Article VII Transmission Installation

Suffolk County, NY

H2M provided field inspectors and monitors to support PSC-required site monitoring and reporting. There was an emphasis on minimizing the potential for environmental impacts or disturbance to the public, as well as contractor compliance with all provisions of the EM&CPs.

The first segment of the project involved an upgrade of an existing overhead transmission line from 69 kV to 138kV. This work took place over 10.6 miles, primarily within a one-hundred-foot-wide utility right-of-way (ROW), from the Wildwood Substation (8DR) to the Riverhead Substation (9A), mostly adjacent to sensitive farming areas (two designated agricultural districts) and residential neighborhoods. The work included the replacement of all insulators on 167 transmission towers, and installation or modification to another dozen poles.

The second segment consisted of the installation of a new 138 kV circuit underground circuit which extended approximately 16 miles from Riverhead Substation 9A to Canal Substation 9C. The route was primarily within 11 miles of the existing public ROW, consisting of municipal, county and state roadway ROWs. Contractor work included construction of 38 new splicing vaults at intervals of about 2,200 feet along an existing duct bank and installation of new conductors into the three spare conduits previously installed about 20 years ago. To accomplish this, new accessways and access roads had to be constructed.

 Services included:

• EM&CP monitoring
• Contractor work area oversight
• Identification and monitoring of sensitive areas (e.g., wetlands) and invasive species
• Interface with contractor to mitigate potential impact on sensitive locations
• Public interface
• Documentation and resolution of field activity issues
• Monitoring of excavation, vaults and dewatering activity
• Imported and exported materials manifest tracking
• Conducting safety observations and initiated Stop Work Authority for EHS reasons or significant deviation from the EM&CP
• Conducting daily inspections of erosion & control devices (SWPPP)
• Executing BMPs for rare and threatened species
• Documenting and approving vegetation (tree) removal
• Inventory of all trees that were removed
• Site restoration oversight