Environmental Assis for Orono Substation Expansion

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The Orono Shoreland Overlay District, discussed in Section 5.8, requires that structures be set back a minimum of 100 feet from the OHWL tributaries such as Painter Creek. Because construction of the Project require disturbing more than one of soil Xcel Energy will apply for a NPDES construction stormwater permit and would prepare a SWPPP. All construction projects disturbing one acre or more are required to apply for a construction stormwater permit through the MPCA. The permit states that prior to submitting a permit application, the owner must develop a SWPPP for the construction site. HVTL permits require the Permittee to employ erosion BMPs and to adhere to the terms and conditions of the NPDES permit and the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPP) prepared for the Project for MPCA. Erosion control methods and BMPs pursuant to MPCA requirements will be utilized to minimize runoff during substation construction are described in Section 5.11. In addition to erosion control measures, fueling and lubricating far construction equipment away from waterways would ensure that fuel and lubricants do not enter waterways. 5.13 Wetlands and Floodplains Wetlands provide direct benefits to the environment and vary according to the type or class of wetland and the season. Wetlands serve as floodwater detentions, provide nutrient assimilation and sediment entrapment (water quality), and provide wildlife habitat. Wetlands are either protected federally under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act or by the State of Minnesota under the Wetland Conservation Act. Larger wetland complexes as well as small isolated wetlands are located in and around the Project site. Xcel Energy commissioned a wetland delineation of the 16 acre parcel within which the 1.2 acre Orono Substation would be located. The wetland area within the site was identified as a Type 3, Palustrine Emergent seasonally flooded (Xcel Energy, 2011a). Neither the Xcel Energy Proposed Route nor the Baker Park Reserve Route Alternative has been delineated for wetlands, information on wetlands within those routes is from the National Wetland Inventory (NWI) developed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is shown in Table 15. The NWI has not been field verified for the routes outside the Xcel Energy property, but does provide a good start to identify potential wetland areas. Table 15: NWI Wetlands within the Proposed Route Environmental Assessment PUC Docket E002/TL-11-223 Page 47 Wetland Baker Park Alternative Type* Xcel Proposed Route Township Range Section 75 Foot 400 foot 75 Foot 400 Foot ROW Route ROW Route 118 23 29 PEM 0.4 2.2 0.5 2.5 118 23 30 PEM 2.9 11.5 0.5 2.6 Total 3.3 13.6 1.0 5.2 * Based on the USFWS' Cowardin Classification System for wetlands. Environmental Assessment PUC Docket E002/TL-11-223 Page 47