[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 170 (Friday, August 31, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53226-53227]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20697]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

National Park Service

[NPS-NER-HPPC-10888; 4320-pplb-318]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Susquehanna to 
Roseland 500-kilovolt Transmission Line, Appalachian National Scenic 
Trail; Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Middle Delaware 
National Scenic and Recreational River

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality 
regulations, the National Park Service (NPS) has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) for the permit for the 
Susquehanna to Roseland 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line to pass 
through three units of the National Park System: The Appalachian 
National Scenic Trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and 
Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. This Final EIS 
describes and analyzes six alternatives for the transmission line that 
will guide the decision to grant or deny the construction and Right-of-
Way (ROW) permits requested by the applicants.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, 
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, and the Middle Delaware 
National Scenic and Recreational River are famed for the recreational, 
scenic, natural, and cultural resources they contain. Each year, 
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area receives 5.2 million 
recreational visitors, and the Delaware

[[Page 53227]]

River is one of the primary recreational attractions in the park. 
Approximately 27 miles of the Appalachian National Scenic Trail occur 
within the boundaries of Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; 
the Appalachian National Scenic Trail attracts 4 million visitors each 
year.
    The existing transmission line ROW predates the establishment of 
the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in 1937, Delaware Water Gap 
National Recreation Area in 1965, and the Middle Delaware National 
Scenic and Recreational River in 1978. The applicants, PPL Electric 
Utilities Corporation and the Public Service Electric and Gas Company, 
request NPS permission to expand the size of the current ROW, access 
the ROW through existing natural and cultural areas, construct new and 
taller power line towers, and remove and replace the existing 230-kV 
Bushkill-to-Kittatinny (B-K) Line with a new double-circuit 500-kV 
transmission line (the S-R line). The purpose of the Final EIS is to 
respond to the applicants' need in light of the purposes and resources 
of the affected units of the National Park System, as expressed in 
statutes, regulations, and policies.
    The NPS has developed the Final EIS under section 102(2)(C) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (as amended), and consistent 
with NPS laws, regulations, and policies, and the purposes of these 
three parks. The Final EIS describes and analyzes six alternatives (1, 
2, 2b, 3, 4, and 5). The applicants have proposed construction of a 
500-kV transmission line from the Susquehanna Substation (Berwick, 
Pennsylvania) to the Roseland Substation (Roseland, New Jersey). The 
construction and ROW permits would allow the construction through 
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Middle Delaware National 
Scenic and Recreational River, and Appalachian National Scenic Trail in 
Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The alternatives follow existing ROWs to 
reduce the impacts from construction and operation of the transmission 
line.
    Under Alternative 1 (no action), the permit to allow construction 
of the applicant's proposal would be denied and current conditions 
would be presumed to continue. Alternative 2 (applicant's proposed 
route) would cross approximately 4.3 miles of NPS lands along the 
existing B-K Line corridor and require the cleared ROW to be expanded 
to 350 feet wide. Alternative 2b (applicant's alternate route) would 
follow the same route as Alternative 2, but would be constructed within 
the applicant's existing deeded ROW without expansion. Alternative 3 
would cross approximately 5.4 miles of NPS lands along a different 
existing transmission line corridor and would require a ROW 350 feet in 
width. Alternative 4 would cross approximately 1.5 miles of NPS lands 
along another existing transmission line corridor and would require a 
ROW 350 feet in width. This alternative would not cross the Middle 
Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River. Alternative 5 would 
follow the same route as Alternative 4, but would not include a 0.6-
mile stretch of NPS land west of the Bushkill substation. Alternative 2 
is the NPS preferred alternative and Alternative 1 is the 
environmentally preferable alternative.
    The Final EIS analyzes the impacts of the alternatives in detail 
for geologic resources (including topography and paleontology), flood 
plains, wetlands, vegetation, landscape connectivity, wildlife habitat 
and wildlife, special-status species, rare and unique communities, 
archeological resources, historic structures, cultural landscapes, 
socioeconomics, infrastructure, access and circulation, visitor use and 
experience, visual resources, soundscapes, wild and scenic rivers, park 
operations, and health and safety.
    The Draft EIS was released in November 2011 and was available for 
public and agency review and comment beginning with publication of the 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. Comments were accepted 
during the 60-day public comment period. After this public review, NPS 
identified the preferred alternative and revised this document in 
response to public comments.
    The Final EIS is now available. Interested persons and 
organizations may obtain the Final EIS online at  http://parkplanning.nps.gov/dewa. A 30-day no-action period will follow this 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. After this period, the 
alternative or actions constituting the approved plan will be 
documented in a Record of Decision that will be signed by the Regional 
Director of the Northeast Region of the NPS. Notice of approval of the 
EIS would be published similarly.

    Dated: August 15, 2012.
Dennis R. Reidenbach,
Regional Director, Northeast Region, National Park Service.
[FR Doc. 2012-20697 Filed 8-30-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4312-JG-P