DOE/EIS-0032 Final IEmrironmental Impact Statement 500 KV INTERNATIONAL TRANSMISSION LINE NSP-TR.. 1 Forbes, Minnesota to Manitoba, Canada Northern States Power Company U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY January 1979 --- -�-- Available from: National Technical Information Service (NTIS) U.S. Department of Commerce 5285 Port Royal Road Springfield, Virginia 22161 Price: Printed Copy: $ 9.00 Microfiche: $9.00 DOE/E IS-0032 UC-11, 13, 97a Rnal Environmental Impact Statement 500 KV INTERNATIONAL TRANSMISSION LINE NSP-TR-1 Forbes, Minnesota to Manitoba, Canada Northem States Power Company Responsible Official u.s. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Washington, DC 20545 /-) /' / r\�/ ·- . / { .('- L r. tv " ;. I 1( ( /'- L . January 1979 , Assistant- Secretary Ruthfor Environment C. Clusen CONTENTS Page t:.i st of Figures vi List of Tables vi i 1. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 1-1 1.1 Introduction .... 1-1 1.2 Construction Impacts 1-1 1.3 Operational Impacts 1-2 1.4 Overall Findings . 1-2 2. THE PROPOSED PROJECT . 2-1 2.1 Objectives ..... 2-1 2.2 General Description 2-1 2.3 Federal Requi rements ... 2-1 2.4 The Proposed Transmission Line 2-1 2.4.1 Proposed Route ...... 2-1 2.4.1 .1 Route Selection Process 2-1 2.4.1 .2 The Designated Route 2-2 2.4.2 Design Parame ters 2-4 2.4.2.1 Tower Design ..... 2-4 2.4.2.2 Conductor Design ... 2-7 2.4.2.3 Line Design ..... 2-7 2.4.2.4 Right-of-Way Requirements 2-7 2.4.2.5 Substation Accommodations 2-10 2.5 Construction of the Line ..... 2-10 2.5.1 Right-of-Way Clearing 2-1 0 2.5.1 .1 Seasonal As pects of Vegetation Clearing and Line Construction 2-12 2.5.1 .2 Clearing Methods ...... 2-12 2.5.1 .3 Disposal of Cleared Vegetation 2-12 2.5.2 Access Roads and Bridges 2-1 3 2.5.2.1 Access Roads .. 2-13 2.5.2.2 Bridges ....... 2-1 3 2.5.3 Tower Installation .... 2-14 2.5.3.1 Tower Foundation System 2-14 2.5.3.2 Tower Erection Procedure 2-14 2.5.4 Conductor Stringing 2-14 2.5.5 Environmental Control s and Impact Mitigation Measures 2-15 2.5.5.1 Timing of Clearing 2-1 5 2.5.5.2 Selective Clearing . 2-15 2.5.5.3 Debris Removal .... 2-15 2.5.5.4 Erosion Control 2-15 2.6 Operation and Ma i ntenance of the Line 2-1 6 2.6.1 Operational Characteristi cs 2-16 2.6.1 .1 Corona Phenomena . 2-16 2.6.1 .2 Conduction Potential 2-17 2.6.1 .3 Induction Potential 2-17 2.6.2 Mai ntenance 2-1 8 2.6.2.1 Transmission Li ne 2-18 2.6.2.2 Right-of-Way 2-18 2.6.3 Restoration 2-20 References for Section 2 2-20 3. THE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT 3-1 3.1 Land Use ..... 3-1 3.1.1 Land Ownership Patterns 3-1 3.1.1 .1 Federal 3-1 3 . 1 . 1 . 2 S ta te 3-1 3.1 .1 .3 County . 3-1 3.1.1. 4 Private 3-1 3.1 .2 Land Resources 3-2 3.1 .2.1 Agricul ture 3-2 iii iv CONTENTS Page 3.1.2.2 Forestry ..... 3-2 3.1.3 Recreational Resources 3-4 3.2 Soi ls and Geol09Y 3-7 3 . 2 . 1 So i 1 s ..... 3-7 3.2.2 Surficial Geology 3-8 3.3 Hydrol09Y 3-8 3.3.1 Streams 3-9 3.3.2 Lakes 3-9 3.3.3 Wetlands 3-1 9 3.4 Cl imate 3-19 3.4.1 General Influences 3-19 3.4.2 Winds 3-19 3.4.3 Precipitation 3-19 3.4.4 F09 3-19 3.4.5 Storms .... 3-24 3.4.6 Air Quality . 3-24 3.5 Biotic Resources . 3-24 3.5.1 Aquatic Environment 3-24 3.5.1 .1 Streams 3-24 3.5.1 .2 Lakes .... 3-25 3.5.1 . 3 Wetlands ... 3-25 3.5.2 Terrestrial Environment 3-25 3.5.2.1 Flora ....... 3-25 3.5.2.2 Fauna ........ 3-26 3.6 Endangered and Threatened Species 3-30 3.6.1 Aquatic .......... 3-30 3.6.2 Terrestrial ......... 3-31 3.7 Historic and Prehistoric Cul tural Resources 3-31 3.7.1 Re9 i on . 3-31 3.7.2 Transm ission Corridor ..... 3-33 3.8 Re9ional Population Distribution and Social Profile 3-33 3.8.1 Dem09raphy of the Area ... 3-33 3.8.1.1 General Characteristics 3-33 3.8.1 .2 Growth Dynamics 3-33 3.8.2 Community Characteristics 3-33 3.8.2.1 Settl ement Pattern ... 3-34 3.8.2 2 Soc ial Organization 3-34 3.8.2.3 Industrial Organization 3-34 3.8.2.4 Pol itical Organization . 3-37 References for Section 3 ...... 3-38 4. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT 4-1 4.1 Impacts on the Land and Land Use 4-1 4.1 .1 Geology ........ 4-1 4.1 .2 Soils ......... 4-1 . 4.1.2.1 Construction Effects 4-1 4.1 .2.2 Operational Effects 4-2 4.1 .3 Agricul ture and Forestry 4-3 4.2 Impacts on Water Use .. 4-3 4.2.1 Construction Effects 4-3 4.2.2 Operational Effects 4-5 4.3 Impacts on Air Qual ity . 4-6 4.3.1 Construction Impacts 4-6 4.3.2 Operational Impacts 4-6 4.4 Impacts on Biota .... 4-6 4.4.1 Construction Impacts 4-6 4.4.1 .1 Fl ora ..... 4-6 4.4 .1 .2 Terrestrial Fauna 4-7 4.4.1 .3 Aquatic Fauna 4-8 4.4.2 Operational Impacts 4-9 4.4.2.1 No ise ..... 4-9 4.4.2.2 Vol ta ge Effects 4-9 4.4.2.3 Effects on Fl ora 4-13 4.4.2.4 Effects on Fa una 4-1 3 4.5 Impacts on Endangered Species 4-1 5 4.5.1 Construction 4-15 4.5.2 Operation ....... 4-1 5 v CONTENTS Page 4.6 Impacts on Cultural Resources 4-16 4.7 Impacts on the Community 4-16 4.7.1 Demography ....... 4-16 4.7.1 .1 Rel ocation ..... 4-16 4.7.1 .2 I nm i gra t ion . 4-16 4.7.2 Settl ement Pattern ... 4-16 4.7.2.1 Housing and Industry 4-1 6 4.7.2.2 Transportation .. 4-17 4.7.3 Social Organization . 4-18 4.7.3 .1 Social Services . 4-18 4.7.4 Economic Organization 4-19 4.7.4.1 Direct Impacts .. 4-19 4.7.4.2 Indirect Impacts . 4-1 9 4.7.5 Pol itical Organization 4-19 4.7.6 Recreation ...... 4-19 4.7.7 Conclusion .......... .. 4-21 4.8 Impacts Associ ated with Substation Facil ities 4-21 References for Section 4 4-21 5. UNAVOIDABLE ADVERSE EFFECTS . 5-1 5.1 Construction Impacts ...... 5-1 5.2 Operational Impacts ...... 5-1 5.3 Other Considerations of Impacts 5-2 6. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL SHORT-TERM USES OF MAN 'S ENV IRONMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY . 6-1 7. IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMM ITMENTS OF RESOURCES 7 -1 8. ALTERNATIVES TO THE PROPOSED ACTION . 8-1 8.1 The No-Action Al ternative . 8-1 8.2 Construction of Additional Generating Capacity wi thin the Area 8-1 8.2.1 Base Load Oil 8-1 8.2.2 Base Load Coal . 8-1 8.2.3 Base Load Nuclear 8-5 8.2.4 Peaking Units 8-5 8.2.5 Other Technologies 3-5 8.2.5.1 Solar and Wind Power 8-5 8.2.5.2 r;atural Gas . 8-5 8.2.5.3 Geothermal . 8-5 3.2.5.4 Petrol eum Liquids . 8-5 8.2.5.5 Advanced Nuclear Sources 8-5 8.2.5.6 Hyd roelectric Power . 8-5 8.2.5.7 Municipal Sol id Wastes . 8-6 8.3 Al ternate Vol tages . 8-6 3.4 Power Purchased from a U. S. Source . 8-6 8.5 Effect of Conservation and Rate Schedule Strategies upon El ectrical Demand 8-6 8.6 na nitoba Hydro as a Source of Summer Interchange 3-10 8.7 Al ternative Routes for the Transmission Line 8-1 7 8.8 Concl usion . 8-20 References for Section 8 . 8-21 9. PERMITS AND COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER REGULATIONS AND CODES 9-1 9.1 Government Permits Required 9-1 9.1 .1 Federal .. ... ... ... ... ....... 9-1 9.1 .2 State...................... 9-1 10. MEETINGS HELD AND CONTACTS MAD E FOR OBTAINING INFORMAT ION UTILIZED IN PREPARING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT 10-1 10.1 Meetings . 10-1 10.2 Tel ephone Contacts . 10-1 APPENDIX A COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT ENV IRONMENTAL U1PACT STATEr�ENT A-l APPENDIX B SUMMARY OF MAN ITOBA HYDRO ENVI ROrlMENTAL ASSESSMENT . B-1 APPENDIX C RESULTS OF THE U. S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERV ICE "THRESHOLD EXAMINATION" C-l FIGURES Figure Page 2.1 Designated Route of the Proposed 500-kV Transmission Line 2-3 2.2 Sel f-Supporting Steel Structure .......... 2-5 2.3 Guyed Alumi num Structure .............