Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Rochester Transmission Project Enhancement Exhibit 4 Environmental Impacts Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Exhibit 4: Environmental Impacts RTP Enhancement Article VII Certificate Amendment This page intentionally left blank. Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Exhibit 4: Environmental Impacts RTP Enhancement Article VII Certificate Amendment TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page EXHIBIT 4: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ........................................................................ 1 4.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 4.1.1 Project Description.................................................................................................... 1 4.1.2 Proposed Supplemental Property Rights .................................................................. 2 4.1.3 Proposed Overhead Transmission Line Construction............................................... 2 4.1.4 Clearing ..................................................................................................................... 2 4.1.5 Access Roads ............................................................................................................ 3 4.1.6 Construction Marshaling Yards or Staging Areas .................................................... 4 4.1.7 Construction and Upland Installation ....................................................................... 5 4.1.8 Structure Installation in Wetland Areas .................................................................... 6 4.1.9 Direct Embedded Pole Installation ........................................................................... 7 4.1.10 Concrete Foundation and Pole Installation ............................................................... 7 4.1.11 Conductor Stringing .................................................................................................. 8 4.1.12 Clean-up and Restoration .......................................................................................... 9 4.2 Land Use .......................................................................................................................... 9 4.2.1 Existing Land Uses ................................................................................................... 9 4.2.2 New York State Open Space Conservation Plan .................................................... 11 4.2.3 Local Land Use Planning and Policies ................................................................... 12 4.2.4 Floodplains .............................................................................................................. 13 4.2.5 Agricultural Districts .............................................................................................. 14 4.2.6 Land Use Impacts and Mitigation ........................................................................... 14 4.3 Visual Resources ............................................................................................................ 15 4.3.1 Existing Landscape Quality .................................................................................... 15 4.3.2 Visual Resource Inventory of Historic Areas, Parks, and Preserves ...................... 15 Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Exhibit 4: Environmental Impacts RTP Enhancement 4-i Article VII Certificate Amendment 4.3.3 Local Recreation Sites ............................................................................................ 20 4.3.4 Visual Impacts and Mitigation ................................................................................ 23 4.3.5 Digital Simulations ................................................................................................. 25 4.4 Cultural Resources ......................................................................................................... 25 4.4.1 Existing Setting ....................................................................................................... 25 4.4.2 Cultural Impacts and Mitigation ............................................................................. 32 4.5 Terrestrial Ecology and Wetlands .................................................................................. 33 4.5.1 Vegetation ............................................................................................................... 34 4.5.2 Wetlands ................................................................................................................. 36 4.6 Wildlife........................................................................................................................... 39 4.6.1 Wildlife Impacts and Mitigation ............................................................................. 43 4.7 Threatened and Endangered Species .............................................................................. 44 4.7.1 Threatened and Endangered Species Effects and Mitigation ................................. 44 4.8 Topography and Soils..................................................................................................... 44 4.8.1 Topography ............................................................................................................. 44 4.8.2 Geology ................................................................................................................... 45 4.8.3 Soils......................................................................................................................... 46 4.8.4 Geological Impacts and Mitigation ......................................................................... 47 4.9 Water Resources ............................................................................................................. 48 4.9.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................. 48 4.9.2 Water Resource Effects and Mitigation .................................................................. 50 4.10 Noise ........................................................................................................................... 52 4.10.1 State Noise Standards ............................................................................................. 52 4.10.2 Permanent Noise Effects ......................................................................................... 54 4.10.3 Temporary Noise Effects ........................................................................................ 54 Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Exhibit 4: Environmental Impacts RTP Enhancement 4-ii Article VII Certificate Amendment 4.10.4 Noise Effects & Mitigation ..................................................................................... 56 4.11 Electromagnetic Fields ............................................................................................... 57 4.12 References .................................................................................................................. 57 * * * * * LIST OF TABLES Table 4-1 Land Use within the Project ROW ...................................................................... 4-10 Table 4-2 Bond Act Properties within Three Miles of the Project ....................................... 4-20 Table 4-3 Local Recreation Sites within Three Miles of the Project ................................... 4-21 Table 4-4 Native American Precontact Archaeological Sites within Three Miles of the Project............. ........................................................................................................................... 4-27 Table 4-5 Historic Euro-American Archaeological Sites within Three Miles of the Project........... ............................................................................................................................. 4-30 Table 4-6 New York State and National Register of Historic Places Historic Districts ...... 4-31 Table 4-7 Community Cover Types Intersecting the Project ROW .................................... 4-34 Table 4-8 NYSDEC-Regulated Wetlands within the Project Area ...................................... 4-37 Table 4-9 Delineated Wetlands within the Project ROW .................................................... 4-38 Table 4-10 Summary of Representative Wildlife Reasonably Expected to Occur in the Project Area and Adjacent Areas ........................................................................................................... 4-42 Table 4-11 Unique Geological Features within Three Miles of the Project .......................... 4-46 Table 4-12 NRCS-Mapped Soils within the Project ROW in Monroe County ..................... 4-46 Table 4-13 NYSDEC-Mapped Streams Located within the Project ROW............................ 4-49 Table 4-14 Delineated Streams within the Project ROW....................................................... 4-50 Table 4-15 Sound Levels of Common Noise Sources ........................................................... 4-53 Table 4-16 Typical Construction Noise Levels at 50 feet from Residential Rear Yards ....... 4-55 Table 4-17 Typical Construction Noise Levels at 150 feet from Residences ........................ 4-56 * * * * * Rochester Gas and Electric Corporation Exhibit 4: Environmental Impacts RTP Enhancement 4-iii Article VII Certificate Amendment LIST OF FIGURES Figure 4-1 FEMA Floodplains Figure 4-2 Agricultural Districts Figure 4-3 Visual Simulations Figure 4-4 USFWS NWI and NYSDEC Wetlands Figure 4-5 Soils – Depth