CH2M HILL 2485 Natomas Park Drive Suite 600 Sacramento, CA 95833 Tel 916-920-0300 Fax 916-920-8463 December 20, 2010 DOCKET 382914 09-AFC-3 Mr. Craig Hoffman Project Manager DATE DEC 20 2010 California Energy Commission RECD. DEC 20 2010 1516 Ninth Street Sacramento, CA 95814-5512 Subject: Mariposa Energy Project (09-AFC-03) Applicant’s Testimony Dear Mr. Hoffman: Attached please find 1 hard copy and 1 electronic copy on CD-ROM of the Mariposa Energy Project Applicant’s Testimony. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact me at (916) 286-0348. Sincerely, CH2M HILL Doug Urry AFC Project Manager Attachment cc: C. Curry, Mariposa Energy, LLC. B. Buchynsky, Mariposa Energy, LLC. Mariposa Energy Project (09-AFC-03) Applicant’s Testimony Submitted to California Energy Commission Submitted by Mariposa Energy, LLC With Assistance from 2485 Natomas Park Drive Suite 600 Sacramento, CA 95833 December 2010 Contents Section Page Project Description ........................................................................................................................ 1 Electrical Transmission ................................................................................................................. 9 Air Quality and Greenhouse Gas Emissions ........................................................................... 13 Biological Resources .................................................................................................................... 25 Cultural Resources ...................................................................................................................... 35 Geological Resources .................................................................................................................. 41 Hazardous Materials Handling ................................................................................................. 45 Land Use ....................................................................................................................................... 51 Noise and Vibration .................................................................................................................... 57 Paleontological Resources .......................................................................................................... 61 Public Health ................................................................................................................................ 63 Socioeconomics ............................................................................................................................ 67 Soils ................................................................................................................................................ 71 Traffic and Transportation ......................................................................................................... 77 Traffic and Transportation—Aviation ...................................................................................... 81 Visual Resources .......................................................................................................................... 91 Waste Management ..................................................................................................................... 95 Water Resources .......................................................................................................................... 99 Worker Health and Safety ........................................................................................................ 105 Alternatives ................................................................................................................................ 109 Appendixes A Resumes B Signed Declarations Project Description I. Introduction A. Name: Doug Urry, Gary Normoyle B. Qualifications: The panel’s qualifications are as noted in their resumes contained in Appendix A. C. Prior Filings: In addition to the statements herein, this testimony includes by reference the following documents submitted in this proceeding: • Application for Certification, Volume 1, Section 2.0 Project Description; Volume 2, Appendix 2A Design Criteria, Appendix 2B Heat and Mass Balance Calculations, Appendix 2C Preliminary Geotechnical Report, Appendix 2D BBID Will Serve Letter, Appendix 2E PG&E Will Serve Letter, dated June 15, 2009 [Exhibit 1]. • Supplement A, Data Adequacy, Project Description, dated July 31, 2009 [Exhibit 5]. • Applicant's Supplement B Additional Laydown Area Analysis, Project Description, dated March 5, 2010 [Exhibit 6]. • Applicant’s Data Response Set 1D, dated March 31, 2010. Response to CEC Staff & Data Request 56 [Exhibit 11]. • Project Description Update for Proposed Water Supply and Natural Gas Pipelines, dated December 1, 2010 [Exhibit 64]. • Project Description Update, Water Conservation Program, dated December 9, 2010 [Exhibit 66]. To the best of our knowledge, all of the facts contained in this testimony (including all referenced documents) are true and correct. To the extent this testimony contains opinions, such opinions are our own. We make these statements, and render these opinions freely and under oath for the purpose of constituting sworn testimony in this proceeding. II. Summary of Testimony A. Summary MEP will be a nominal 200-megawatt (MW) peaking facility consisting of four General Electric (GE) LM6000 PC-Sprint natural gas-fired combustion turbine generators (CTG) and associated equipment. The project consists of construction of new generation as well as connection to natural gas, water, and electrical transmission interties. 1 The facility will be located southeast of the intersection of Bruns Road and Kelso Road on a 10-acre portion of a 158-acre parcel immediately south of the Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) Bethany Compressor Station and 230-kV Kelso Substation. The proposed power plant site is located in the southern portion of the parcel, between two small hills. The project site is in northeastern Alameda County, in an unincorporated area designated for Large Parcel Agriculture by the East County Area Plan. The Assessor’s parcel number is 099B-7050-001-10. Access is via an access road that runs east from Bruns Road to the MEP site, within the parcel. The 6.5-MW Byron Power Cogen Plant currently occupies 2 acres of the 158-acre parcel. The remainder of the parcel is non-irrigated grazing land. There was prior wind turbine development on the project site and the southern portion of the parcel. Minor debris from that development remains on site. The project is expected operate 600 hours per year on average, but will be permitted to run up to a maximum of 4,000 hours per year. Primary equipment for the generating facility will include four General Electric (GE) LM6000 PC-Sprint natural gas-fired combustion turbine generators (CTG) and associated equipment. Power will be transmitted to the grid at 230-kV through a new 0.7-mile transmission line that will connect to the existing Kelso Substation. A new 580-foot 8 inch diameter natural gas pipeline will interconnect the project to PG&E’s Line 2, which is an existing high-pressure natural gas pipeline located northeast of the project site, on the same 158-acre parcel. Service and process water will be raw water provided from a new connection to the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) via a new pump station and 1.8-mile pipeline. MEP will utilize 35 acre-feet of water per year based on the expected operating scenario of 600 hours per year, and 200 starts/stops. In the event of maximum permitted annual operation, MEP will utilize 187 acre-feet of water for 4,000 hours of operation and 300 starts/stops. Stormwater runoff from non-process areas will be detained on-site in an extended detention basin and released according to regulatory standards for stormwater quality control. Storm water entering plant drains that potentially could contain oil or grease will be routed through an oil/water separator and recycled for process use. All domestic wastewater will be routed to an on-site septic system tank and removed via truck for off-site disposal. Air emissions control systems will include a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system for nitrogen oxides (NOx) control using 19-percent aqueous ammonia and an oxidation catalyst for carbon monoxide (CO) control. Temporary construction facilities will include a 9.2-acre worker parking and laydown area immediately east of the project site, a 1-acre water supply pipeline parking and laydown area located at the Byron-Bethany Irrigation District (BBID) headquarters facility, to serve water pipeline construction needs, and a 0.6-acre laydown area along the transmission line route. The project will have the following design features: • Four GE LM6000 PC Sprint combustion turbine generators CTGs and associated support equipment. • Air emissions control systems including SCR systems for NOx control and oxidation catalyst for CO control. 2 • A new, approximately 0.7-mile-long, 230-kV transmission line to deliver the plant output to the electrical grid via the existing 230-kV Kelso Substation located north of the project site. • Approximately 580 feet of new 8-inch-diameter natural gas pipeline that will run directly northeast from the project site to interconnect with PG&E’s existing high pressure natural gas pipeline. • A new 10-inch-diameter, 1.8-mile water supply line from BBID Canal 45. B. Major Electrical Equipment and Systems This section describes MEP’s major electrical equipment and systems. AC Power-