Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Project Description and Purpose (Supplement) ATTACHMENT E 2010 MARINE SURVEY SUMMARY REPORT Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Attachment E Marine Route Survey Report July 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION NO. PAGE NO. 1.0 Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Physical and Chemical Characteristics of Major Aquatic Systems Sediment Sampling ........................................................................................................................................ 2 2.1 Geophysical Survey ...................................................................................................... 2 2.1.1 Methods ..................................................................................................................... 2 2.1.2 Existing Conditions .................................................................................................. 3 2.1.2.1 Lake Champlain ...................................................................................... 3 2.1.2.2 Champlain Canal ..................................................................................... 5 2.1.2.3 Hudson River .......................................................................................... 7 2.1.2.4 Harlem River and East River ................................................................ 12 2.2 Summary ..................................................................................................................... 15 2.3 Landfall Survey ........................................................................................................... 16 2.4 Sediment Survey ......................................................................................................... 17 2.4.1 Methods ................................................................................................................... 18 2.4.1.1 Sample Collection ................................................................................. 18 2.4.1.2 Laboratory Sampling Procedures .......................................................... 18 2.4.2 Existing Conditions ................................................................................................ 20 2.4.2.1 Lake Champlain .................................................................................... 20 2.4.2.2 Champlain Canal ................................................................................... 21 2.4.2.3 Hudson River ........................................................................................ 21 2.4.2.4 Harlem River and East River ................................................................ 25 2.4.3 Summary ................................................................................................................. 28 3.0 Benthic Resources ......................................................................................................... 29 3.1 Benthic Survey ............................................................................................................ 29 3.1.1 Methods ................................................................................................................... 29 3.1.2 Lake Champlain ...................................................................................................... 30 3.1.3 Champlain Canal .................................................................................................... 31 3.1.4 Harlem River and East River ................................................................................. 31 3.1.5 Summary ................................................................................................................. 32 4.0 Literature Cited ............................................................................................................. 33 i Champlain Hudson Power Express Inc Attachment E Marine Survey Summary Report Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII July 2010 Supplemental LIST OF TABLES Table 1: ER-L/ER-M Concentrations Table 2: Lake Champlain Sediment Sample Comparison Criteria Exceedances Table 3: Champlain Canal Sediment Sample Comparison Criteria Exceedances Table 4a: Hudson River Sediment Sample Comparison Criteria Exceedances Table 4b: Hudson River PCB Sediment Sample Comparison Criteria Exceedances Table 5: Harlem and East River Sediment Sample Comparison Criteria Exceedances Table 6: List of the Most Abundant Taxa Collected in Lake Champlain Benthic Samples Table 7: List of the Most Abundant Taxa Collected in Champlain Canal Benthic Samples Table 8: List of the Taxa Collected in the Harlem River Benthic Samples Table 9: List of the Most Abundant Taxa Collected in the East River Benthic Samples LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix A: Marine Route Survey Sediment Core and Benthic Sample Locations Appendix B: Marine Route Survey Technical Reports and Drawings (Full Size Rolled or 11x17) Appendix B of the Marine Survey Report contains Confidential Information and filed with the Public Service Commission Administrative Law Judges pursuant to New York’s Freedom of Information Law and 16 N.Y.C.R.R. § 6-1.4. Part I (Confidential - ALL) Geophysical Survey: Lake Champlain and Champlain Canal Landfall Surveys Part II (Confidential - ALL) Geophysical Survey: Hudson River Sediment Survey: Lake Champlain, Champlain Canal and Hudson River Benthic Survey: Lake Champlain and Champlain Canal Part III (Confidential – Geophysical Survey ONLY) Geophysical Survey: Harlem River, East River and Long Island Sound Sediment Survey: Harlem River, East River and Long Island Sound Benthic Survey: Harlem River, East River and Long Island Sound ii Champlain Hudson Power Express Inc Attachment E Marine Survey Summary Report Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Article VII July 2010 Supplemental 1.0 INTRODUCTION Subsequent to the start of the Marine Route Survey, there were some modifications to the proposed Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) project route as described below; however the marine route survey was conducted along the original Project route. The marine route survey field effort was conducted in the Spring of 2010 with final technical reports delivered by mid-June. As a result, these reports discuss two bi-poles with one bi-pole delivering power to Bridgeport, Connecticut, rather than the current Project configuration of a single bi-pole to the New York City metropolitan area. The text of the reports remains the same but for ease of review drawings19 through 75 of the OSI report were removed as they cover an area that is no longer part of the Project. Champlain Hudson Power Express Inc (CHPEI) a subsidiary of Transmission Developers Inc (TDI) proposes to develop the Champlain Hudson Power Express Project (Project) to connect renewable sources of power generation to load centers in and around the New York City. The Project will include underwater and underground, high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission cables connecting HVDC converter stations in Canada with a HVDC converter station in Yonkers or Astoria, New York. To the extent possible, CHPEI proposes to install the transmission cables along and within existing waterways to minimize land use and visual impacts typically associated with traditional overhead transmission lines, while simultaneously providing the additional capacity required to meet the increasing clean energy demands of the greater New York City metropolitan area. The Project consists of a 1,000 megawatt (MW) HVDC underwater/underground HVDC transmission system that includes one 1,000 MW bipole (a bipole includes two cables connected as a bipole pair), extending between the Canadian border and New York City, New York. CHPEI has designed the Project to meet the New York City area’s need for additional sources of competitively priced electricity from safe and reliable renewable sources of energy. The proposed transmission cable route corridor was developed to avoid and minimize potential environmental impacts and along favorable conditions for the installation of the cable. The selection of the proposed cable corridor and route took into consideration water depths, geology, contaminated sediments, fishing activities, restricted areas, environmentally sensitive areas, cultural resources and physical obstacles. In order to resolve data gaps and to further refine the underwater transmission cable route, a Marine Route Survey was conducted for a 300’ wide corridor during spring 2010. The Marine Route Survey included geophysical, sediment and benthic surveys: • Geophysical surveys were conducted to investigate existing bottom features in the lakes, rivers and canals along the proposed route. Surveys were conducted using multi-beam bathymetry, side-scan sonar, magnetometer and sub-bottom profile. • The sediment survey was conducted to collect information on the existing sediment type and quality along the proposed route. Champlain Hudson Power Express Inc Attachment E: Marine Survey Summary Report Champlain Hudson Power Express Project 1 Supplemental Article VII July 2010 • The benthic survey was conducted to augment existing benthic community data and will be used to assess potential impacts associated with the installation of the underwater transmission cable. CHPEI filed an Application for Certificate of Environmental Capacity and Public Need on March 30, 2010 (“Application”) with the New York State Public Service Commission. The Marine Route Survey data supplements the data discussed in Sections