Competitive Power Ventures, Inc., Three Rivers Energy Center

Challenge

Competitive Power Ventures, Inc. (CPV) consulted with GZA to provide environmental and regulatory guidance as it developed Three Rivers Energy Center, a planned 1,250 megawatt (MW) natural-gas-fueled electric generating facility.

Solution

Initially, GZA conducted a review of the previous environmental consultant’s work and provided a summary of federal, state, and local regulations and associated permitting requirements and process regarding natural resources. GZA then conducted a wetland delineation on 120 acres of undeveloped and agricultural land, in compliance with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and USDA National Food Security Act Manual methodology. After identifying nine wetlands and three waterways, GZA submitted a jurisdictional determination for the wetlands and surface waters to the USACE and received an Approved Jurisdictional Determination.

GZA also evaluated the project’s potential to adversely impact the Northern long-eared bat (NLEB, Myotis septentrionalis) and the Indiana Bat (Myotis sodalis) and conducted a Phase I habitat survey as outlined in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “2016 Range-wide Indiana Bat Summer Survey Guidelines.” Each of the over 1,000 trees within the 120-acre site was visited to determine if suitable roosting habitat was present.

Additional GZA services included conducting a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment of the entire site, which revealed no evidence of Recognized Environmental Conditions in connection with the site, and coordinating with the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to obtain cultural resource clearance.

Benefit

GZA helped CPV successfully navigate the environmental and ecological compliance requirements associated with the new generating facility.