The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs 100 Cambridge Street, Suite 900 Boston, MA 02114 Charles D. Baker GOVERNOR Tel: (617) 626-1000 Karyn E. Polito Fax: (617) 626-1081 LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR http://www.mass.gov/eea Kathleen A.Theoharides SECRETARY June 26, 2020 CERTIFICATE OF THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL NOTIFICATION FORM PROJECT NAME : North Quincy Cables Replacement Project PROJECT MUNICIPALITY : Quincy PROJECT WATERSHED : Boston Harbor EEA NUMBER : 16201 PROJECT PROPONENT : New England Power Company d/b/a National Grid DATE NOTICED IN MONITOR : May 6, 2020 Pursuant to the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA; M.G. L. c. 30, ss. 61-62I) and Section 11.06 of the MEPA regulations (301 CMR 11.00), I hereby determine that this project does not require an Environmental Impact Report (EIR). Project Description As described in the Environmental Notification Form (ENF), the project consists of the replacement of the existing 523N and 533N underground 115 kV transmission supply cables which connect the North Quincy Substation and the Field Street Substation. The replacement cables will consist of a dielectric cable system, installed within a concrete encased duct bank and manhole system to be installed in the same general location as the existing cable system with three exceptions. First, the replacement cable system will be installed within a private parking lot and not within a Proponent owned parcel as it exits the North Quincy Substation and heads toward Newport Avenue. Second, the existing cables are buried over a pile-supported concrete culvert that conveys stormwater to an existing tidal creek (Sagamore Creek) under Newport Avenue. The unequal settlement of the roadway on both sides of the culvert has placed significant mechanical stress on the existing cables. To avoid a recurrence of this issue, the replacement cables will be installed via horizontal directional drill (HDD) under EEA# 16201 ENF Certificate June 26, 2020 portions of Sagamore Creek which is located within the Neponset River Estuary Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) for approximately 1,455 feet (800 ft of which will be below salt marsh). The cables within the HDD portion of the project cables will be installed within a 42-inch- diameter conduit. The maximum depth of the conduit is expected to be between 30 and 50 feet below grade. This depth may change as design develops and the results of soil borings are evaluated. The HDD will be located adjacent to and west of Newport Avenue to a point southeast of the Neponset River Estuary ACEC within the Newport Avenue roadway layout. Third, the replacement cables will deviate from the route of the existing cables as they approach the Field Street Substation by using Field Street rather than Morrison Street for approximately 900 feet. The Proponent has determined that the cables which were installed in 1975 are reaching the end of their useful life. The cables have a documented history of dielectric fluid leaks due to age, thermo- mechanical bending, corrosion, and dig-ins. Additionally, the cables are under significant mechanical stress where the cables cross over a pile-supported concrete culvert at Sagamore Creek on Newport Avenue. The existing cable system has become increasingly difficult to maintain, as replacement parts are not readily available and the availability of experienced craftsmen proficient in the repair of these aging systems has declined. The existing cables cannot be removed until the replacement cables are installed and put into service. Therefore, the construction sequencing for the project will include installation of the new replacement cables first, followed by removal of the existing cables. Contingent upon receipt of all necessary regulatory approvals, construction is anticipated to begin in April 2022. It is estimated that installation and energization (supplied with electrical current) of the replacement cables will be complete by December 2023, with removal of the existing cables commencing in the Spring of 2024 and completed by November 2024. Project Site The approximately 4.4-acre project corridor extends approximately 3.3 miles from the North Quincy Substation located off Newport Avenue, at the end of Oak Avenue and south of Hancock Street in the City of Quincy, to the Field Street Substation located at the intersection of Field Street and Morrison Street. From the North Quincy Substation at the western end of the transmission line, the existing cables exit the substation along a narrow parcel of land owned by NEP and turn southeast on Newport Avenue Extension and follow Newport Avenue Extension and Newport Avenue southeast, turn east on Furnace Brook Parkway, turn southeast at the Southern Artery, and then turn east and follow Morrison Street into the Field Street Substation. The lines are located along existing paved surfaces such as roadways or parking lots, adjacent vegetated shoulders or medians or within existing electrical substations. According to the Massachusetts Cultural Resource Information System (MACRIS) database, the route will pass through several districts and two sites listed in the State Register of Historic Places or the Inventory of Historic and Archaeological Assets of the Commonwealth. However, the project does not involve demolition or destruction of any listed or inventoried historic or archaeological resources. The project corridor crosses through Sagamore Creek within the Neponset River Estuary and portions of the project corridor are adjacent to Blacks Creek. Wetland resource areas in the vicinity of the project area include Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage (LSCSF), Salt Marsh, Riverfront Area (RFA) and 2 EEA# 16201 ENF Certificate June 26, 2020 Bordering Land Subject to Flooding (BLSF). According to the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF), Blacks Creek is mapped by DMF as important habitat for the passage, spawning, and early development of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax) and American eel (Anguilla rostrata). Rainbow smelt is designated as a Species of Concern by the National Marine Fisheries Service. As noted earlier, the project corridor crosses the Neponset River Estuary ACEC. The central resource features of the Neponset River Estuary ACEC are the Neponset River and portions of its tributaries, the estuary, salt marshes, floodplains, fishery habitat, and diverse wildlife habitat. The predominant ecological and visual features of the ACEC are the Neponset River and the adjacent salt marshes including Sagamore Creek. Portions on the project corridor are located in within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)’s mapped 100-yr floodplain. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation The project will temporarily impact approximately 52,000 square feet (sf) of BLSF1 , and 17,100 sf of RFA as a result of activities to remove and replace the existing cable lines. Measures to avoid, minimize and mitigate Damage to the Environment include development and implementation of Best Management Practices (BMPs) for ROW access, maintenance, and construction, including erosion and sedimentation controls; restoration of areas disturbed during construction; development and implementation of a construction period traffic management plan in coordination with the MBTA, DCR and the City of Quincy; and implementation of an HDD contingency plan. Jurisdiction and Permitting This project is subject to MEPA review and preparation of an ENF pursuant to 301 CMR 11.03(3)(b)(1)(f) and 11.03(11)(b) because it involves the alteration of ½ or more acres of any other wetland and involves a project within a designated ACEC. The project requires a 401 Water Quality Certification and Chapter 91 License from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), a Construction and Access Permit from DCR due to impacts to Furnace Brook Parkway, and may require a Non-vehicular Access Permit from the MassDOT for access to Furnace Brook Parkway/Southern Artery, and a Rail Crossing Permit from the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) due to the crossing beneath the elevated Red Line tracks. The project is subject to review under M.G.L. c.164 § 72 by the Department of Public Utilities (DPU). The project requires an 8(m) Permit from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) as a result of construction activity in the vicinity of MWRA infrastructure. The project will require an Order of Conditions from the Quincy Conservation Commission, or in the case of an appeal, a Superseding Order of Conditions from MassDEP. The project will require a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Construction General Permit (CGP) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and review from the Massachusetts Historical Commission (MHC). The project is not receiving Financial Assistance from the Commonwealth. Therefore, MEPA jurisdiction for any future review would be limited to those aspects of the project that are within the 1 Portions of this area may overlap with LSCSF. This will be determined when additional ground surface elevation is determined. Information provided by an e-mail to the MEPA Office on 6/25/2020. 3 EEA# 16201 ENF Certificate June 26, 2020 subject matter of any required or potentially required Agency Actions and that may cause Damage to the Environment, as defined in the MEPA regulations. Review of the ENF The ENF provided a description of existing and proposed conditions, preliminary project plans, an alternative