Susquehanna-Roseland power line nears final approval despite estimated $89 million impact on park lands

PPL Electric Utilities in Pennsylvania and Public Service Electric and Gas Co. in New Jersey hope to complete the $1.2 billion, 145-mile line for 2015.

The National Park Service on Friday said its approval of the Susquehanna-Roseland power line in Pennsylvania and New Jersey will be complete in about a month, despite an analysis showing an impact on federal park lands of $89 million.

The park service announced the availability of its final environmental impact statement on the proposed transmission line linking the Berwick, Pa., area and Roseland, N.J., in Essex County. A record of decision due in 30 days will bring to a close the federal review begun in November 2009.

PPL Electric Utilities in Pennsylvania and Public Service Electric and Gas Co. in New Jersey hope to complete the $1.2 billion, 145-mile line for 2015. Through the park land, the 500-kilovolt line will follow an existing 230-kilovolt line.

Following state regulatory approval, the National Park Service approval and permitting represent the final hurdle to construction. The line links regions of the Mid-Atlantic power grid in need of electricity to electricity-generation capacity, the companies say. The region with capacity encompasses PPL Corp.'s Susquehanna nuclear facility in the Berwick area, where the company seeks to build a second power plant.

Human, ecological effects

Federal officials looked at the project's effect on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, through which the power line is proposed to cross.

They quantified the project's effect on human use and ecological losses in the federal park lands at $89 million throughout the transmission lines' estimated life span of 60 years.

The human-use-loss analysis looked at park visitation data, estimates of the value of recreational and cultural/historical activities and information on the likely reduction in value associated with the proposal, according to the National Park Service. At more than $80 million, the human-use-loss impact represents the bulk of the project's harm, the federal analysis found.

Impacted properties are the park lands' Millbrook historic site, Bushkill, Pa., river area and Watergate and Van Campen recreation sites, in addition to the Appalachian Trail.

Ecological impacts include short-term vegetation clearing for the power line's expanded right of way through the parks and long-term habitat losses in wetlands, uplands and floodplains.

The park service looked at six options for the power line, including one deemed environmentally preferable: not permitting the line. The alternative chosen is the same route backed by the power companies and utility regulators in both states. That's the alternative “which the agency believes would fulfill its statutory mission and responsibilities, giving consideration to economic, environmental, technical and other factors,” the environmental impact statement reads.

Work begun on line
Construction through the park represents about 4 miles of the project, PPL Electric Utilities spokesman Paul Wirth said Friday. That work is not expected to begin for about year.

Elsewhere, PPL began work in recent weeks on the line in the Berwick and Scranton areas. PSE&G began work in spring on the Roseland and Hopatcong, N.J., switching stations, company spokesman John Margaritis said.

The utilities say in addition to maintaining the reliability of the electric grid, the Susquehanna-Roseland project is expected to create about 2,000 jobs during construction.