Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line Summary of the Environmental Impact Statement March 2020 This study was conducted for Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie by Hydro-Québec Innovation, équipement et services partagés in collaboration with the Division Exploitation et Hydro-Québec Production and the Vice-présidence – Communications, affaires gouvernementales et relations avec les autochtones. Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line SUMMARY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie March 2020 THE PROJect at A GLANCE The Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line The new line route takes into consideration Project is part of Hydro-Québec’s development the region’s technical constraints and sensitive strategy to increase the company’s capacity environmental elements, as well as the to export power to the New England market. concerns expressed by the public. Located The interconnection will make it possible to mainly on private land, the route runs through deliver clean, renewable energy to Massachusetts an existing line corridor along 72% of its length. and will be profitable for both Québec and all The main impacts from the line’s construction of New England. and presence are • the need to acquire a few properties The project involves connecting Appalaches and servitudes; substation in the municipality of Saint-Adrien- • land clearing and loss of wildlife habitat; d’Irlande in Québec to a U.S. transmission line • the impact on tapped sugar bushes; and ending at a substation in Lewiston, Maine. • changes to the landscape. On the Québec side, a power line 103 km long Hydro-Québec will implement measures will be have to be built between Appalaches to mitigate and compensate for the substation and the connection point with the project’s impacts. Maine grid at the Canada–U.S. border, in the municipality of Frontenac. Work will also be required within the substation. Line length Commissioning 103 km 2022 Project cost 1.5 years $603 million Duration of environmental assessment and Line Substation Public consultation process $250 million $353 million Regional economic spinoffs Line Substation $30 million $21 million to $45 million to $36 million Appalaches-Maine Interconnection Line | Summary of the Environmental Impact Statement 3 Lac Sept # # Îles 73 285 # L'Islet 71°30' 71°0' 70°30' Human (MRC)environment 70°0' CAPITALE- Laurentides NATIONALE substation # # 20 Québec provincial park # Jacques- (03) # Montmagny L'Islet Cartier # # # (MRC) Infrastructure (MRC) substation # ##Québec # # # # 73 Highway Québec # Portneuf (TÉ) Lévis (MRC) # # # # 165 Provincial or secondary highway # # ## Transmission lines and substations ## # # 40 138 Lévis CHAUDIÈRE- # # 132 Lévis 69 kV (TÉ) substation APPALACHES # 120 kV Fleuve Saint-Laurent # (12) # # # #(St. Lawrence River) 230 kV 273 # Lotbinière # # 315 kV substation # # Bellechasse # 735 kV # Lotbinière (MRC) (MRC) # Private 73 # Boundaries 20 # La Nouvelle- International border # Beauce Administrative region Sainte-Marie (MRC) # # Regional county municipality (MRC) 269 or equivalent territory (TÉ) Urban growth area # Robert- Project component Cliche Les CENTRE-DU- (MRC) Study area QUÉBEC Etchemins (MRC) (17) # Beauceville Plessisville substation # # # Lac Appalaches Beauceville William L'Érable substation# # (MRC) # Antoine-Lemieux 108 Québec # ## substation Saint- # Thetford Mines Georges Québec # 165 # ! Victoriaville Thetford 271 NEW P.E.I. substation Montréal BRUNSWICK ! # Arthabaska Parc national Ontario (MRC) Les Appalaches 173 NOVA 46°0' de Frontenac Saint-Évariste SCOTIA (MRC) 46°0' #substation UNITED STATES Coleraine # Bolduc # La Guadeloupe 269 Boston ! substation substation 0 300 km 161 Disraeli Grand lac Saint-François Lac Lac Aylmer Beauce- Nicolet # Lambton Sartigan substation (MRC) # Lac Asbestos Les Sources Elgin (MRC) Lac Louise Le Granit 204 # # (MRC) 161 112 Weedon substation # Mégantic 108 substation # Québec ### Le Val-Saint- ESTRIE (05) Lac François Mégantic (MRC) Lac-Mégantic 214 Lac aux United States # # # Araignées # Mai ne Parc national du Sherbrooke# Mont-Mégantic # # Appalaches–Maine 212 Interconnection Line # Le Haut-Saint- François (MRC) Project Location Sources: BDGA, 1/1,000,000, MRN Québec, 2002 Road network, 1/250,000, BDTA (MERN Québec), Géomatique, HQIESP, 2017 Coaticook Protected areas in Québec, MDDELCC Québec, 2015 (MRC) BGTÉ, Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie, October 2018 PPAT, MAMOT Québec, September 2015 SDA, 1/20,000, MERN Québec, September 2017 Coaticook Project data, Hydro-Québec, October 2018 # Mapping: WSP File: 7578_rs_situa_get_008_200113a.mxd 0 9 18 km MTM, Zone 7, NAD83 (CSRS) 45°0' New Hampshire 45°0' January 2020 Ve r mont 71°30' 71°0' 70°30' 70°0' Document for information purposes only. For any other use, please contact Géomatique at Hydro-Québec Innovation, équipement et services partagés. 4 Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line | Summary of the Environmental Impact Statement TABLE OF CONTENts The Project at a Glance .........................................................3 1 Project Rationale ............................................................7 2 Project Overview ............................................................8 2.1 Addition of a converter at Appalaches substation .....................8 2.2 Construction of the power line ........................................8 2.2.1 Development of the proposed route.............................8 2.2.2 Description of route selected ...................................10 2.2.3 Technical description of proposed line ..........................13 2.3 Project schedule ......................................................14 2.4 Regional economic spinoffs...........................................14 2.5 Partnering with communities .........................................14 3 Impacts and Mitigation Measures .........................................17 3.1 Biophysical environment..............................................17 3.2 Human environment..................................................21 4 Public Participation.........................................................23 5 Monitoring of work and environmental follow-up .......................24 5.1 Environmental compliance monitoring...............................24 5.2 Environmental follow-up..............................................24 5.3 Vegetation control ....................................................24 6 Emergency Response Plan . .25 6.1 Construction phase ...................................................25 6.2 Operation phase ......................................................25 7 Government Approvals ....................................................26 Tables 1 Areas Crossed by Proposed Line . 10 2 Project Schedule ......................................................14 Figures 1 New Family of Vertical Configuration Towers .........................13 2 Typical Support and ROW Configurations for Proposed Power Line ..............................................15 Maps 1 Appalaches Substation and Border Connection Point .................6 2 Planned Expansion at Appalaches Substation .........................9 3 Study Corridor and Route Selected for Proposed Power Line.........11 Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line | Summary of the Environmental Impact Statement 5 # # ## # # # # Québec 72°0' 71°30' # 71°0' 70°30' 70°0' Portneuf (TÉ) Lévis Human environment (MRC) # # # # 354 # Québec provincial park ## # ## # ## Infrastructure 40 138 Lévis CHAUDIÈRE- # 132 Lévis # (TÉ) substation APPALACHES 73 Highway # Fleuve Saint-Laurent # (12) # #(St. Lawrence River) Provincial or secondary highway 273 165 # Lotbinière # substation Transmission# lines and substations # # Bellechasse # Lotbinière (MRC) 69 kV # (MRC) 73 # 120 kV # 230 kV # La Nouvelle- 20 # # # Beauce 315 kV 218 (MRC) # Sainte-Marie # 735 kV # # Private 269 Boundaries # Robert- International border Cliche CENTRE-DU- Les Administrative region (MRC) Etchemins QUÉBEC (MRC) Regional county municipality (MRC) (17) # Beauceville or equivalent territory (TÉ) Plessisville substation # # # Urban growth area Lac Appalaches Beauceville William L'Érable substation# # (MRC) ## Antoine-Lemieux 108 # ## substation Saint- # Thetford Mines Georges # 165 # Victoriaville Thetford 271 Québec substation # Arthabaska Parc national Les Appalaches 173 Québec 46°0' (MRC) ! de Frontenac Saint-Évariste NEW P.E.I. (MRC) 46°0' substation Montréal BRUNSWICK # ! Coleraine # # La Guadeloupe 269 Ontario NOVA substation Bolduc SCOTIA 161 Disraeli Grand lac Saint-François substation UNITED STATES # Lac Boston # Lac Aylmer Beauce- ! 0 300 km Nicolet # Lambton Sartigan substation (MRC) # Lac Asbestos Les Sources Elgin (MRC) Lac Louise Le Granit 204 # # (MRC) 161 112 Weedon substation Des Cantons# Mégantic substation 108 substation # Québec #### Le Val-Saint- ESTRIE (05) Lac # François Mégantic (MRC) Lac-Mégantic 214 Lac aux \¬ United States # # # Araignées # Mai ne Connection point Parc national du # Sherbrooke# Mont-Mégantic # # 212 # Le Haut-Saint- François (MRC) Appalaches–Maine Interconnection Line Coaticook Appalaches Substation (MRC) and Border Connection Point Coaticook Sources: # BDGA, 1/1,000,000, MRN Québec, 2002 Road network, 1/250,000, BDTA (MERN Québec), Géomatique, HQIESP, 2017 Protected areas in Québec, MDDELCC Québec, 2015 BGTÉ, Hydro-Québec TransÉnergie, October 2018 PPAT, MAMOT Québec, September 2015 SDA, 1/20,000, MERN Québec, September 2017 45°0' New Hampshire Project data, Hydro-Québec, April 2019 45°0' Mapping: WSP Ve r mont File: 7578_rsc1_get_103_intercon_200113a.mxd