1 3 4 2 Cover Photo Credits 1. TDI-NE (http://wamc/files/styles/default/public/201410/new-england-clean-power-link-map- ctsy-tdi-new-england.jpg" alt="">) 2. NECPL exit from Lake Champlain (Benson, Vermont) courtesy of TDI-NE 3. Lake Bomoseen, Fair Haven, Vermont courtesy of TDI-NE 4. TDI-NE 2014a FINAL NEW ENGLAND CLEAN POWER LINK PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DOE/EIS-0503 VOLUME I: IMPACT ANALYSES U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY OFFICE OF ELECTRICITY DELIVERY AND ENERGY RELIABILITY COOPERATING AGENCIES U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS U.S. COAST GUARD OCTOBER 2015 This Page Intentionally Left Blank Final New England Clean Power Link EIS COVER SHEET RESPONSIBLE FEDERAL AGENCY U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability COOPERATING AGENCIES U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) TITLE New England Clean Power Link Transmission Line Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS-0503) LOCATION Grand Isle, Chittenden, Addison, Rutland, and Windsor counties in Vermont CONTACTS For additional information on this Final EIS contact: Mr. Brian Mills, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Document Manager Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, OE-20 U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 Telephone: (202) 586-8267 [email protected] ABSTRACT: Champlain VT, LLC, d/b/a Transmission Developers Inc. - New England (TDI-NE) applied to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to construct, operate and maintain a 154-mile long electric transmission line in the United States from the border with Canada, near the town of Alburgh, Vermont. The New England Clean Power Link (NECPL) Project would consist of one 1,000- megawatt, high voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line and a new converter station in Ludlow, Vermont. This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) addresses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed transmission line (Preferred Alternative) and the No Action Alternative. The proposed transmission cable would include both aquatic (underwater) and terrestrial (primarily underground) segments in Vermont. The underwater portions of the transmission cable would be buried in the beds of Lake Champlain, and the terrestrial portions would be buried, principally in roadway rights-of-way and railway beds. The transmission cable would consist of two transmission cables. A new converter station in Ludlow, Vermont, would convert the electrical power from DC to alternating current (AC) and interconnect to Vermont Electric Power Company’s existing substation in Cavendish, Vermont. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Comments on the Draft EIS were accepted for a 60-day period following publication of EPA’s Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register on June 12, 2015. The DOE held two public meetings on the Draft EIS (July 15, 2015 in South Burlington, Vermont and July 16, 2015 in Rutland, Vermont). All comments were considered during preparation of the Final EIS. Appendix M–Comment Response Document of this Final EIS contains revisions and new information based in part on comments received on the Draft EIS. Vertical bars in the margins marking changed text indicate the locations of these revisions and new information. Deletions are not indicated. U.S. Department of Energy October 2015 i Final New England Clean Power Link EIS The Final EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the DOE issuing a Presidential permit for the proposed NECPL Project, which is DOE’s proposed Federal action (Preferred Alternative). If the DOE determines that granting a Presidential permit is in the public interest, the information contained in this Final EIS will also help to inform the DOE’s decision regarding potential mitigation measures and other conditions of the permit. Copies of the Final EIS are available for public review at 11 local libraries as noted in Appendix B–EIS Distribution List of the Final EIS or a copy may be requested from Mr. Brian Mills. The Final EIS also is available on the NECPL Project EIS Web site (http://necplinkeis.com/). The DOE will announce its decision on the Proposed Action in a Record of Decision (ROD) in the Federal Register no sooner than 30 days after EPA publishes the NOA of the Final EIS. U.S. Department of Energy October 2015 ii Final New England Clean Power Link EIS Table of Contents Cover Sheet........................................................................................................................................ i Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. iii List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................... vi Table of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vi Table of Tables ............................................................................................................................... vii Summary .......................................................................................................................................S-1 S.1 Background .......................................................................................................................S-1 S.2 DOE’s Purpose of and Need for Agency Action .................................................................S-2 S.3 Applicant’s Objectives .......................................................................................................S-2 S.4 Public Participation and Interagency Coordination .............................................................S-2 S.5 Alternatives Analyzed........................................................................................................S-6 S.5.1. No Action Alternative ...................................................................................................S-6 S.5.2. DOE’s Proposed Action ................................................................................................S-7 S.6 Proposed NECPL Project Overview ...................................................................................S-7 S.6.1. Construction and Schedule .......................................................................................... S-11 S.6.1.1. Aquatic Transmission Cable Installation ................................................................ S-11 S.6.1.2. Terrestrial Direct Current Transmission Cable Installation ..................................... S-13 S.7 Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Further Detailed Analysis .......................... S-15 S.7.1. Collocating the Cables ................................................................................................ S-15 S.7.2. Other Alternatives ...................................................................................................... S-15 S.7.3. Conservation and Demand Reduction Measures .......................................................... S-15 S.7.4. Transmission Technologies ......................................................................................... S-15 S.8 Summary of Potential Effects Associated with the Proposed NECPL Project ................... S-16 1 Purpose of and Need for the Action ................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Background ....................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 DOE’s Purpose of and Need for Agency Action ................................................................. 1-2 1.3 DOE’s Proposed Action ..................................................................................................... 1-2 1.4 TDI-NE’s Objectives ......................................................................................................... 1-2 1.5 Public Participation and Interagency Coordination ............................................................. 1-3 1.5.1 Public Scoping ........................................................................................................ 1-4 1.5.2 Issues Outside the Scope of this EIS – Canada ......................................................... 1-5 1.5.3 Interagency Coordination ........................................................................................ 1-5 1.5.4 Federal, State, and Local Authorizations and Approvals .......................................... 1-5 1.5.5 Draft EIS Public Review ......................................................................................... 1-7 1.6 Organization of this Final EIS ............................................................................................ 1-8 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives ...................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action ................................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 No Action Alternative ........................................................................................................ 2-1 2.3 Proposed NECPL Project Overview ................................................................................... 2-1 2.3.1 Issuance of the Certificate of Public Good ............................................................... 2-7 2.4 Proposed NECPL