Public Notice (PN) Date: January 17, 2023           PN Reference Number: POA-2022-00526 v1.0
PN Expiration Date: February 1, 2023                  Waterway: Turnagain Arm

Any applicant for a federal license or permit to conduct an activity that might result in a discharge into navigable waters, in accordance with Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1977 (PL95-217), also must apply for and obtain certification from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation that the discharge will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws.

Notice is hereby given that a request for a CWA §401 Water Quality Certification of a Department of the Army Permit application, Corps of Engineers’ PN Reference Number indicated above has been received for the discharge of dredged and/or fill materials into waters of the United States (WOUS), including wetlands, as described below, and shown on the project figures/drawings. The public notice and related project figures/drawings are accessible from the DEC website at http://dec.alaska.gov/water/wastewater/.

To comment on the project or request for a public hearing with respect to water quality, submit comments electronically via the DEC public notice site at https://water.alaskadec.commentinput.com/?id=SPu8J on or before the public notice expiration date listed above.

Applicant:   Chugach Electric Association, Inc., Karen Keesecker, P.O. Box 16300Building N-1 1200 E. 1st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99519; (907) 762-4726; Karen_Keesecker@chugachelectric.com.

Agent:  HDR, Paul McLarnon, 582 E. 36th Ave. Suite 500, Anchorage, AK 99503; (907) 644-2020; paul.mclarnon@hdrinc.com.

Project Name: Chugach-Girdwood to Indian T-Line Rebuild

Location: The proposed activity is located within T. 10 N, R. 1 E, Sections 21-24, 29, 30; T. 10 N, R. 2E, Section 1; T. 10 N, R. 1 W, Sections 5, 9-10,14-15, 24-25; T. 11 N, R. 1 W, Section 32 of the Seward Meridian. The proposed project extends from the Indian Substation (Latitude 61.000456° N, Longitude 149.499293° W) to the Girdwood Substation (Latitude 60.941448° N, Longitude 149.171027° W), near Girdwood, Alaska.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to serve the public interest by rebuilding and upgrading approximately 15 miles of existing 115kV transmission located between Girdwood and Indian. It would increase the transmission capacity to 230kV standards to maintain reliability and accommodate anticipated electrical load growth. Inspections conducted in 2007, concluded that the transmission line structures were nearing the end of their useful life and required replacement.

The entire transmission line is 90.4 miles and runs from Quartz Creek Substation near Kenai Lake to the substation in Anchorage, which was originally constructed to carry power from the Cooper Lake Hydroelectric Power Plant to Anchorage. Today, this line also carries power produced by the Bradley Lake Hydroelectric Facility and the Nikiski Combined Cycle Power Plant. In addition to Anchorage, the line also serves local distribution substations at Indian, Dave’s Creek, Summit Lake, Hope, Portage, and Girdwood, and interconnects with the power grid for Seward, Kenai/Soldotna, and Homer.

Project Description: The Girdwood and Indian (GWID) project will involve replacing the existing 115kV transmission line structures between the Girdwood and Indian substations with new support structures (e.g., utility poles or towers) designed for 230 kV.

The project proposes to rebuild the electrical transmission segment between Girdwood Substation to Indian Substation (15 miles), which would require placement of 15,000 cubic yards of gravel and riprap and 305 cubic yards of pipe and concrete in 1.97 acres of waters of the U.S., including wetlands.

Proposed work in waters of the U.S. includes the following:

1. Remove old piles and wood frame structures. Foundations would be cut off at ground surface and concrete pads removed.
2. Install 55 new utility structures (steel or new wood frames) in waters of the U.S. H-poles or single poles once installed would reach heights up to 20 feet.
3. Installed 15 new towers up to 50 feet tall.
4. All work would take place within Chugach’s powerline 100-foot right-of-way (ROW); the new transmission line would generally follow the ROW centerline. In most cases, each new structure would be placed near the removed structure, except where current design standards require a change in location due to hazard and/or siting constraints (e.g., new utility pole No. 24-7 would be set outside avalanche-prone areas).
5. Foundations for the new structures would be installed based on subsurface conditions and location.
6. Rock anchor foundations would be installed by drilling rods into solid rock. Rods would be encased with concrete in a 60-inch diameter steel casing, with a minimum reveal of 12-feet. An anchor plate would secure the new poles to the new rock-anchored foundation.
7. Equipment to install the rock anchor foundation would include an excavator for rock drilling, welding equipment, a crane-mounted pile driver, concrete pump, and concrete trucks.
8. It is anticipated the use of a 150-ton crane with a 25-foot turning radius to support the installation of structures at select sites directly adjacent or below Turnagain Arm HTL.
9. The 150-ton crane would support removal of old towers/piles/foundations, removal of existing conductor, construction of new foundations, and installation of towers, pile driving, erection of steel structures, stringing, sagging, and clipping of the new conductor.
10. Access platforms would be required on 15 sites south of the highway to ensure the safe installation and operation of the crane.
11. In areas that do not have solid rock, the new towers would be installed using pipe piles dimensions 30-inch, 36-inch, or 42-inch diameter (approximately 40 to 45 feet in length) driven into the substrate with the crane-mounted pile-driver).
12. Wetlands would be crossed with low pressure ground equipment during winter months while the ground is frozen with 12-inches of ice cover and 12-inches of snow cover. If snow conditions cannot not be met, mats may be used. Otherwise, a combination of low-pressure ground equipment and/or distributed weight matting would be used.

Applicant Proposed Mitigation: The applicant proposes the following mitigation measures to avoid, minimize, and compensate for impacts to waters of the United States from activities involving discharges of dredged or fill material.

1. Avoidance and Minimization: Most of the construction and associated access improvements would be conducted during winter conditions when the ground is frozen, especially when operating equipment in wetlands. Installation of utility poles and towers below the MHW elevation of Turnagain Arm, as well as any drilling into rock below HTL would be conducted during low tidal cycles (in-dry conditions) to avoid potential impacts to the Cook Inlet beluga whales. When crossing wetlands, low pressure ground equipment would be used, preferably when the ground is frozen with 12-inches of ice cover and 12-inches of snow cover. When ideal ice and snow conditions cannot not be met, use of matting would be considered. If there are areas where a winter wetland crossing is not possible and ground conditions are suitable per agency standards, Chugach shall utilize a combination of low-pressure ground equipment and/or distributed weight matting. Chugach would follow the Standard Operating Procedures/and select Operating Policy (SOP/OP) and other best management practices (BMPs) outlined in the ROW’s Plan, as well as the requirements of other federal, state and local permits issued for the project. The Chugach’s SOP/OP includes, among others, conditions to access routes and required points for work on the transmission line; restrictions on timing for access; specific equipment used for vegetation removal and surface work, equipment required for work on the transmission line and to cross wetlands and streams; actions to manage wildlife issues (wildlife encounters, interactions with bears, as well as nesting or injured/dead birds in compliance with the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, etc.); methods to cross streams (i.e., fording) and use of temporary culverts or bridges to minimize impacts to fish habitat, bank erosion, etc.; spills/leaks of hazardous material (e.g., fluids, fuel); as well as responsibilities of each party.
2. Compensatory Mitigation: Chugach is planning to conduct most of the construction work and associated access improvements during winter when the ground is frozen. Chugach has committed to employing numerous design measures to avoid impacts and minimize unavoidable impacts and is not proposing compensatory mitigation for unavoidable impacts on waters of the U.S.

After reviewing the application, the Department may certify there is reasonable assurance the activity, and any discharge that might result, will comply with the CWA, the Alaska Water Quality Standards, and other applicable State laws. The Department also may deny or waive certification.

The permit application and associated documents are available for review. For inquires or to request copies of the documents, contact dec-401cert@alaska.gov, or call 907-269-6285.

Disability Reasonable Accommodation Notice

The State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Conservation complies with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. If you are a person with a disability who may need special accommodation in order to participate in this public process, please contact ADA Coordinator Claire Fishwick at  907-465-5871 or TDD Relay Service 1-800-770-8973/TTY or dial 711 prior to the expiration date of this public notice to ensure that any necessary accommodations can be provided.