project Area 2004 EX.6: Agency Correspondence Municipal Consultation Filing for the Interstate Reliability Project EX.1: Supplemental Environmental Information Municipal Consultation Filing for the Interstate Reliability Project SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION FOR THE MUNICIPAL CONSULTATION FILING CONCERNING THE CONNECTICUT PORTION OF THE INTERSTATE RELIABILITY PROJECT BY THE CONNECTICUT LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY VOLUME 2 OF 5 AUGUST 2008 Municipal Consultation Filing Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 2 PAGE I. EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS...................................................... I-1 I.A Primary Route Under Consideration....................................................................................I-2 I.A.1 Topography, Geology, and Soils.............................................................................I-2 I.A.1.1 Topography.............................................................................................I-2 I.A.1.2 Geology...................................................................................................I-2 I.A.1.3 Soils ........................................................................................................I-3 I.A.2 Water Resources (Wetlands, Watercourses and Waterbodies) ...............................I-4 I.A.2.1 Wetlands and Watercourses....................................................................I-4 I.A.2.2 Drainage Basins and Streams .................................................................I-5 I.A.2.3 Floodplains .............................................................................................I-5 I.A.2.4 Groundwater Resources and Public Water Supplies ..............................I-6 I.A.3 Biological Resources...............................................................................................I-8 I.A.3.1 Vegetative Communities and Wildlife Resources ..................................I-8 I.A.3.2 Summary of Avian Studies.....................................................................I-9 I.A.3.3 Summary of Amphibian Studies...........................................................I-13 I.A.3.4 Fisheries................................................................................................I-13 I.A.3.5 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species...........................................I-15 I.A.4 Land Use, Land Use Plans, and Recreational/Scenic Resources ..........................I-16 I.A.4.1 Land Use...............................................................................................I-16 I.A.4.2 Land Use Plans .....................................................................................I-18 I.A.4.3 Recreational and Scenic Resources ......................................................I-19 I.A.5 Statutory Facilities ................................................................................................I-21 I.A.6 Transportation and Access ....................................................................................I-22 I.A.7 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................I-22 I.A.8 Noise .....................................................................................................................I-24 I.A.9 Air Quality ............................................................................................................I-25 I.B Route Variations ................................................................................................................I-25 I.B.1 Willimantic South Overhead Variation.................................................................I-26 I.B.2 Willimantic South Underground Variation...........................................................I-29 I.B.3 Mansfield Underground Variation ........................................................................I-32 I.B.4 Mount Hope Overhead Variation..........................................................................I-34 I.B.5 Mount Hope Underground Variation....................................................................I-36 I.B.6 Brooklyn Overhead Variation...............................................................................I-38 I.B.7 Brooklyn Underground Variation .........................................................................I-40 I.B.8 Putnam North Overhead Variation........................................................................I-42 I.B.9 Putnam North Underground Variation..................................................................I-43 I.C Substations and Other Transmission Facilities ..................................................................I-45 I.C.1 Loop of the Manchester to Millstone Line into Card Street Substation................I-45 I.C.2 Card Street Substation...........................................................................................I-47 II. OVERVIEW OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES......................................................................................................... II-1 II.A Project Route...................................................................................................................... II-2 II.A.1 Topography, Geology, Soils ................................................................................. II-2 II.A.2 Water Resources ................................................................................................... II-2 The Interstate Reliability Project TOC-1 August 2008 Municipal Consultation Filing Table of Contents II.A.2.1 Watercourses......................................................................................... II-3 II.A.2.2 Groundwater Resources and Public Water Supplies ............................ II-3 II.A.2.3 Wetlands ............................................................................................... II-4 II.A.3 Biological Resources............................................................................................. II-4 II.A.3.1 Vegetation Resources ........................................................................... II-4 II.A.3.2 Wildlife................................................................................................. II-6 II.A.3.3 Birds...................................................................................................... II-6 II.A.3.4 Amphibians........................................................................................... II-7 II.A.3.5 Fisheries................................................................................................ II-7 II.A.3.6 Rare, Threatened and Endangered Species........................................... II-7 II.A.4 Land Use, Land Use Plans and Recreational/Scenic Resources ........................... II-8 II.A.5 Statutory Facilities ................................................................................................ II-9 II.A.6 Transportation and Access .................................................................................... II-9 II.A.7 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................ II-9 II.A.8 Noise ................................................................................................................... II-11 II.A.9 Air Quality .......................................................................................................... II-11 II.B Overhead Route Variations.............................................................................................. II-12 II.B.1 Topography, Geology, Soils ............................................................................... II-12 II.B.2 Water Resources ................................................................................................. II-12 II.B.3 Biological Resources........................................................................................... II-12 II.B.3.1 Vegetation Resources ......................................................................... II-12 II.B.3.2 Fisheries.............................................................................................. II-13 II.B.4 Land Use, Land Use Plans and Recreational/Scenic Resources ......................... II-13 II.B.5 Cultural Resources .............................................................................................. II-14 II.C Underground Transmission Cables .................................................................................. II-14 II.C.1 Topography, Geology, Soils ............................................................................... II-14 II.C.2 Water Resources ................................................................................................. II-15 II.C.3 Biological Resources........................................................................................... II-16 II.C.3.1