DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE COHOCTON WIND POWER PROJECT Town of Cohocton, Steuben County, NY Project Sponsor: Canandaigua Power Partners, LLC 100 Wells Avenue, Suite 201 Newton, Massachusetts 02459 Contact: Chris Swartley Phone: (617) 964-3340 Lead Agency: Town of Cohocton Planning Board P.O. Box 327 Cohocton, New York 14826-0327 Contact: Mr. Sandor Fox Phone: (585) 384-5330 Prepared By: Environmental Design & Research, Landscape Architecture, Environmental Services, Engineering and Surveying, P.C. (EDR) 238 West Division Street Syracuse, New York 13204 Contact: John Hecklau Phone: (315) 471-0688 Date Submitted to Lead Agency: March 31, 2006 Date Accepted by Lead Agency: TABLE OF CONTENTS COMMONLY USED ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ................................................... ix FIRMS INVOLVED IN PREPARATION OF THE DEIS .......................................................... xi 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY..............................................................................................1 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION ...................................................................8 2.1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................8 2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION......................................................................................10 2.2.1 Wind Turbines .................................................................................................11 2.2.2 Electrical System .............................................................................................12 2.2.3 Access Roads..................................................................................................13 2.2.4 Meteorological Towers.....................................................................................14 2.2.5 Staging Area....................................................................................................14 2.2.6 Operations and Maintenance Building.............................................................14 2.3 PROJECT PURPOSE, NEED AND BENEFIT........................................................14 2.4 PROJECT CONSTRUCTION .................................................................................16 2.4.1 Pre-construction Activities ...............................................................................16 2.4.2 Staging Areas ..................................................................................................17 2.4.3 Site Preparation...............................................................................................17 2.4.4 Access Road Installation .................................................................................18 2.4.5 Foundation Construction..................................................................................19 2.4.6 Buried Cable Installation..................................................................................20 2.4.7 Wind Turbine Assembly and Erection..............................................................21 2.4.8 115 kV Transmission Line ...............................................................................22 2.4.9 Collection Station and Substation....................................................................23 2.5 OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE.....................................................................24 2.6 DECOMMISSIONING.............................................................................................25 2.7 PROJECT COST AND FUNDING ..........................................................................26 2.8 PERMITS AND APPROVALS REQUIRED.............................................................26 2.9 PUBLIC AND AGENCY INVOLVEMENT................................................................27 2.9.1 SEQRA Process ..............................................................................................28 2.9.2 Agency and Public Review ..............................................................................29 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING, POTENTIAL IMPACTS, AND PROPOSED MITIGATION ..............................................................................................................31 3.1 GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND TOPOGRAPHY..............................................................31 3.1.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................31 3.1.1.1 Topography ..............................................................................................31 3.1.1.2 Geology ....................................................................................................31 3.1.1.3 Soils..........................................................................................................32 3.1.2 Potential Impacts .............................................................................................34 3.1.2.1 Construction .............................................................................................34 3.1.2.2 Operation..................................................................................................36 3.1.3 Proposed Mitigation.........................................................................................36 3.2 WATER RESOURCES ...........................................................................................38 3.2.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................38 3.2.1.1 Surface Waters.........................................................................................38 3.2.1.2 Wetlands ..................................................................................................39 3.2.1.2.1 Existing Information ..............................................................................39 3.2.1.2.2 Field Review and Wetland Community Types ......................................41 3.2.1.3 Groundwater.............................................................................................43 3.2.2 Potential Impacts .............................................................................................44 Draft Environmental Impact Statement i Cohocton Wind Power Project 3.2.2.1 Construction .............................................................................................44 3.2.2.1.1 Surface Waters and Wetlands ..............................................................44 3.2.2.1.2 Groundwater .........................................................................................45 3.2.2.2 Operation..................................................................................................47 3.2.2.2.1 Surface Waters and Wetlands ..............................................................47 3.2.2.2.2 Groundwater .........................................................................................48 3.2.3 Proposed Mitigation.........................................................................................48 3.3 BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................51 3.3.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................51 3.3.1.1 Vegetation ................................................................................................51 3.3.1.1.1 Ecological Communities........................................................................51 3.3.1.1.2 Significant Natural Communities/Rare Plant Species ...........................53 3.3.1.2 Fish and Wildlife .......................................................................................54 3.3.1.2.1 Birds .....................................................................................................54 3.3.1.2.2 Mammals ..............................................................................................59 3.3.1.2.3 Reptiles and Amphibians ......................................................................60 3.3.1.2.4 Fish.......................................................................................................60 3.3.1.2.5 Wildlife Habitat......................................................................................61 3.3.1.2.6 Threatened and Endangered Species ..................................................62 3.3.2 Potential Impacts .............................................................................................64 3.3.2.1 Construction .............................................................................................64 3.3.2.1.1 Vegetation.............................................................................................64 3.3.2.1.2 Fish and Wildlife ...................................................................................65 3.3.2.1.3 Threatened and Endangered Species ..................................................66 3.3.2.2 Operation..................................................................................................67 3.3.2.2.1 Vegetation.............................................................................................67 3.3.2.2.2 Wildlife ..................................................................................................67 3.3.2.2.3 Threatened and Endangered Species ..................................................74 3.3.3 Proposed Mitigation.........................................................................................76 3.3.3.1 Vegetation ................................................................................................77