Orono Substation Expansion - Enviromental Assessment (1)

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4.7 Clean-up and Restoration Construction areas would be disturbed during the normal course of work,which can take several weeks in any one location. As construction on each parcel is completed,disturbed areas would be restored to their original condition. Practices to mitigate potential construction impacts would ' follow permit requirements and be based on construction schedules,geology and topography, maintenance guidelines,inspection procedures,and presence of sensitive environments or species. ' Upon completion of construction,disturbed areas would be restored to their original condition to the maximum extent practicable. If damage has occurred to fences or drain tiles,Xcel Energy would reimburse the landowner(s) for the damages sustained (Xcel Energy,June 7,2011). Xcel Energy ' may employ an outside contractor to restore the damaged property to as near its original condition as is possible. Areas with significant soil compaction and disturbance from construction activities along the proposed transmission line route may require assistance in re-establishing the vegetation ' stratum and controlling soil erosion. Construction and post-construction reclamation activities would include but are not limited to removing and disposing of debris (including personal liter); dismantling staging areas;restoring temporary workspaces,access roads,abandoned right-of-way ' and other public or private lands affected by construction of the transmission line;employing erosion control,such as silt fences,hay bales,seed blankets,or hydro seeding;and hand-planting disturbed areas with native vegetation. Landowners would be contacted by an Xcel Energy representative at the close of construction activities to determine whether any damage has occurred as a result of the project. Areas damaged during construction activities will be restored to their pre-construction condition to the extent possible or Xcel will reimburse the landowner for damages sustained that are not repaired. Upon completion of construction cleanup and restoration of damaged areas,landowners would notify Xcel Energy of any outstanding construction damage that has not been remedied. 1 HVTL Route Permits issued by the Commission require the permittee to notify the Commission in writing 60 days after completion of all restoration activities and also require the permittee to ' compensate landowners for any yard/landscape, soil compaction,drain tile,or other property damages that may occur during construction. ' 4.8 Maintenance Procedures Transmission infrastructure has few mechanical elements and is designed and constructed to withstand weather events that are normally encountered. Although infrequent,transmission lines are taken out of service by protective relay equipment when a fault is sensed on the system or for scheduled maintenance outages. As a result,Xcel Energy estimates the average annual availability of transmission infrastructure exceeds 90 percent. Routine maintenance and inspections are performed over the life of the facility to ensure its continued integrity. Annual inspections of the transmission facilities are usually done by aerial ' means. Periodic access to the transmission line rights-of-way and substations would be required to perform on-ground inspections and conduct routine maintenance or repairs. Inspections would be limited to the acquired right-of-way and areas where obstructions or terrain require access off the easement. ' Environmental Assessment PUC Docket E002/TL-11-223 Page 19