ATTACHMENT N Revised Environmental Impact Assessment CHAMPLAIN HUDSON POWER EXPRESS PROJECT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS ASSOCIATED WITH ROUTING PROPOSED IN JOINT PROPOSAL Submitted by: CHAMPLAIN HUDSON POWER EXPRESS INC. AND CHPE PROPERTIES INC. Pieter Schuyler Building, 600 Broadway Albany NY 12207 FEBRUARY 2012 Confidential Document for Settlement Discussions Pursuant to Commission's Settlement Guidelines Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Environmental Impacts Associated with Routing Proposed in Joint Proposal TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................................1 1.0 CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES........................................2 1.1 Construction Methods..............................................................................................2 1.1.1 Overland Installation Methodology ..........................................................2 1.1.1.1 Initial Clearing Operations and Stormwater and Erosion Control Installation .................................................................3 1.1.1.2 Trench Excavation ..................................................................4 1.1.1.3 Cable Installation ....................................................................5 1.1.1.4 Backfilling...............................................................................5 1.1.1.5 Restoration and Revegetation .................................................6 1.1.1.6 Upland Crossings....................................................................6 1.1.1.7 Environmental Training..........................................................6 1.1.2 Underwater Cable Installation Methodology............................................7 1.1.2.1 Jet Plow / Water Jetting ..........................................................8 1.1.2.2 Plowing .................................................................................10 1.1.2.3 Dredged Trench Excavation (Conventional Dredging) ........11 1.1.2.4 Non-Burial Installation .........................................................11 1.1.2.5 Infrastructure Crossing Installation Methodology................12 1.1.2.6 In-Water Support Vessels .....................................................14 1.1.3 Horizontal Directional Drilling...............................................................14 1.1.4 Cable Installation Methodologies Utilized Along the Route..................17 1.1.4.1 Canada / United States Border to Dresden, New York.........17 1.1.4.2 Dresden, New York to Catskill, New York ..........................18 1.1.4.3 Catskill, New York to Stony Point, New York.....................19 1.1.4.4 Stony Point, New York to Clarkstown, New York...............19 1.1.4.5 Clarkstown, New York to Astoria, Queens, New York City........................................................................................20 1.1.5 Convertor Station Construction ..............................................................20 1.1.6 Construction Support Work Areas..........................................................21 1.1.6.1 Overland Cable Installation Support Facilities.....................21 1.1.6.2 Underwater Cable Installation Support Facilities.................21 1.2 Operations..............................................................................................................21 1.2.1 Terrestrial Maintenance ..........................................................................22 1.2.2 Underwater Facility Maintenance...........................................................22 1.2.3 Converter Station Maintenance...............................................................23 1.2.4 Cable Repair Procedures.........................................................................23 2.0 LAND USE .......................................................................................................................24 2.1 Existing Land Use..................................................................................................24 2.1.1 Washington County ................................................................................25 2.1.1.1 Town of Dresden...................................................................26 2.1.1.2 Town/Village of Whitehall ...................................................26 2.1.1.3 Town/Village of Fort Ann ....................................................26 i Confidential Document for Settlement Discussions Pursuant to Commission's Settlement Guidelines Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Environmental Impacts Associated with Routing Proposed in Joint Proposal 2.1.1.4 Town Hartford ......................................................................27 2.1.1.5 Town of Kingsbury...............................................................27 2.1.1.6 Town/Village of Fort Edward...............................................27 2.1.2 Saratoga County......................................................................................27 2.1.2.1 Town of Moreau ...................................................................27 2.1.2.2 Town of Northumberland .....................................................28 2.1.2.3 Town of Wilton.....................................................................28 2.1.2.4 Town of Greenfield...............................................................28 2.1.2.5 City of Saratoga Springs .......................................................29 2.1.2.6 Town of Milton.....................................................................29 2.1.2.7 Town of Ballston...................................................................30 2.1.2.8 Town of Clifton Park ............................................................30 2.1.3 Schenectady County................................................................................30 2.1.3.1 Town of Glenville.................................................................31 2.1.3.2 City of Schenectady ..............................................................31 2.1.3.3 Town of Rotterdam...............................................................31 2.1.4 Albany County........................................................................................32 2.1.4.1 Town of Guilderland.............................................................32 2.1.4.2 Town of New Scotland and Village of Voorheesville..........32 2.1.4.3 Town of Bethlehem...............................................................33 2.1.4.4 Town of Coeymans and Village of Ravena ..........................33 2.1.5 Greene County ........................................................................................33 2.1.5.1 Town of New Baltimore .......................................................33 2.1.5.2 Town and Village of Coxsackie............................................34 2.1.5.3 Town of Athens.....................................................................34 2.1.5.4 Town and Village of Catskill................................................34 2.1.6 Rockland County ....................................................................................35 2.1.6.1 Town of Stony Point .............................................................35 2.1.6.2 Town Haverstraw, Village of West Haverstraw, and Village of Haverstraw...........................................................35 2.1.6.3 Town of Clarkstown .............................................................36 2.1.7 New York County...................................................................................36 2.1.7.1 New York City......................................................................36 2.2 Consistency with State and Local Land Use Plans and Policies ...........................37 2.2.1 2009 New York State Open Space Conservation Plan ...........................38 2.2.2 Washington County ................................................................................41 2.2.2.1 Town of Dresden...................................................................41 2.2.2.2 Village of Whitehall..............................................................42 2.2.2.3 Town of Whitehall ................................................................42 2.2.2.4 Town of Fort Ann .................................................................42 2.2.2.5 Village of Fort Ann...............................................................43 2.2.2.6 Town of Hartford ..................................................................43 2.2.2.7 Town of Kingsbury...............................................................44 2.2.2.8 Town of Fort Edward............................................................44 2.2.2.9 Village of Fort Edward .........................................................45 ii Confidential Document for Settlement Discussions Pursuant to Commission's Settlement Guidelines Champlain Hudson Power Express Project Environmental Impacts Associated with Routing Proposed in Joint Proposal 2.2.3 Saratoga County......................................................................................45 2.2.3.1 Town of Moreau ...................................................................46 2.2.3.2 Town of Northumberland .....................................................47 2.2.3.3 Town of Wilton.....................................................................47 2.2.3.4 Town of Greenfield...............................................................48 2.2.3.5 City of Saratoga Springs .......................................................48