Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
during this phase to evaluate the presence or significance of paleontological resources
in the area would assist developers in routing and designing the project to avoid or
minimize impacts on these resources.
t
rAnsportAtion
No impacts on transportation are anticipated during the site evaluation phase.
Transportation activities would be temporary and intermittent and limited to low
volumes of heavy- and medium-duty construction vehicles (e.g., pickup trucks) and
personal vehicles.
V
isuAl
r
esourCes
Surveying and testing activities would have temporary and minor visual effects
caused by the presence of workers, vehicles, and equipment.
s
oCioeConoMiCs
The activities during the site evaluation phase are temporary and limited and would
not result in socioeconomic impacts on employment, local services, or property values.
e
nVironMentAl
J
ustiCe
Site evaluation phase activities are limited and would not result in significant adverse
impacts in any resource area; therefore, environmental justice is not expected to be
an issue during this phase.
ENERGY TRANSMISSION CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS
Typical activities during the construction phase of an energy transmission project
include ground clearing and removal of vegetative cover, grading, excavation, blast-
ing, trenching, drilling, vehicular and pedestrian traffic, and project component con-
struction and installation. Activities conducted in locations other than within the
project right of way (ROW) include excavation/blasting for construction materials
(such as sands and gravels), access road and staging area construction, and construc-
tion of other ancillary facilities such as compressor stations or pump stations.
A
ir
Q
uAlity
Emissions generated during the construction phase include vehicle emissions; diesel
emissions from large construction equipment and generators; VOC emissions from
storage and transfer of fuels for construction equipment; small amounts of carbon
monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulates from blasting activities; and fugitive
dust from many sources such as disturbing and moving soils (clearing, grading, exca-
vating, trenching, backfilling, dumping, and truck and equipment traffic), mixing
concrete, storage of unvegetated soil piles, and drilling and pile driving. Air quality
impacts could also occur if cleared vegetation is burned.
