NEWARK, N.J., Jan. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Recognizing
that the Susquehanna-Roseland power line would have impacts on
federal lands, the utilities building the project will propose a
mitigation package that would have significant benefits for the
public, three National Park Service units, the U.S. Fish &
Wildlife Service and other public land-managing agencies.
Mitigation is a routine part of the environmental impact review
process when power lines or other infrastructure improvements
impact federal lands. It is typically required by federal agencies
for impacts that cannot be avoided.
Under the mitigation package to be proposed by PPL Electric
Utilities Corp. and Public Service Electric & Gas Co.,
thousands of acres of land – identified as priorities by
conservation groups – would be purchased or preserved at a cost of
tens of millions of dollars.
These acquisitions would protect scenic vistas for hikers on the
Appalachian Trail and significantly expand National Park Service
land holdings in and around the Delaware Water Gap National
Recreation Area – one of the most visited park service units in the
nation.
In addition, the mitigation package could potentially bridge
gaps between existing federal and state lands in the area. This
would create a half-million-acre swath of contiguous publicly owned
or preserved natural lands for recreation and wildlife preservation
within easy driving distance of major Northeast metropolitan
areas.
The utilities will outline more details of the mitigation
proposal when they file their comments on the National Park Service
Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the Susquehanna-Roseland power line project. The draft is open
for comment through the end of January.
The tracts of land that could be acquired or preserved have been
identified as particularly important to the National Park Service's
mission, resources and values. In addition, acquiring the tracts
would prevent development and protect wildlife corridors in the
region.
To advise and assist in executing the land transactions, the
utilities are working with a number of national, regional and local
organizations to conserve lands that have benefits for scenery,
wildlife, water quality, outdoor recreation and other public
values.
The new Susquehanna-Roseland
power line is being built to maintain the reliability of the
electric grid for millions of people in the Northeast region. In
addition, it is estimated that the project will save consumers more
than $200 million per year by
relieving congestion on the power grid, which will reduce electric
bills for some customers.
The two utilities have been working to develop a mitigation
proposal for several months. Mitigation includes three components –
avoiding impacts, minimizing impacts and compensating for
unavoidable impacts on federal lands.
"The National Park Service correctly sets a very high bar for
protecting and enhancing federal lands as part of this process,"
said Ralph LaRossa, president and
chief operating officer of PSE&G. "We are committed to doing
the right thing as we meet our obligation to keep the lights on
reliably, safely and cost effectively for millions of homes and
businesses."
"This mitigation would be an example of the excellent result
that is possible when public and private interests work together
for the common good," said David G.
DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "The
mitigation package, if accepted as part of the National Park
Service decision-making process, would have a lasting benefit for
National Park Service and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service lands,
for conservation and wildlife interests, and for the people who
visit these areas now and in the future."
The Susquehanna-Roseland power line will run from Berwick, Pa., to Roseland, N.J. The independent regional
power grid operator, PJM Interconnection, ordered the new line to
prevent violations of national standards for the operation of the
nation's electric power grid. PJM recently reconfirmed the need for
the line.
The utilities' chosen route has already been approved by both
the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. About 95
percent of this 145-mile route would follow the path of an existing
85-year-old power line that must be replaced because it is
approaching the end of its useful life and is undersized for
today's electricity demands. Following an existing power line route
would help reduce the project's overall impact on people and the
environment.
About four miles of this route would cross the Delaware Water
Gap National Recreation Area, the Middle Delaware National Scenic
and Recreational River, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail.
The land acquisition package is intended to mitigate for impacts to
these federal lands if the utilities' application is approved.
The Obama administration selected the Susquehanna-Roseland line as one of seven transmission
lines nationwide for fast-track treatment by the administration's
Rapid Response Team for Transmission. The team is expected to
streamline the review and permitting of transmission line projects
to increase reliability and save consumers money by modernizing the
grid, while still ensuring careful federal review. The project will
create thousands of jobs during its three-year construction
period.
More information about this project is available on PSE&G's
project Web site at http://reliabilityproject.pseg.com.
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is
New Jersey's oldest and largest
regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly
three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the winner
of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system
reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise
Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company
(www.pseg.com).
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SOURCE Public Service Gas & Electric Company (PSE&G)