Rhode Island Energy Facility Siting Board Environmental Report – Volume I Interstate Reliability Project North Smithfield and Burrillville, Rhode Island Prepared For: The Narragansett Electric Company d/b/a National Grid 40 Sylvan Road Waltham, Massachusetts 02451 Prepared By: AECOM 10 Orms Street, Suite 405 Providence, Rhode Island 02904 July 2012 This document has been reviewed for Critical Energy Infrastructure Information (CEII). This page intentionally left blank TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERSTATE RELIABILITY PROJECT ...................... 1-1 1.2 THE NEEWS PROJECTS AND THE NEEWS STUDY PROCESS .......................... 1-1 1.2.1 The 2008 SNETR Studies .................................................................................. 1-1 1.2.2 The NEEWS Projects ........................................................................................ 1-3 1.2.3 The 2008 Solution Report ................................................................................. 1-4 1.2.4 The 2011 IRP Updates ....................................................................................... 1-5 1.2.5 ISO-NE Proposed Plan Application ................................................................. 1-6 1.2.6 The 2012 IRP Update ........................................................................................ 1-6 1.3 REPORT PREPARATION AND RESPONSIBILITIES ............................................. 1-7 1.4 COMPLIANCE WITH EFSB REQUIREMENTS ....................................................... 1-7 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................... 2-1 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 2-1 2.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND PROPOSED ACTION ........................................... 2-1 2.3 PURPOSE AND NEED ................................................................................................... 2-2 2.4 ALTERNATIVES ............................................................................................................ 2-3 2.5 SUMMARY OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ................... 2-3 2.6 SUMMARY OF SOCIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION ........................................ 2-5 2.6.1 Social and Economic .......................................................................................... 2-5 2.6.2 Land Use ............................................................................................................. 2-5 2.6.3 Cultural and Historic Resources ...................................................................... 2-5 2.6.4 Visual Resources ................................................................................................ 2-6 2.6.5 Noise .................................................................................................................... 2-6 2.6.6 Electric and Magnetic Fields ............................................................................ 2-6 2.7 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 2-7 3 PROJECT NEEDS ANALYSIS .................................................................. 3-1 3.1 OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 THE NEW ENGLAND TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ................................................... 3-2 3.2.1 The New England East–West Interface ........................................................... 3-3 3.2.2 The 345 kV Card Street to West Medway Corridor ...................................... 3-4 3.3 2011 NEEDS ASSESSMENT .......................................................................................... 3-6 3.3.1 Study Description ............................................................................................... 3-6 3.3.2 Steady State Analysis ......................................................................................... 3-8 3.3.3 Transmission Transfer Capability Analysis .................................................. 3-16 3.4 THE 2012 IRP UPDATE ............................................................................................... 3-18 3.5 NEED IMPLICATIONS FOR RHODE ISLAND ...................................................... 3-18 3.6 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................... 3-19 i 4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND PROPOSED ACTION ....................... 4-1 4.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 4-1 4.2 SCOPE OF THE INTERSTATE RELIABILITY PROJECT ..................................... 4-1 4.3 DESCRIPTION OF THE RHODE ISLAND COMPONENTS OF THE INTERSTATE RELIABILITY PROJECT........................................................... 4-1 4.3.1 Construct New 345 kV Transmission Line (366 Line) from the Rhode Island/ Massachusetts Border to the West Farnum Substation .................... 4-3 4.3.2 Construct New 345 kV Transmission Line (341 Line) from the West Farnum Substation to the Rhode Island/Connecticut Border ....................... 4-4 4.3.3 Reconstruct and Reconductor 345 kV Transmission Line (328 Line) from the Sherman Road Switching Station to the West Farnum Substation ........ 4-4 4.3.4 Reconstruct the Sherman Road Switching Station ......................................... 4-5 4.3.5 Reconstruct and Realign Existing 345 kV Transmission Line (3361 Line) .. 4-6 4.3.6 Reconstruct and Realign Existing 345 kV Transmission Line (333 Line) .... 4-6 4.3.7 Reconstruct and Realign Existing 345 kV Transmission Line (347 Line) .... 4-6 4.3.8 Modifications to Existing 115 kV Transmission Line (B-23 Line) ................ 4-7 4.3.9 Modifications to Existing 115 kV Transmission Line (T172N) ..................... 4-7 4.4 CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PLAN OVERVIEW .............................. 4-7 4.4.1 Transmission Line Construction Sequence ..................................................... 4-7 4.4.2 Sherman Road Switching Station Construction Sequence .......................... 4-14 4.4.3 Project Construction Traffic .......................................................................... 4-16 4.4.4 Project Construction Work Hours ................................................................. 4-16 4.4.5 Environmental Compliance and Monitoring ................................................ 4-17 4.4.6 ROW Vegetation Maintenance ....................................................................... 4-17 4.5 SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS ......................................... 4-18 4.6 HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ..................................................................................... 4-18 4.6.1 Sherman Road Switching Station ................................................................... 4-18 4.6.2 Transmission Line ........................................................................................... 4-19 4.7 PROJECT COMMUNITY OUTREACH .................................................................... 4-19 4.7.1 Neighborhood Outreach .................................................................................. 4-20 4.7.2 Open Houses ..................................................................................................... 4-20 4.7.3 Government, Business, and Civic Leaders/Groups ...................................... 4-21 4.7.4 Project Website ................................................................................................ 4-21 4.7.5 Project Hotline ................................................................................................. 4-21 4.7.6 Construction Communication Plan ................................................................ 4-21 4.8 ESTIMATED PROJECT COSTS ................................................................................ 4-22 4.9 PROJECT SCHEDULE ................................................................................................ 4-22 5 PROJECT ALTERNATIVES ..................................................................... 5-1 5.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 5-1 5.2 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ....................................................................................... 5-1 5.3 ELECTRICAL ALTERNATIVES ................................................................................. 5-2 ii 5.3.1 The NEEWS Working Group – Identification of Transmission Alternatives ........................................................................................................ 5-2 5.3.2 Interstate Option A-1 (Proposed Project) ....................................................... 5-4 5.3.3 Interstate Option A-2 ........................................................................................ 5-6 5.3.4 Interstate Option A-3 ........................................................................................ 5-8 5.3.5 Interstate Option A-4 ...................................................................................... 5-10 5.3.6 Interstate Option C-2.1 ................................................................................... 5-12 5.3.7 Assessment of Interstate Overhead Transmission Options ......................... 5-14 5.3.8 Conclusions of the Working