Environmental Assis for Orono Substation Expansion

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and temporary. Adverse impacts to the surrounding environment would be minimal because of the short and intermittent nature of the emission and dust -producing construction phases. The Project is not anticipated to result in any permanent impacts on air quality. Mitigation Measures As a standard HVTL Permit condition, construction activities must follow best management practices (BMPs) to control air emissions (fugitive dust). Petroleum based dust suppressants may not be used. Construction vehicles with excess tailpipe emissions would not be operated until repairs to the vehicle could be made. The disturbed area for each route would be minimized. As there are no significant impacts to air quality anticipated, no mitigation beyond these BMPs are proposed. 5.7 Transportation and Utilities The proposed route alignments for both routes anticipate overlapping with existing railroad or high ROWs. No direct impacts to utilities are anticipated from the Project, although the Project would enhance the reliability of the transmission grid. Potential interference with communication sources is discussed in Section 5.18. Transportation U.S. Highway 12 provides a major east -west corridor to the western Twin Cities Metropolitan area. U.S. Highway 12 widens from two to four lanes at the eastern edge of the Project, approaching the intersection with Hennepin County Road 6 (also known as 6`i' Avenue North in this area). MnDOT has completed the U.S. Highway 12 Bypass project adjacent to and north of the Project; no additional work in this area is planned at this time. Hennepin County Road 6 borders the Project to the south and east. No new transportation facilities will be required for the Project. Delivery of Project components, such as poles and conductors, may have temporary impacts along U.S. Highway 12. Construction crews may use portions of the road shoulder while poles are installed and conductors are strung. The Project will cross the U.S. Highway 12 at least once. In both routes evaluated, the current crossing would be used. If the Baker Park Reserve Alternative were selected, the route would also cross the highway proceeding north from the substation to the Baker Park Reserve and parallel U.S. Highway 12. If the Project is located along the Baker Park Reserve Route Alternative, Xcel Energy's preference is to locate transmission structures approximately 10 feet north of MnDOT right-of-way (Xcel Energy, personal communication, October 13, 2011) along the Baker Park Reserve Alternative, however, as discussed in Section 5.8, Orono's shoreland overlay zoning would require a setback of 30 feet from road rights of way. The BNSF Railroad parallels the south side of U.S. Highway 12 through the Project area. The Project would cross the BNSF railroad at least once, at the current crossing of Transmission Line 0831. Xcel Energy received a Certificate of Occupancy from BNSF for a rebuild of the existing crossing between Structures 076-1 and 076 and for the paralleling of transmission and railroad rights-of-way on June 24, 2011. If the Baker Park Reserve Alternative were selected, the route would also cross the railroad proceeding north from the substation to the Baker Park Reserve. Environmental Assessment PUC Docket E002/TL-11-223 Page 40