Neighbors in Washington Co. notified about proposed 12-mile We Energies natural gas pipeline

Docket 6650-CG-275

This is a Type II action under Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 4.10(2). It requires the preparation of an environmental assessment (EA) to determine if an environmental impact statement (EIS) is necessary under Wis. Stat. § 1.11. PSC and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) staff have completed a joint environmental review of the proposed project and prepared an environmental assessment (EA).

The EA is written following the guidelines in Wis. Admin. Code PSC 4.20 and is a review of the potential environmental effects of the proposed project that would affect the quality of the human environment as described in Wis. Stat. § 1.11(2)(c). The EA also describes ways of mitigating or avoiding some of the expected impacts and concludes with the evaluation of ten items described in Wis. Admin. Code § PSC 4.20(2)(d).

The preliminary determination indicates that no significant impacts on the human or natural environment are likely to occur because of the construction and operation of this project. Therefore, preparation of an EIS is not required. Comments regarding this determination can be directed to the contact person listed at the end of this letter.

The Commission is sending this letter to property owners near the proposed pipeline site or associated facilities, as well as individuals who have asked to be placed on our mailing list or have expressed interest in the project. This letter is also being sent to public officials in the project area. If you are a municipal clerk and receive this letter, please post it in a location where it can be viewed by the public.

The remainder of this letter describes the primary impacts of the project and summarizes the conclusions of the EA. To obtain a copy of the EA, please request a copy from the contact person listed at the end of this letter.

Construction

There would be temporary impacts during construction such as increased traffic, noise, and air pollution in the construction areas. Construction of the project would cause temporary increases in traffic in the project area because of workers, heavy equipment, and material deliveries using local roads.

Construction would also create loose or disturbed soils that could be susceptible to erosion and cause dust. Implementation of appropriate erosion control measures that are regularly monitored and remain in place until revegetation has occurred would minimize the potential for erosion and stormwater impacts.

Where the route would cross roads or driveways, there could be impacts to landowners or those driving in the area. Wisconsin Gas would provide affected landowners with advanced notice of when construction is anticipated to begin on their property and would repair driveways and roads to previous conditions after pipeline installation.

A large amount of the project would cross agricultural lands. Construction would cause temporary disturbances to agricultural operations. Once installed, these lands could immediately return to agricultural production, although the effects of pipeline installation can be seen for several years after construction due to soil disturbances, compaction, etc.