DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR HYDROPOWER LICENSES Piedmont Hydroelectric Project, P-2428-007 Upper Pelzer Hydroelectric Project, P-10254-026 Lower Pelzer Hydroelectric Project, P-10253-032 South Carolina Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Office of Energy Projects Division of Hydropower Licensing 888 First Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20426 July 2019 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................... v ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS.......................................................................... vii 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 1.1 APPLICATIONS .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 PURPOSE OF ACTION AND NEED FOR POWER ......................................... 4 1.2.1 Purpose of Action ............................................................................................. 4 1.2.2 Need for Power ................................................................................................. 5 1.3 STATUTORY AND REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ................................ 5 1.3.1 Federal Power Act ............................................................................................ 5 1.3.2 Clean Water Act ............................................................................................... 6 1.3.3 Endangered Species Act ................................................................................... 7 1.3.4 Coastal Zone Management Act ........................................................................ 9 1.3.5 National Historic Preservation Act ................................................................... 9 1.4 PUBLIC REVIEW AND COMMENT .............................................................. 10 1.4.1 Scoping ....................................................................................................... 10 1.4.2 Interventions ................................................................................................... 10 1.4.3 Comments on the Application ........................................................................ 10 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES ................................................... 11 2.1 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE ......................................................................... 11 2.1.1 Current Project Facilities ................................................................................ 11 2.1.2 Project Safety .................................................................................................. 20 2.1.3 Current Project Operations ............................................................................. 20 2.1.4 Current Environmental Measures ................................................................... 25 2.2 APPLICANTS’ PROPOSALS ........................................................................... 29 2.2.1 Proposed Project Facilities ............................................................................. 29 2.2.2 Proposed Project Operation ............................................................................ 29 2.2.3 Proposed Environmental Measures ................................................................ 30 2.2.4 Proposed Modifications to Project Boundary ................................................ 33 2.3 MODIFICATIONS TO APPLICANTS’ PROPOSALS – MANDATORY CONDITIONS .................................................................................................... 34 2.4 STAFF ALTERNATIVE ................................................................................... 34 2.5 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................ 37 2.5.1 Issuing a Non-power License ......................................................................... 37 2.5.2 Federal Government Takeover of the Projects ............................................... 38 2.5.3 Retiring the Projects ....................................................................................... 38 i 3.0 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS ......................................................................... 40 3.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE RIVER BASIN ..................................... 40 3.2 SCOPE OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ANALYSIS ....................................... 43 3.2.1 Geographic Scope ........................................................................................... 43 3.2.2 Temporal Scope .............................................................................................. 44 3.3 PROPOSED ACTION AND ACTION ALTERNATIVES ............................... 44 3.3.1 Geological and Soil Resources ....................................................................... 44 3.3.2 Aquatic Resources .......................................................................................... 54 3.3.3 Terrestrial Resources ...................................................................................... 93 3.3.4 Threatened and Endangered Species ............................................................ 122 3.3.5 Recreation and Land Use.............................................................................. 133 3.3.6 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................ 144 3.4 NO-ACTION ALTERNATIVE ....................................................................... 149 4.0 DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS ...................................................................... 150 4.1 POWER AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE PIEDMONT PROJECT .. 150 4.1.1 Comparison of Alternatives .......................................................................... 151 4.1.2 No Action Alternative .................................................................................. 152 4.1.3 Aquenergy’s Proposal .................................................................................. 152 4.1.4 Staff Alternative ........................................................................................... 152 4.1.5 Cost of Environmental Measures ................................................................. 153 4.2 POWER AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE UPPER PELZER PROJECT ......................................................................................................... 161 4.2.1 Comparison of Alternatives .......................................................................... 162 4.2.2 No Action Alternative .................................................................................. 162 4.2.3 Co-applicants’ Proposal................................................................................ 162 4.2.4 Staff Alternative ........................................................................................... 163 4.2.5 Cost of Environmental Measures ................................................................. 163 4.3 POWER AND ECONOMIC BENEFITS OF THE LOWER PELZER PROJECT ......................................................................................................... 171 4.3.1 Comparison of Alternatives .......................................................................... 172 4.3.2 No Action Alternative .................................................................................. 172 4.3.3 Co-applicants’ Proposal................................................................................ 172 4.3.4 Staff Alternative ........................................................................................... 173 4.3.5 Cost of Environmental Measures ................................................................. 173 5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................. 180 5.1 COMPREHENSIVE DEVELOPMENT AND RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE .............................................................................................. 180 5.1.1 Piedmont Project .......................................................................................... 180 5.1.2 Upper Pelzer Project ..................................................................................... 187 5.1.3 Lower Pelzer Project .................................................................................... 194 5.2 UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE EFFECTS ........................................................ 202 ii 5.3 SUMMARY OF SECTION 10(j) RECOMMENDATIONS ........................... 203 5.4 CONSISTENCY WITH COMPREHENSIVE PLANS ................................... 206 6.0 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ...................................................... 207 7.0 LITERATURE CITED ......................................................................................... 208 8.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ........................................................................................ 216 Appendix A ...................................................................................................................... 217 Appendix B ...................................................................................................................... 218 Appendix C ...................................................................................................................... 219 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. General location of the