National Parks Conservation Coalition Seeks Injunction to Prevent Construction of Susquehanna-Roseland 500 kV Transmission Line

 A coalition of national, regional and local conservation groups has filed a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court to stop construction of the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line through three popular national parks – the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail—while the court considers claims that the power line will cause irreversible ecological and scenic damage.  A copy of the press release announcing the court filing can be read here. A copy of the Motion for Preliminary Injunction and legal memorandum in support of the motion is available here.

The press release states:

At stake is nothing less than the Delaware Water Gap’s spellbinding views, pristine environment, and diverse wildlife that include bald eagles, peregrine falcons, and black bears. The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area was named a Top 10 most-photogenic national park for fall foliage, and is the eighth most visited national park unit in the country. The Delaware River is one of the cleanest rivers in the nation. The Appalachian Trail, completed 75 years ago, and designated as the nation’s first national scenic trail in 1968, is enjoyed by 2-3 million people each year. Together, these national parks offer some of the very best outdoor recreational opportunities for those living in the Mid-Atlantic region. “Countless public dollars and volunteer hours have gone into protecting special places like the Delaware Water Gap,” explained Mark Zakutansky, Mid-Atlantic Policy Manager for the Appalachian Mountain Club. “Allowing irreplaceable scenic vistas, trails, and wildlife habitat to be permanently damaged violates the Park Service’s mission and sends the wrong message about the value of our national treasures. We have to halt this construction, at least for now, so the court can review the case.”

We previously posted on the environmental impact statement for the Susquehanna-Roseland transmission line on September 1, 2012 and onDecember 3, 2011.

National Park Service to Evaluate 500kV Transmission Line to Cross Appalachian Trail and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area

SECOND UPDATE: The National Park Service has now published the Final Environmental Statement on the project. See our September 1, 2012 post for updated information.

UPDATE:  The National Park Service has published its Draft Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed action. It concludes that the preferred environmental alternative is the "no action" alternative. The public comment period on the DEIS is open until January 31, 2012.

 The National Park Service is deciding whether to allow the construction of a new 500 kV electric transmission line to cross the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.  Today (January 21, 2010) it issued its Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a construction and right-of-way permit requested from the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River, and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, in connection with the Susquehanna to Roseland 500kV Transmission Line. 

You can view the Federal Register notice here. The public participation and public scoping process under the National Environmental Policy Act commences with the Federal Register publication today. The public can comment on the project's purpose, need, objectives, preliminary alternatives, mitigation and other issues by submitting comments through the NPS project website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/dewa/.

The project proposes to expand upon an existing right-of-way which contains a single 230,000 volt (230kV) electric transmission line by replacing the existing towers with new, taller tower structures and adding an additional 500,000 volt (500kV) transmission line. The request would necessitate widening the existing ROW and constructing new access roads. The expanded line and new towers will impact three units of the National Park Service: the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area; the Middle Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River and National Recreation Water Trail; and the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (AT). The NPS is preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate the permit request.

Additional information, including the NPS internal scoping meeting report, is available from the National Park Service Planning, Environment and Public Comment page for the project.