Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final Environmental Assessment U.S. Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration DOE/EA-2016 November 2016 Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final Environmental Assessment Butte County, South Dakota U.S. Department of Energy Western Area Power Administration DOE/EA-2016 November 2016 Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final EA Table of Contents TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. 1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Western’s Purpose and Need ............................................................................... 1-3 1.2 Wind Quarry’s Goals and Objectives .................................................................. 1-3 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF PROPOSED ACTION AND NO ACTION ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Western’s Proposed Action.................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Willow Creek Wind Farm ..................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Project Life Cycle ................................................................................. 2-7 2.2 No Action Alternative .......................................................................................... 2-7 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ 3-1 3.1 Land Cover and Land Use ................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Geologic Setting................................................................................................... 3-4 3.3 Hydrologic Setting and Water Resources ............................................................ 3-5 3.4 Air Quality and Climate ....................................................................................... 3-7 3.5 Acoustic Environment ......................................................................................... 3-7 3.6 Ecological Resources ........................................................................................... 3-7 3.6.1 Plant Communities ................................................................................ 3-8 3.6.2 Wildlife ................................................................................................. 3-8 3.6.3 Aquatic Biota ........................................................................................ 3-9 3.6.4 Threatened, Endangered, and Special Status Species ........................... 3-9 3.7 Visual Resources ................................................................................................ 3-11 3.8 Paleontological Resources ................................................................................. 3-11 3.9 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. 3-12 3.10 Socioeconomics ................................................................................................. 3-13 3.11 Environmental Justice ........................................................................................ 3-14 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ............................................................ 4-1 4.1 Land Cover and Land Use ................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 Geologic Setting and Soil Resources ................................................................... 4-2 4.3 Water Resources .................................................................................................. 4-4 4.4 Air Quality and Climate ....................................................................................... 4-4 4.5 Noise Impacts....................................................................................................... 4-5 4.6 Ecological Resources ........................................................................................... 4-6 4.6.1 Vegetation ............................................................................................. 4-6 4.6.2 Wildlife ................................................................................................. 4-8 4.6.3 Aquatic Biota and Habitats ................................................................... 4-9 4.6.4 Threatened and Endangered Species .................................................... 4-9 4.6.5 Migratory Birds and Eagles ................................................................ 4-11 4.7 Visual Resources ................................................................................................ 4-12 Western Area Power Administration TOC-1 Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final EA Table of Contents 4.8 Paleontological Resources ................................................................................. 4-13 4.9 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................. 4-13 4.10 Socioeconomics ................................................................................................. 4-14 4.11 Environmental Justice ........................................................................................ 4-15 4.12 Hazardous Materials and Waste......................................................................... 4-16 4.13 Health and Safety ............................................................................................... 4-16 5.0 CUMULATIVE IMPACTS .................................................................................. 5-1 6.0 COORDINATION .............................................................................................. 6-1 6.1 Federal Agencies .................................................................................................. 6-1 6.2 State and Local Agencies ..................................................................................... 6-1 6.3 Native American Tribes and Associated Bodies ................................................. 6-2 6.4 Non-Governmental Organizations ....................................................................... 6-3 7.0 LIST OF PREPARERS ..................................................................................... 7-1 8.0 REFERENCES .................................................................................................. 8-1 APPENDIX A - WIND TURBINE CHARACTERISTICS APPENDIX B - WILDLIFE REPORT AND BIRD AND BAT CONSERVATION STRATEGY APPENDIX C - CULTURAL RESOURCES IDENTIFIED WITHIN AREA OF POTENTIAL EFFECT APPENDIX D - BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES AND CONSERVATION MEASURES APPENDIX E - WILLOW CREEK PROJECT DISTURBANCE AREA APPENDIX F - CONSISTENCY EVALUATION FORMS APPENDIX G - SCOPING MEETING INFORMATION APPENDIX H - AGENCY CORRESPONDENCE AND PUBLIC COMMENTS APPENDIX I - AGENCY AND PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT EA APPENDIX J - ANALYSIS OF COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT EA Western Area Power Administration TOC-2 Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final EA Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES Page No. Table 3-1: Land Cover Types Within the Project Area ........................................................... 3-1 Table 3-2: Land Uses Within the Project Area ........................................................................ 3-3 Table 3-3: Project Area Roads ................................................................................................. 3-4 Table 3-4: Previously Recorded Archaeological Sites within Project APE .......................... 3-12 Table 3-5: Key Measures of Economic Development ........................................................... 3-13 Table 3-6: Minority and Low-Income Populations ............................................................... 3-14 Table 7-1: List of EA Preparers ............................................................................................... 7-1 Western Area Power Administration TOC-3 Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final EA Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES Page No. Figure 1-1: Proposed Wind Farm Layout ................................................................................. 1-2 Figure 2-1: Proposed Wind Turbine Dimensions ..................................................................... 2-3 Figure 3-1: Land Cover Types .................................................................................................. 3-2 Figure 3-2: Water Resources ..................................................................................................... 3-6 Figure 4-1: Predicted Sound Level Contours ............................................................................ 4-7 Western Area Power Administration TOC-4 Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final EA List of Abbreviations LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS Abbreviation Term/Phrase/Name ADT average daily traffic BMP best management practices CEQ Council on Environmental Quality CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO2 carbon dioxide CRP Conservation Reserve Program dBA A-weighted decibels EA Environmental Assessment EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FPPA Farmland Protection Policy Act FSA Farm Service Agency FWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service GSU generator step up transformer HAP hazardous air pollutant JEDI Jobs and Economic Development Impact kV kilovolt LIDAR light detection and ranging MW megawatt NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NEPA National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 Western Area Power Administration i Willow Creek Wind Energy Facility Final EA List of Abbreviations