The Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) has statutory responsibilities to supply electrical power to its utility, industrial, and other customers in the Pacific Northwest. In 1990, to cover the outer range of potential load growth with new resources, BPA embarked upon the Resource Contingency Program (RCP). Instead of buying or building generating plants now, BPA has purchased options to acquire power later, if and when it is needed.
The decision to acquire any of these option energy projects to fulfill statutory supply obligations will be influenced by Federal system load growth, the outcome of BPA's Business Plan, required operational changes in Columbia-Snake River Hydroelectric facilities, and the loss of major generating resources.
In September 1993, three option development agreements were signed with three proposed natural gas-fired, combined cycle combustion turbine CT projects near Chehalis and Satsop, Washington, and near Hermiston, Oregon. Together these three projects could supply BPA with 1,090 average megawatts (aMW) of power. Under these agreements, sponsors are obtaining permits and conducting project design work, and BPA is completing this EIS process.
In September 1993, BPA published a Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on these three proposed gas-fired combustion turbine projects and held public scoping meetings in October 1993 at each site. In February 1994, BPA released an Implementation Plan on the proposed scope of the EIS. A draft EIS on the three proposed projects was published in February 1995.
BPA has concluded that publication of the RCP final EIS should be separated into two documents. The impacts of the Chehalis and Satsop projects located in Washington State will be covered in one EIS document, while the impacts of the Hermiston project located in Oregon are covered in this final EIS document. This change was made to better accommodate the scheduling requirements for the Energy Facility Siting Council (EFSC) and Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council (EFSEC) processes that are underway in Oregon and Washington, respectively, and to reduce costs for publication of the final EIS.
This decision does not alter in any way BPA's proposal and alternative actions as described in the draft EIS. It is BPA's intent to continue to base the analysis of impacts on the assumption that all three projects may be constructed at some point in the future.
Separation of the final EIS into two documents provides the following benefits:
BPA will, on completion of both the Oregon and Washington EIS processes, prepare a record (or records) of decision on which, if any, of the projects to hold for potential future acquisition.
This EIS addresses three proposed alternatives: the proposed action, no action, and other actions. The proposed action is the acquisition of power from both units optioned at the Hermiston Power Project Plant site (only if there is a need for power at a future date), or wheeling of power by BPA if another party acquires the output. This EIS addresses the environmental effects of constructing and operating both units under option for power delivery to BPA.
Alternatives to the RCP itself are examined in BPA's 1990 and 1992 Resource Programs and the final environmental impact statement prepared on those programs. BPA issued a Record of Decision on the Resource program EIS in April 1993 (DOE/EIS-0612). That EIS is based on the resource needs identified in the 1990 and 1992 Resource Programs. The present EIS is tiered on that earlier environmental review in order to eliminate repetitive discussions of the same issues and to focus on the issues ripe for decision here. Copies of the earlier EIS and Record of Decision are available from BPA.
The Hermiston Power Project (HPP) would be located 4.8 km (3 miles) south of Hermiston, Oregon, in an industrial area adjacent to the J.R. Simplot potato processing plant (Figure S-2). The project site is surrounded by agricultural land, agricultural businesses, and railroad yards.
The cogeneration project consists of up to two gas-fired combined cycle combustion turbines that could supply BPA up to 430 aMW of firm power. In emergency situations when natural gas is not available, the project could burn fuel oil for up to 15 days per year. The project would require two natural gas pipelines to connect to both Pacific Gas Transmission (PGT) and Northwest Pipeline (NWP). The gas pipelines are 6.4 km (4 miles) and 13 km (8 miles) long, respectively. The project would store 7.6 million liters (2 million gallons) of fuel oil in aboveground storage tanks.
The cogeneration facility's process wastewater, including cooling tower blowdown, would be collected and routed to the existing Simplot potato plant land application system for use in crop irrigation. Sanitary wastes would be disposed of by routing to the J.R. Simplot Company sanitary sewer system.
In addition to the production of electricity for BPA, excess steam from waste heat in the power plant would be used by the J.R. Simplot potato plant for processing operations. The existing boilers at the plant could be shut down and placed in a stand-by condition.
Water for the cogeneration facility would be purchased from the Port of Umatilla regional water system, which draws water from the Columbia River under an existing water right. The HPP would require an average of 6,000 liters per minute (lpm) (1,944 gallons per minute [gpm]) of process water. The water supply for the project would originate at the Port of Umatilla treatment facility and be transported to the cogeneration facility site by a 2.1-km (1.3-mile) pipeline that would parallel State Route (SR) 207 to the project site. Potable water would be obtained from the J.R. Simplot Potato Processing Plant adjacent to the proposed cogeneration facility site.
There are two transmission alternatives to connect the project into BPA's McNary Substation: the Western 230-kV Alternative and the Eastern 500-kV Alternative.
Western 230-kV Alternative
The Western 230-kV Alternative involves using, for the most part, an existing Umatilla Electric Cooperative Association (UECA) 115-kV transmission line corridor that generally runs parallel to the eastern boundary of the Umatilla Ordnance Depot from the Westland Substation at the Lamb-Western potato plant north to the city of Umatilla, then east and north to the McNary Substation. The UECA 115-kV line is planned for upgrading to two 230-kV circuits to accommodate both the existing 115-kV UECA line and a 230-kV line required by the planned Hermiston Generating project (HGP) at the Lamb-Weston potato plant site 3.2 km (2 miles) west of the proposed HPP. This upgrading will take place prior and independent to the HPP being developed. The 230-kV conductor dedicated to UECA will be taken over by the HPP, and UECA will construct a new 115-kV distribution line along Power Line Road.
The project would be connected to the UECA line at the Westland Substation by construction of approximately 2.4 km (1.5 miles) of new 230-kV line from the cogeneration facility site west and then north to Feedville Road, and then continuing approximately 3.2 km (2 miles) west along Feedville Road to the Westland Substation at the Lamb-Weston plant. The portion of the proposed 230-kV line along Feedville Road would be constructed on the same poles supporting an existing UECA 115-kV line from Westland Substation to the Feedville Substation.
Eastern 500-kV Alternative
This alternative consists mainly of a new 500-kV single-circuit line constructed within a 13.7-km (8.5-mile) portion of the existing 76.2-m (250-foot) wide BPA McNary-Roundup Corridor between Feedville Road and the McNary Substation. The new 500-kV line would be constructed on steel poles or towers on the eastern side of the existing 230-kV McNary-Roundup Line No. I.
From the McNary Substation south for a distance of approximately 1.4 km (0.9 mile), the HPP would use the existing BPA 500-kV McNary-Lower Monumental transmission line's poles and conductors. At the southern end of that line segment, the HPP 500-kV line would depart from the McNary-Lower Monumental corridor and continue south and slightly west along a new route for a distance of approximately 0.6 km (0.4 mile), to the point where the line reaches the BPA 230-kV McNary-Roundup corridor.
A new section of McNary-Lower Monumental 500-kV line would need to be constructed to replace that portion taken over by the project. This section, which is approximately 1.6 km (1 mile) in length, would be located about 0.2 km (0.1 mile) west of its present location.
The connection from the cogeneration facility to the McNary-Roundup Corridor (approximately 8.7 km [5.4 miles]) would consist of a new 500-kV line on steel poles along the proposed NWP Gas Line Alternative route, most of which is along the south side of Feedville Road.
Table S-2 provides a summary of potential impacts from the HPP to the physical and social environment, and mitigation measures. The resource areas evaluated in the EIS are briefly described below.
Geology, Soils, and Floodplains
Geology in the project vicinity is typical of the Columbia Plateau, with low seismicity and stable terrain. Soils, too, are typical of a broad region of the Columbia Plateau, with deep, sandy soils derived from alluvium and wind-blown deposits. The 100-year floodplain of the Umatilla River lies within 0.8 km (0.5 mile) of the project.
There are no unique geologic sites associated with the project components. There are no active faults in the project vicinity and seismicity in the area is of moderate intensity. Soil erosion during project construction may cause minor and temporary increases in sedimentation to water courses. The Western 230-kV Alternative has two crossings of the Umatilla River, but the transmission line will be located on existing poles and there will be no construction within the river. Soil compaction during construction may inhibit revegetation efforts resulting in additional erosion. Up to 2 hectares (ha) (5 acres) of prime farmland will be permanently lost at the cogeneration facility. With soil erosion control mitigation, constructing the facility to meet earthquake standards for the area, and the project's minor amount of permanent loss of prime farmland, the project is considered to have low impacts to geology, soils, and floodplains.
Water Resources
The water supply source for the proposed project is the Port of Umatilla's water project which will pump water from the Columbia River for municipal and industrial use. Columbia River water availability is good, as is its quality. Groundwater quality near the proposed cogeneration facility does not currently meet Federal drinking water standards for nitrates and total dissolved solids. The Columbia River indirectly and the local groundwater directly would receive the project's wastewater effluent through an agricultural land application process.
The project will require 7,135 lpm (1,855 gpm) from the Umatilla water project which is approximately 2.8 percent of the Port's supply. Approximately 6,000 lpm (1,944 gpm) of wastewater effluent would be reused through the adjacent J.R. Simplot land application facility as a local irrigation supplement. The proposed cogeneration facility's 38.6 lpm (146 gpm) effluent would be combined with Simplot process water, then land applied to irrigated cropland under Simplot's existing discharge permit. Because the project uses only a small fraction of the regionally available water supply, and process effluent from the project will be managed through an existing land application, the project is considered to have low impacts to water resources.
Air Quality
In Umatilla County ambient concentrations of regulated air pollutants currently meet national standards. The proposed project would annually emit 341 metric tons (376 tons) of NOx, 86 metric tons (94 tons) of particulates, 816 metric tons (899 tons) of CO, 36 metric tons (39 tons) of SO2, and 42 metric tons (46 tons) of VOCs. Because the predicted levels of NOx and CO are greater than 100 tons per year, the project would be considered a major new stationary source of air emissions for these pollutants, and subject to strict state and Federal control requirements. The project would also emit 140.0 metric tons (154 tons) of ammonia per year, 1.5 metric tons (1.7 tons) of benzene, and 2.8 metric tons (3.1 tons) of formaldehyde, all of which are greater than Oregon Significant Emission Rates for Toxic Air Pollutants (TAPs).
Ambient concentrations of air pollutants resulting from emissions from the cogeneration project, determined from dispersion modeling, would be less than the Oregon Source Impact Levels. Emissions of NOx would be mitigated with low NOx burners, and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR).
Plume lengths from the cooling tower are predicted to be less than 1,300 m (4,265 feet) 90 percent of the time. Fogging will not affect any major highways. Only a few hours within a 5-year period of fogging (and road icing) are predicted for the Simplot access roads (nearest affected roadways) as a result of the cooling towers plumes.
When the project is in operation, the existing steam boilers at the potato processing plant could be shut off, and therefore, the project could reduce these air emissions. Based on the expected design control technology and mitigation measures, air quality impacts from the project are considered low.
Noise
The cogeneration facility site is located in an area surrounded by industrial and agricultural uses. Construction noise would be typical of noise from similar projects and is exempt from Oregon State regulations. Operational noise modeling including attenuation predicted that the noise from the cogeneration facility would be less than the state 50 dB(A) nighttime residential standard. Because of the industrial use of the area and the proposed noise attenuation measures, overall noise impacts are considered low.
Vegetation and Wetlands
The project lies within Oregon's Columbia Plateau physiographic province. Much of the natural vegetation in the vicinity of the project has been disturbed or eliminated by agricultural and rural development. Several emergent, scrub-shrub, and forested wetland habitats are found in the project vicinity. Riparian habitats are located along the Umatilla River and several irrigation ditches.
Site-specific surveys of the project vicinity have been conducted for rare plants and wetlands. No rare plants were located during the surveys.
Approximately 6.9 ha (17 acres) of cropland would be permanently converted to industrial use at the cogeneration facility site. Less than 0.4 ha (1 acre) of wetlands would be permanently filled for construction of the gas and electrical transmission lines.
Western 230-kV Alternative. A total of 4.49 ha (11.1 acres) of vegetation and wetlands would be impacted if the Western 230-kV Alternative is chosen. Approximately 4.25 ha (10.5 acres) would be temporarily disturbed and 0.04 ha (0.1 acre) would be permanently disturbed.
Eastern 500-kV Alternative. A total of 4.53 ha (11.2 acres) of vegetation and wetlands would be impacted if the Eastern 500-kV Alternative is chosen. Approximately 4.45 ha (11.0 acres) would be temporarily disturbed and 0.06 ha (0.16 acre) would be permanently disturbed.
Construction of the water supply and natural gas pipelines would affect areas of shrub-steppe and grass/forb vegetation, wetlands, and cropland. However, only about 0.4 ha (1 acre) of these areas would be permanently affected.
Impacts from the project on vegetation and wetlands are considered low, because the majority of the impacts are temporary in nature, disturbed areas will be reseeded with native plant species, protection will be taken to minimize soil erosion, and the disturbed area will be returned to its original contours.
Wildlife and Fishery Resources
The project vicinity supports a variety of wildlife including species that are typical of arid grassland and shrub-steppe habitats, riparian habitats, and wetlands. Because riparian and wetland habitats are relatively rare in the region, these habitats are especially important for local wildlife populations. The Umatilla River provides most of the riparian habitat, while wetlands are associated with the Umatilla River and the Power City Wildlife Area located along the Eastern 500-kV Alternative route. The Columbia River 15 km (9 miles) north of the cogeneration facility site contains important anadromous salmon and steelhead fish stocks.
The bald eagle as the only threatened or endangered species that may occur within a 8-km (5-mile) radius of the project. All of the bald eagle observations were along the Umatilla River or in other habitats to the south of the river during winter surveys. There is no designated critical habitat for any Federally listed species in the project vicinity.
Western 230-kV Alternative. Impacts of construction and operation of the HPP on wildlife include: (1) temporary disturbance of 4.25 ha (10.5 acres) of wildlife habitat; (2) permanent conversion of 0.04 ha (0.1 acre) of wildlife habitat; (3) displacement and increased disturbance of wildlife from noise of construction and operation; and (4) increased risk of avian collisions and electrocution caused by new transmission lines. The Western 230-kV Alternative maximizes the use of existing transmission ROW and poles and therefore the degree of impact is less for this alternative than the Eastern 500-kV Alternative. Impacts to wildlife resources for this alternative are considered low.
Eastern 500-kV Alternative. Impacts of construction and operation of the HPP on wildlife include: (1) temporary disturbance of 4.45 ha (11.0 acres) of wildlife habitat; (2) permanent conversion of 0.06 ha (0.16 acre) of wildlife habitat; and (3) displacement and increased disturbance of wildlife from noise of construction and operation. Impacts to wildlife resources for this alternative are considered low. Overall impacts to wildlife and fishery resources are considered low.
Construction of the PGT gas line would result in the permanent loss of less 0.1 ha (0.1 acre) and temporary disturbance of approximately 8 ha (20 acres) of mostly shrub-steppe habitat.
Construction of the NWP gas line would temporarily affect about 16 ha (40 acres) and permanently affect less than 0.1 ha (0.1 acre) of mostly grassland habitat and cropland.
Construction of the water supply line would temporarily disturb about 2 ha (5 acres) of mostly cropland.
Land Use
The project would be located in the southwest portion of Umatilla County, Oregon. The cogeneration facility would be located approximately 4.8 km (3 miles) south of the city of Hermiston, and 6.4 km (4 miles) west of the city of Stanfield. Both transmission alternatives would be located primarily in unincorporated Umatilla County, but would also pass through several jurisdictions. Both of the gas pipelines would be primarily located in unincorporated Umatilla County, although the PGT route would enter into the Urban Growth Boundary of the city of Stanfield. The water supply pipeline would be located entirely in unincorporated Umatilla County.
All of the project facilities including both transmission alternatives would be compatible with the comprehensive plan or zoning land use designations assigned to the lands in which the facilities would be located. Some of the facilities would be allowed as a permitted use. The majority of facilities would be permitted as conditional uses by the governmental jurisdictions in which they would be sited. Because, the project components are consistent with county and local land use designations, but will require conditional use permits, the project is considered to have a low impact to land use.
Cultural Resources
An historic properties inventory of the project vicinity resulted in discovery of six historic area canals and three trash dumps. The canals are eligible for NRHP nomination as part of the Bureau of Reclamation's Umatilla Project.
The Eastern 500-kV Alternative crosses six canals, and the Western 230-kV Alternative one canal. Each of the two natural gas pipelines would cross one canal. However, the project's effects on elements of these historic properties would be minor because placement of the transmission line towers or poles could avoid the canals, the gas pipelines would be tunneled underneath the structure, or the canals would be restored to their original condition. The project, therefore, is considered to have a low impact on cultural resources.
Socioeconomics
The predominantly rural Umatilla County had a 1992 population of 61,100. Accordingly, the agricultural business and employment sector plays a significant role in the economy in the county. In addition, a large secondary sector provides services to the agricultural industry. Impacts to employment would be most pronounced during the 2-year construction phase when up to 300 people would be employed on a monthly basis. During operation, the project would create 24 jobs. After 3 years of operation, the county would benefit by increased property taxes worth approximately $5 million annually. Other taxes such as business and natural gas taxes would also be collected. Increases in housing demand and traffic patterns would be minor and could be mitigated. The project would provide a relatively inexpensive source of steam to the potato processing plant and help that facility keep a competitive advantage. Overall, the project is considered to have a low, beneficial socioeconomic impact.
Recreational Resources
There are no recreational facilities that would be affected by project facilities nor in the project vicinity, and therefore there will be no impact to recreational resources.
Public Health and Safety
Natural gas and fuel oil would be used or stored on site, both of which are flammable and can be explosive under certain circumstances. Lubricating oils, hydraulic fluids, cleaning solvents, paint, paint thinners, wastewater from cooling tower collection sumps, and other materials and process wastes would be found on site, and could pose a risk to public health and safety if not used and disposed of properly. Some materials are classified as hazardous and would need careful handling and disposal to protect human health.
Visual Quality
The cogeneration facility site is located in an industrial area south of the city of Hermiston. Surrounding lands in the project vicinity are primarily agricultural. The industrial area and nearby agricultural areas contain industrial, warehouse, and agricultural buildings and facilities. The industrial area and cogeneration facility site can be viewed by travelers on I-82, I-84, and SR 207.
A number of existing transmission lines occur in the project vicinity connecting with the McNary Substation. These are located adjacent to local roads, and/or pass through agricultural and open lands.
The cogeneration facility would intensify the industrial character of the area where it would be sited. Because the facility would be similar in appearance to existing nearby industrial and agricultural facilities, it would be visually compatible with the existing visual character of the area. The gas transmission lines would create only a temporary and minor visual disturbance through primarily grass and agricultural lands. The visual impacts of the cogeneration facility and the gas pipelines, therefore, would be considered low. The potential visual impacts of the two transmission line alternatives are compared below.
Western 230-kV Alternative. This alternative would minimize the need for new transmission poles by using existing UECA poles. Although the UECA would have to rebuild a new section of 115-kV line, this transmission line would not be viewed by large numbers of people, and would generally follow existing transmission corridors. The visual impacts of this alternative are, therefore, considered low.
Eastern 500-kV Alternative. This alternative involves constructing a new transmission line with steel towers or poles, mainly using a vacant ROW adjacent to the existing McNary-Roundup 230-kV transmission line. However, this new 500-kV transmission line would likely be quite noticeable to travelers on Highway 395 and many rural residences east of Hermiston, even though the main portion of it would be within existing ROW. Therefore, the visual impacts of this alternative are considered moderate.
Figure S-1 Project Vicinity Map
Table S-1 Summary of Potential Impacts and Mitigation Hermiston Power Project
