Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
DID YOU KNOW?
Wind turbines are as tall as 20-story buildings and their three blades can be
60 meters long.
POWER TRANSMISSION LINES
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In the preceding paragraphs we have set the stage for the more detailed discus-
sion that follows regarding the environmental impact of power transmission lines.
Basically, energy transmission involves three stages of implementation: site evalua-
tion, project construction, and transmission operation.
ENERGY TRANSMISSION SITE EVALUATION IMPACTS
Energy site evaluation phase activities are generally temporary and conducted at a
smaller magnitude than those during the construction and operation phases. Potential
impacts from these activities are presented by the type of affected resource and are
described for typical site evaluation activities, such as limited ground clearing, vehic-
ular and pedestrian traffic, borings for geotechnical surveys, and positioning of equip-
ment. If excavation or access road construction is necessary at this stage, impacts
on resources would be similar in character, but lesser in magnitude, to those for the
construction phase. Route and access road selection that avoids major environmental
impacts is ideal; therefore, additional activities that could occur during this phase
are field surveys for recording significant resources present in the potential project
area (e.g., threatened species and endangered species, wetlands, archaeological sites).
These surveys are typical of the short and limited disturbance that occurs during the
site evaluation phase. The following impacts may result from site evaluation activities.
A
ir
Q
uAlity
Impacts on air quality during surveying and testing activities would be limited to
temporary and local generation of vehicle and boring equipment emissions and fugi-
tive dust and would not likely cause an exceedance of air quality standards nor have
any impact on climate change.
C
ulturAl
r
esourCes
The amount of surface and subsurface disturbance is minimal during the site evalu-
ation phase. Cultural resources buried below the surface are unlikely to be affected,
but material present on the surface could be disturbed by vehicular traffic, ground
clearing, and pedestrian activity (including collection of artifacts). Surveying and
testing activities could affect areas of interest to Native Americans depending on the
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Adapted from Tribal Energy and Environmental Information Clearinghouse website,
http://teeic.indi-
