Port Angeles-Juan de Fuca Transmission Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement DOE/EIS-0378 March 2007 Port Angeles-Juan de Fuca Transmission Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement Department of Energy Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability and Bonneville Power Administration March 2007 Port Angeles-Juan de Fuca Transmission Project Responsible Agency: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability (OE), and Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) Title of Proposed Project: Port Angeles-Juan de Fuca Transmission Project State Involved: Washington Abstract: Sea Breeze Olympic Converter LP (Sea Breeze) has applied to DOE for authorizations and approvals necessary to construct the U.S. portion of an international electric power transmission cable. Sea Breeze’s proposed cable would extend from the greater Victoria area, British Columbia, Canada, across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Port Angeles, Clallam County, Washington, U.S. The U.S. portion is referred to as the Port Angeles–Juan de Fuca Transmission Project. Sea Breeze has applied to DOE/OE for a Presidential permit for the international crossing of the cable and to BPA for interconnection into the federal transmission system. The Proposed Action involves the installation of a ±150-kilovolt direct-current (DC) transmission line cable, which could carry up to 550 megawatts of power. About 10.5 miles (16.9 km) of the marine cable would be trenched in the sea floor from the international boundary to the Port Angeles Harbor. The cable would transition from the marine environment in the Harbor to land through a horizontal-directionally-drilled hole. The DC cable would then proceed underground through city streets for about 0.8 mile (1.3 km) to a new converter station. The converter station would convert power from DC to alternating current (AC). A 1,000-foot (305-m) long underground AC cable would then connect into BPA’s Port Angeles Substation. The Port Angeles Substation would be expanded to accommodate the interconnection of power into the federal transmission system. Sea Breeze would construct and own the proposed cable project. Sea Breeze intends to sell capacity on the cable to interested utilities or generators (through open access), with power flow possible both north and south between the U.S. and Canada. Because the proposed project does not include improvements that would increase the capacity of BPA’s transmission system, power flow to and from the proposed interconnection with BPA’s system would be subject to existing power transfer limits and transmission constraints. DOE/OE and BPA are also considering a No Action Alternative in which Sea Breeze’s requests would be denied, and the project would not receive a Presidential permit and could not interconnect with the federal transmission system. The proposed project could create impacts to water resources, vegetation, marine habitat and wildlife, terrestrial wildlife and freshwater fish, soils, land use, visual resources, socioeconomics, cultural resources, noise, health and safety, and air quality. Chapter 3 of the EIS describes impacts in detail. Public comments are being accepted through April 24, 2007. For additional information, contact: Ms. Stacy Mason – KEC-4 Dr. Jerry Pell Project Environmental Lead Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Bonneville Power Administration Reliability P. O. Box 3621 U.S. Department of Energy Portland, Oregon 97208 Washington, DC 20585 Telephone: (503) 230-5455 Telephone: (202) 586-3362 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]. For additional copies of this document, please call 1-800-622-4520 and ask for the document by name. The EIS is also on the Internet at: http://www.efw.bpa.gov/environmental_services/Document_Library/PortAngeles/. You may also request copies by writing to: Bonneville Power Administration P. O. Box 3621 Portland, Oregon 97208 ATT : Public Information Center - CHDL-1 For additional information on DOE NEPA activities, please contact Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, GC-20, U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue S.W., Washington D.C. 20585-0103, phone: 1-800-472-2756 or visit the DOE NEPA Web site at www.eh.doe.gov/nepa. Table of Contents Summary.................................................................................................................................. S-1 S.1 Purpose and Need for Action............................................................................... S-1 S.1.1 Public Involvement..........................................................................................S-2 S.1.2 Issues Outside the Scope of the Proposed Action or This EIS........................S-2 S.2 Proposed Action.................................................................................................... S-2 S.2.1 Marine DC Transmission Cable ......................................................................S-3 S.2.2 Horizontal Directional Drill Hole....................................................................S-4 S.2.3 Terrestrial Direct Current Cable......................................................................S-5 S.2.4 Converter Station.............................................................................................S-5 S.2.5 Terrestrial Alternating Current Cable..............................................................S-6 S.2.6 Port Angeles Substation Interconnection ........................................................S-6 S.2.7 Construction and Schedule..............................................................................S-7 S.2.8 Operation and Maintenance.............................................................................S-7 S.2.9 Transmission Service ......................................................................................S-7 S.3 No Action Alternative............................................................................................ S-8 S.4 Affected Environment and Environmental Impacts ........................................... S-8 S.4.1 Water Resources..............................................................................................S-8 S.4.2 Vegetation and Wetlands.................................................................................S-9 S.4.3 Marine Habitat and Wildlife..........................................................................S-11 S.4.4 Terrestrial Wildlife and Freshwater Fish.......................................................S-12 S.4.5 Geology and Soils .........................................................................................S-14 S.4.6 Land Use........................................................................................................S-15 S.4.7 Visual Resources ...........................................................................................S-15 S.4.8 Socioeconomics.............................................................................................S-16 S.4.9 Cultural Resources ........................................................................................S-17 S.4.10 Noise..............................................................................................................S-18 S.4.11 Health and Safety ..........................................................................................S-19 S.4.12 Air Quality.....................................................................................................S-21 S.4.13 Cumulative Impacts.......................................................................................S-21 Chapter 1 Purpose and Need for Agency Action..................................................................1-1 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................1-1 1.2 Purpose and Need for Action................................................................................1-2 1.2.1 Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability.....................................1-2 1.2.2 Bonneville Power Administration ...................................................................1-3 1.3 Sea Breeze’s Project Objectives...........................................................................1-4 1.4 Public Involvement.................................................................................................1-4 1.5 Issues Outside the Scope of the Proposed Action or This EIS .........................1-5 1.6 Organization of the Environmental Impact Statement........................................1-7 i Chapter 2 Proposed Action and Alternatives........................................................................2-1 2.1 Proposed Action.....................................................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Marine DC Transmission Cable ......................................................................2-2 2.1.2 Horizontal Directional Drill Hole....................................................................2-7 2.1.3 Terrestrial Direct Current Cable......................................................................2-9 2.1.4 Converter Station...........................................................................................2-11 2.1.5 Terrestrial Alternating Current Cable............................................................2-13 2.1.6 Port Angeles Substation Interconnection ......................................................2-14 2.1.7 Staging Areas ................................................................................................2-16