Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...
Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ... Alternative Energy Draft EA - NASA Visitor Center at Wallops Flight ...
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.2.5 Fish................................................................................................ 75 3.3 Social and Economic Environment............................................................75 3.3.1 Population ..................................................................................... 75 3.3.2 Employment and Income .............................................................. 76 3.3.3 Environmental Justice................................................................... 78 3.3.4 Aviation Safety Requirements ...................................................... 79 3.3.5 Cultural Resources........................................................................ 79 3.3.6 Transportation............................................................................... 85 3.3.7 Aesthetics...................................................................................... 85 SECTION FOUR: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES......................................................................... 91 4.1 Introduction................................................................................................91 4.2 Physical Environment ................................................................................91 4.2.1 Land Resources............................................................................. 91 4.2.2 Water Resources ........................................................................... 95 4.2.3 Air Quality and Climate Change................................................. 101 4.2.4 Radar........................................................................................... 105 4.2.5 Noise ........................................................................................... 106 4.2.6 Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste ............................... 107 4.3 Biological Environment...........................................................................109 4.3.1 Vegetation................................................................................... 109 4.3.2 Terrestrial Wildlife...................................................................... 110 4.3.3 Avifauna – Birds......................................................................... 111 4.3.4 Avifauna – Bats........................................................................... 118 4.3.5 Threatened and Endangered Species .......................................... 122 4.3.6 Essential Fish Habitat ................................................................. 127 4.4 Social and Economic Environment..........................................................127 4.4.1 Population, Employment, and Income........................................ 127 4.4.2 Environmental Justice................................................................. 129 4.4.3 Cultural Resources...................................................................... 130 4.4.4 Transportation............................................................................. 135 4.4.5 Aesthetics.................................................................................... 136 4.5 Cumulative Effects...................................................................................141 4.5.1 Wallops Research Park ............................................................... 141 4.5.2 North Unmanned Aerial System Airstrip ................................... 141 4.5.3 Shoreline Restoration and Infrastructure Protection Program.... 141 4.5.4 Expansion of the Wallops Flight Facility Launch Range ........... 142 4.5.5 WFF Launch Range Activities.................................................... 142 4.5.6 Potential Cumulative Effects by Resource ................................. 142 4.6 Permits, Licenses, and Approvals............................................................148 SECTION FIVE: MITIGATION AND MONITORING.................................................................................. 149 5.1 Mitigation.................................................................................................149 5.1.1 Wetlands ..................................................................................... 149 5.1.2 Birds and Bats............................................................................. 149 5.2 Monitoring ...............................................................................................149 xii
TABLE OF CONTENTS 5.2.1 Post-Construction Utility-Scale Wind Turbine Avian Fatality Monitoring .................................................................................. 150 5.2.2 Facility Threatened and Endangered Species Monitoring.......... 152 5.3 Adaptive Management.............................................................................152 SECTION SIX: LIST OF PREPARERS..................................................................................................... 155 SECTION SEVEN: AGENCIES, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PERSONS CONSULTED.............................. 157 7.1 Introduction..............................................................................................157 7.2 Scoping Process .......................................................................................157 7.3 Draft EA...................................................................................................157 SECTION EIGHT: REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 161 APPENDIX A WALLOPS FLIGHT FACILITY ALTERNATIVE ENERGY DEMONSTRATION PROJECT WIND ENERGY AVIAN STUDY REPORT APPENDIX B SUMMER – FALL 2008 PASSIVE ACOUSTIC MONITORING BAT SURVEY REPORT APPENDIX C FEDERAL CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION APPENDIX D BIOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT APPENDIX E ESSENTIAL FISH HABITAT CHECKLIST APPENDIX F AESTHETICS STUDY PHOTO LOG APPENDIX G SCOPING AND COORDINATION LETTERS Photographs Photograph 1: Viewshed from a vantage point west of WFF located approximately 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) southwest of the bridge that links Wallops Mainland to Wallops Island looking northeast toward the bridge.................................................... 86 Photograph 2: Viewshed from a vantage point at the Main Base looking north toward the cafeteria building.......................................................................................................... 87 Photograph 3: Aerial overview of the Main Base looking east. .................................................. 87 Photograph 4: Viewshed from launch pad 2 on South Wallops Island looking north................. 88 Photograph 5: Jersey Atlantic Wind, LLC/Atlantic County Utilities Authority Wind Farm ........................................................................................................................... 114 Photograph 6: Viewshed from a vantage point located approximately 3.7 kilometers (2.3 miles) southwest of the bridge that links Wallops Mainland to Wallops Island looking northeast toward the bridge........................................................................... 139 xiii
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TABLE OF CONTENTS<br />
3.2.5 Fish................................................................................................ 75<br />
3.3 Social and Economic Environment............................................................75<br />
3.3.1 Popul<strong>at</strong>ion ..................................................................................... 75<br />
3.3.2 Employment and Income .............................................................. 76<br />
3.3.3 Environmental Justice................................................................... 78<br />
3.3.4 Avi<strong>at</strong>ion Safety Requirements ...................................................... 79<br />
3.3.5 Cultural Resources........................................................................ 79<br />
3.3.6 Transport<strong>at</strong>ion............................................................................... 85<br />
3.3.7 Aesthetics...................................................................................... 85<br />
SECTION FOUR: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES......................................................................... 91<br />
4.1 Introduction................................................................................................91<br />
4.2 Physical Environment ................................................................................91<br />
4.2.1 Land Resources............................................................................. 91<br />
4.2.2 W<strong>at</strong>er Resources ........................................................................... 95<br />
4.2.3 Air Quality and Clim<strong>at</strong>e Change................................................. 101<br />
4.2.4 Radar........................................................................................... 105<br />
4.2.5 Noise ........................................................................................... 106<br />
4.2.6 Hazardous M<strong>at</strong>erials and Hazardous Waste ............................... 107<br />
4.3 Biological Environment...........................................................................109<br />
4.3.1 Veget<strong>at</strong>ion................................................................................... 109<br />
4.3.2 Terrestrial Wildlife...................................................................... 110<br />
4.3.3 Avifauna – Birds......................................................................... 111<br />
4.3.4 Avifauna – B<strong>at</strong>s........................................................................... 118<br />
4.3.5 Thre<strong>at</strong>ened and Endangered Species .......................................... 122<br />
4.3.6 Essential Fish Habit<strong>at</strong> ................................................................. 127<br />
4.4 Social and Economic Environment..........................................................127<br />
4.4.1 Popul<strong>at</strong>ion, Employment, and Income........................................ 127<br />
4.4.2 Environmental Justice................................................................. 129<br />
4.4.3 Cultural Resources...................................................................... 130<br />
4.4.4 Transport<strong>at</strong>ion............................................................................. 135<br />
4.4.5 Aesthetics.................................................................................... 136<br />
4.5 Cumul<strong>at</strong>ive Effects...................................................................................141<br />
4.5.1 <strong>Wallops</strong> Research Park ............................................................... 141<br />
4.5.2 North Unmanned Aerial System Airstrip ................................... 141<br />
4.5.3 Shoreline Restor<strong>at</strong>ion and Infrastructure Protection Program.... 141<br />
4.5.4 Expansion of the <strong>Wallops</strong> <strong>Flight</strong> Facility Launch Range ........... 142<br />
4.5.5 WFF Launch Range Activities.................................................... 142<br />
4.5.6 Potential Cumul<strong>at</strong>ive Effects by Resource ................................. 142<br />
4.6 Permits, Licenses, and Approvals............................................................148<br />
SECTION FIVE: MITIGATION AND MONITORING.................................................................................. 149<br />
5.1 Mitig<strong>at</strong>ion.................................................................................................149<br />
5.1.1 Wetlands ..................................................................................... 149<br />
5.1.2 Birds and B<strong>at</strong>s............................................................................. 149<br />
5.2 Monitoring ...............................................................................................149<br />
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