Environmental Impact Assessment for Windfarm in Mill Cove

Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Katie Blose and Laureen Burns

December 10, 2018

Mansfield University
45 Wilson Ave
Mansfield, Pennsylvania 16933
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROPOSAL
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ENVIRONMENT
III. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES FOR ANALYSIS
i. Proposed Action
ii. Alternative 1: No Action
iii. Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility
iv. Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant
IV. ISSUES AND CONCERNS
V. ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
5.1 Land Use and Development
5.2 Geology and Soils
5.3 Water Resources
5.4 Floodplain and Coastal
5.5 Wetlands
5.6 Vegetation
5.7 Wildlife
5.8 Threatened and Endangered Species
5.9 Historical and Archaeological
5.10 Visual
5.11 Traffic and Transportation
5.12 Public Safety
5.13 Social and Neighborhood Impacts
5.14 Business and Home Relocation
5.15 Employment and Business
5.16 Noise
5.17 Air Quality
5.18 Property Value and Tax Revenue
5.19 Controversy
5.20 Energy
5.21 Recreation
 VI. References

LISTS OF FIGURES
LISTS OF TABLES
LISTS OF APPENDICES
 PROJECT IMPACT INTENSITY MATRIX

MILL COVE WIND

FARM EIA

STAGES OF THE PROJECT

SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACTS TRANSPORT (site
CONSTRUCTION OPERATION
prep, materials)
SOILS X X X
LANDSCAPE EROSION X X X
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

GEOLOGY X X X
WETLANDS X X X
PHYSICAL

RIVERS/CREEKS X X X
WATER
SUBSURFACE X X X
FLOODPLAINS X X X
AIR QUALITY X X X
AIR VISUAL X X X
NOISE X X X
VEGETATION X X X
BIO

ECOSYSTEM WILDLIFE X X X
ENDANGERED SPECIES X X X
RECREATION X X X
SITE SPECIFIC

CONTROVERSY X X X
LAND USE

BUSINESS AND HOME RELOCATION X X X

LAND USE X X X
DEVELOPMENT X X X
ENERGY (Needs, Output) X X X
PROPERTY VALUE AND TAX REVENUE X X X
ECONOMIC

PROPERTY VALUE X X X
EMPLOYMENT X X X
BUSINESS X X X
SOCIAL

HISTORICAL/ARCHAEOLOGICAL X X X
AESTHI

VISUAL X X X
C

NOISE X X X
TRAFFIC X X X
SAFETY

PUBLIC HEALTH AND SAFETY X X X

SOCIAL AND NEIGHBORHOOD X X X
I. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR PROPOSAL
The purpose for the issuance of federal funds of this EIA is to build a clean sustainable energy
source other than the traditional non-renewable resources such as fossil fuels in the 250- acre
Mill Cove Environmental Area, create jobs in the Tioga area, enable U.S. clean energy economic
growth, help the local economy and be an educational tool for the local high school and
university.
Jobs would be produced to construct the wind farm and to maintenance the windmills. Power
lines must then be run from Mill Cove into Mansfield which in turn will also create more jobs.
More high-tech jobs in Mansfield will also help with bringing in a younger demographic but also
teaching the older citizens the power of clean energy and how to implement it more throughout
the local areas. The service will guarantee obedience to NEPA and other related federal laws
and regulations to gratify project planning obligations for federal funding sources.
The issuance of federal funds would address these concerns relating to the area by:
*Building dikes along the Tioga river to prevent flooding in the area.
*Creating food plots for deer and turkeys to try and keep them in the area.
*Creating a source of renewable energy for Tioga County.
*Eliminating liabilities that may or could arise from the windfarm itself.
The overall purpose for this EIA is to establish and to create a renewable source of energy for
Tioga County. By being complaint with NEPA and other applicable federal laws and regulations
to satisfy said federal obligations for government funding. The issuance of federal funding would
help meet the needs listed above and help meet objectives currently in place between Tioga,
state, and federal agencies.
Our proposed action is to build a Wind Farm in Mill Cove to create jobs, to supply more clean
energy, help the local economy and be an educational tool for the local high school and
university.
Mansfield used to be the stomping grounds for oil companies since the Marcellus Shale is in this
area and allows for oil to be trapped. Drilling for oil became an important resource for Mansfield
and local towns but, ever since companies have moved to Bradford county, there isn’t a form of
energy that keeps Mansfield afloat. The population has been slowly increasing in this area, due
to Mansfield University and the current power facility can’t sustain new infrastructure due to the
capacity of the energy company. This wind farm would be able to store extra energy, which can
in turn be revenue for Mansfield Municipality.
Currently the Mill Cove Environmental Area is used for recreation like hiking, fishing, hunting,
kayaking, picnicking and educational purposes. By putting in a new wind farm the land will be
of more use but can still be used for recreational and educational purposes with some slight
adjustments.
The No Action Alternative will be the most environmentally beneficial alternative because the
land will stay as is and will still be open to the public and used for environmental education
purposes. Alternative 2 will be to expand Armenia Mountain Facility in the area. This will help
with getting more power to the town of Mansfield but will still have some impact on the
environment. Alternative 3 will be to build a Nuclear Power Plant in Mill Cove. This alternative
has a lot of environmental impact including safety precautions, it won’t be space efficient but
will help with the power issues that Mansfield is experiencing. The alternatives were designed to
meet the purpose and need as much as possible, while addressing concerns identified during
scoping.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ENVIRONMENT
III. PROJECT ALTERNATIVES FOR ANALYSIS
i. Proposed Action
ii. Alternative 1: No-Action
iii. Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility
iv. Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant
IV. ISSUES AND CONCERNS
Wind is inconsistent, Mansfield is known for being a windy place, but the location Mill Cove is
within a valley and the amount of the wind that could be received is vastly smaller than those in
neighboring areas. Wind farms in this area normally take advantage of the large mountains due
to no obstacles, where if the wind farm goes to Mill Cove, a lot more clearing of surroundings
will have to take place.
Wind turbines are an extremely expensive investment and if we decide to use Mill Cove for a
wind farm, we would need to build to prototype, calculate the amount of wind received in a
certain amount of time and then have all the turbines manufactured. These structures must be
spaced approximately 5 to 10 rotor diameters apart large amount of land needed.
Visual impacts will be a large concern for both drivers and homes near Mill Cove. Once the wind
farm is Installed there may be a large impact on traffic/accident due to how close they are to
route 15.
Noise impact will be a problem for mostly for locals within the area. Wind farms are known for
being quite noisy, which is why most of the times they are out at sea or on mountains not near
cities. Sound absorbent material can be a large impact on traffic/ accidents due to how close they
are to route 15.
Flying debris, either snow or ice, will be the main culprit to this issue. When ice gets frozen to a
wind turbine it becomes a safety hazard and even with maintenance checking on them it can still
be a problem during the winter months.
Birds have been known to fly into wind mills and large bird populations have dwindled in the
surrounding areas of wind farms. There are newer versions are bladeless which could change the
bird population problem but may be a higher price.
Water pollution because there is a small chance of having hydraulic fluid leeching into water
table or surface water.
Wind turbines need to be built on land that can hold these massive machines but due to the fact
Mill Cove is a flood plain, there is a chance that erosion will take place and lead to sliding of the
wind turbines or having them topple over.
Wind turbines can interfere with radar and telecommunications due to them producing electric
and magnetic fields. “The national Renewable energy Laboratory found that between 30 and 141
acres per megawatt of power output capacity ( a typical new utility- scale wind turbine is about 2
megawatts) However, less than 1 acre per megawatt is disturbed permanently and less than 3.5
acres per megawatt are disturbed temporarily during construction”
V. ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
5.1 Land Use and Development
Mill creek is considered to be a warm water community for aquatic life. The Mill Creek
Headwaters are within the Tioga State Forest and planning for forestry practices may occur
in the future. The area is concerned to be of high conservation concern due to the abundance
of invertebrates that occur in the warm water environment. Mill creek falls under the R-C
Rural Conservation district boundary determined under the Tioga County Zoning
Ordinance. To maintain this condition, the zone is permitted to be used as a forest, scenic, or
wildlife preserve, single-family detached dwellings, agriculture, roadside stands, lodges and
clubs, parks and playgrounds, structures owned and operated by the municipality, a mobile
home as a single-family detached dwelling as a temporary shelter (not longer than 1 year
while construction for a single-family detached dwelling is taking place on the same plot), or
cluster developments. There are a few permitted accessory uses as well, along with uses
permitted by special exception. Regulation of lot sizes exist as well.
5.1.1 Proposed Action: Land use will be altered during and after construction.
Secondary roads leading from the existing roadways to the turbines will be put in.
This might involve alteration of the landscape with the use of grading equipment.
Small clearings for the turbines and power grid will have to be made in the timber.
However, much of the land will still be used for the existing recreational activities.
Some mitigation for these impacts would include implementing selective placement
of the turbines. If turbines and roadways are placed in areas of underbrush, it would
ensure that the amount of larger trees required to be cut were at a minimum.
5.1.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Land use would not be changed or affected in any
way, shape, or form at both the Mill Cove location or the Armenia Mountain site.
5.1.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Land use for Armenia
Mountain would be affected by expanding the current facility. Expansion would
include the input of potential new roadways, and clearing of small plots of trees for
the addition of new turbines. Mitigation for these concerns would be the same for the
proposed project, which include selective placement for the new turbines and roads,
so that the cutting of larger timber would be minimal.
 5.1.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Land use and development would be
most changed with the introduction of a nuclear power plant. Much land would need
to be cleared of timber, and the surface would need to be graded and flattened.
Depending on the size, a nuclear power plant in the northeast United States may have
a footprint up to, but not limited to, approximately 800 acres of land, such does Three
Mile Island in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Buildings and parking lots would need to be
built, as well as fencing around the facility. Aerial photography of the current
Armenia Mountain wind farm shows how a wind farm requires clearing of the land in
segmented ways. Compared to this is Three Mile Island Nuclear Power facility in
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which involves a clearing of land which is contained in one
large area of acreage. The two aerial photos are taken at the same scale.

5.2 Geology and Soils

5.2.1 Proposed Action: This project consists of building a windfarm in Mill Cove,
Tioga, Pennsylvania. When building the windfarm, geology and soils will be affected due
to the building process, and weathering of the floodplain soils holding the windmills.
When clearing the area for construction, soils can become compacted which will lead to
flooding due to the fact the water can’t penetrate the ground. This can become an issue
because when Mill Cove floods the foundation for the windfarm can become, weaker and
will weather faster. Geology will also be affected by building a windfarm because once
 the locations for the windmills themselves are set, drilling into the ground to build the
foundation will need to occur.
5.2.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: This alternative is to take no action. If no action is taken
then, the geology and soils won't be affected any differently than usual.
5.2.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: This alternative will consist
of expanding the Armenia Mountain Facility. The geology and soils will be different in
this location but since there is already a facility there, looking over the existing windmills
will allow for a better idea of how the construction of the new windmills and the
weathering will affect the overall project.
5.2.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: This alternative is to build a nuclear power
plant in Mill Cove instead of a windfarm. Geology and soils will be affected due to the
construction of the building, chemical leaks into the ground, the flooding of the river and
weathering of the soils through time. Chemical leaks are the biggest consequences for
this project since it will be built on a floodplain and the possibility of chemicals getting
into the river are high.
5.3 Water Resources
5.3.1 Proposed Action:
5.3.2 Alternative 1: No-Action:
5.3.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility:
5.3.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant:
5.4 Floodplains and Coastal Areas
The existing conditions for the mill cove area when it comes to flooding varies with many
different determining factors. There is a wide area of flooding that can occur in the area and that
can be seen on the FEMA national flood hazard map. Most of the location is in the area of
minimal flood hazard. Flooding here is affected by amount of rain fall and the Tioga reservoir
and the amount of water that is let through the dam. Flood waters in the area are also depending
on the time as in spring with melt waters increasing the amount of water flowing into Mill Creek.
Most of the flooding in their area is to the North side of Mill Creek and this is due to the
difference in elevation from the northside of the creek and the south side which is steeper.
5.4.1 Proposed Action: The addition of a windfarm at the Mill Cove sight will have little
interaction with the floodplains in the area. Looking at the FEMA map the location that
was selected and circled in red is proposed area for turbines and is in no relation to flood
plains. For the location that was selected. The only interaction with floodplains any part
of the wind farm will be in contact with is infrastructure. The current roads at Mill Cove
would have to be improved to withstand the traffic of large trucks and prevent washout if
floods were to happen on Pheonix run or Mill Creek. This potential flood risk can be
mitigated with addition of culverts and widening of ditches. And the distance from the
location of the historical flood map from FEMA to the location of the lowest elevation
turbine is around 950 feet and there is no chance of a historic flood reaching that level.
5.4.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: With the No Action Alternative there will be no change
in the flood plains of the Mill Cove area. With no construction there will be no new roads
constructed that will increase the change of washouts that will alter landscape and
morphology. Flooding in the area will remains around the creeks as seen on the FEMA
maps. FEMA maps show that the 100-year flood elevation from creek bank is 600 feet.
With the no action alternative there will be no need for flood prevention or remediation
like increased draining or stabilization of roads and creek banks.
5.4.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Expanding the Armenia
Mountain sight as the alternative will not affect the current flood plains of the area.
Looking at elevation and FEMA maps of Armenia Mountain there are little to no
obstacles in the exiting area that will affect turbines and does not put them at risk of
either the 100-year or 500-year flood. As well as all the infrastructure in place there
would be no need for alterations to streams to insert culverts or reinforce roadways.
Roads that are currently used would be expanded along the top of the mountains. Power
 lines and stations would be strategically placed along the mountain out of any flood plain
areas.
5.4.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Under the proposed action, construction of a
nuclear power plant would have devastating impact to the floodplains and wetlands. The
area has natural springs running throughout all of it. During the rainy season, the
floodwaters rise to levels of 13-18 feet in depth. Due to this, the construction of the plant
would have to be relocated further up in elevation to leave most of the wetlands
untouched and out of the floodplains. Doing this however will cause for further
construction in order to divert water for the cooling process of the plant, along with the
return of the used water. Mitigation will be extensive. Retaining walls would have to be
put in along with silt socks to help with the potential erosion. New wetlands will have to
be created. Strict BMPs, and construction permits are vital that way the needed mitigation
is known. Not enough mitigation to fix the issue.
Exhibit 5.4.3.1 Area Proposed compared to Floodplains

Wetlands https://www.fws.gov/wetlands/data/Mapper.html
5.5 Wetlands
There have been little to no alteration to the area that remove wetlands with the only
construction in the area being roads pavilions and the riffle range. With use of the National
Wetland Inventory there are only three types of wetlands in the area. Those wetlands being
riverine which takes up the most area of 23.57 acres and are mostly found around Cabin Creek
and Phenix Run. Next wetland is freshwater emergent wetlands and is only .53 acres. Lastly are
fresh water ponds on the sight there are 2 and they make up an area of .3 acre.
5.5.1 Proposed Action: For Infrastructure such as road, powerlines and stations properly
planned there will be no paths crossed with any wetlands and all interaction can be
avoided. Roadways that must cross streams would need the increased protection of creeks
culvers that would be put in place or bridges. Roadways would have to be built between
16 to 40 feet wide for large construction equipment to move through the area during
construction, however after the roads could be reduced to 16 feet. By changing the soils
 this could create an impermeable surface and change the water runoff patterns. This could
cause adverse effects by erosion, mitigation to combat this could be done with the use of
silt socks in the surrounding areas. This area is a natural lowland that has a high moisture
content to it, because of this cement pads should be used during construction for the
turbines to be built on. During construction the land would have to be dewatered for the
pads to be laid in the ground lowering the water table. Lastly, the potential for fluids that
leak out of the turbines over time such as oils or other lubricants for maintenance would
have to be taken into consideration.
5.5.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: With no action on the area, wetlands will stay
untouched and there will be no need for any remediation. The location that was selected
for the turbines will have no interaction with any wetlands in the area. The land would
remain as is, as an environmental center.
5.5.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Armenia Mountain has far
greater wetlands than that at the Mill Cove sight. There are three major types of wetlands
in the area the most predominant wetland being freshwater forest/shrub wetlands that take
up an area of 59.9 acres and would be the most difficult to deal with as it would directly
affect construction due to dewatering for concert platforms on the turbines. Second most
common wetland in the area of Armenia Mountain where the expansion is occurring is
Freshwater emergent wetlands. With an area of 10.2 acres
5.5.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: The construction of a nuclear power plant at
the mill cove area will have the greatest negative impact on the wetlands. The power
plant will take up the most amount of area and the result of this will be total removal of 2
of the 3 wetlands on the sight. The 2 wetlands that would be removed are freshwater
ponds and freshwater emergent wetlands. There would be no way to mitigate this and the
result would be a loss of .83 acres of wetlands. If there was a need to prevent the total
loss of wetlands the project area would have to move up hill which would be even more
expensive with cost of tree removal and leveling out the hill top to make the area a good
location.

5.6 Vegetation
The project site is located at Mill Cove. Vegetation consists mainly of trees: Quercus rubra (Northern
Red Oak), Quercus alba (White Oak), Pinus resinosa (Red Pine), Pinus strobus (Eastern White Pine),
and Acer rubrum (Red Maple).

5.6.1 Proposed Action: With the construction of a windfarm some of the vegetation will
be impacted. A rule of thumb is to install a wind turbine 150 meters (492.1 feet) away
from any nearby obstruction, and at a height such that the bottom of the rotor blades will
be 9 meters (29.5 feet) above the obstructions, including buildings and trees. an 80-meter
(262-foot) rotor would need to be 560 meters, more than a third of a mile, from adjacent
turbines. The vegetation between the turbines could potentially be disturbed during the
construction of the windmills but after the windmills are built the vegetation would be
able to grow back. A 2-megawatt turbine would require 1.5 acres of land. During
construction we will only clear enough land to get the equipment to the site. This will
protect as much of the natural vegetation as possible. It will also lower the area that will
 need to be replanted. There will only be enough land cleared around each base of the
turbine to get the turbine up to reduce the overall size of the footprint. During
construction we will also plant as many seeds around the area as possible.
5.6.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: If there is no action taken the area would remain the
same. The vegetation would not be impacted and would continue to be maintained as it
currently is 5.6.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: During
construction, trees may need to be cut down in order to make room for more windmills.
Additionally, other plants may need to be uprooted to make room for entry ways to the
windmills. Construction efforts will be minimal as there is already an operational
windfarm facility in the area. After construction, trees and other plants will begin to grow
back and overtime, reverse the negative impact on vegetation. Also, during construction
we will only clear enough land to get equipment to the site. This will protect as much of
the natural vegetation as possible. It will also lower the area that needs to be replanted.
5.6.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: During construction of the power plant,
vegetation will suffer extreme negative impacts. A large area of land will need to be clear
cut to make way for the new facility and storage. Roads will need to be created and paved
to reach the facility which will also have a negative impact. To mitigate these negative
effects, seeds will be dispersed during and after construction to stimulate new growth in
the area.
5.7 Wildlife
5.7.1 Proposed Action: Under the Proposed Action, construction activities would cause
some undesired issues to wildlife habitat and inventory. The existing roads would be used
to gain entry into the Mill Cove Environmental Area; however, new roads would need to
be constructed to gain access to the proposed site on the ridge. This is likely to cause a
loss of habitat, habitat fragmentation and potentially decrease wildlife populations.
Surrounding the new roads, and area of construction there are hundreds of acres of
forested area for these species to relocate. Work would be done during certain seasons to
minimize the impacts on migrating species; and large birds’ nests would be relocated
within another area of Mill Cove. The area of the wind farm would cause some species
and habitat loss due to the clearcutting of areas within Mill Cove. BMPs would be
applied to mitigate any potential impacts to wildlife habitat and inventory. In general,
these impacts would be minimal, and species would be expected to make a full comeback
after construction is complete due to the ability of these species to settle in a new area
outside of the ridge.
5.7.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Under the No Action Alternative, existing wildlife
habitat and inventory would remain unchanged. There would be no additional impacts to
wildlife habitat, or inventory. Wildlife Management Unit Section 3A would continue to
be managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
5.7.3 Alternative 1: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Under the Proposed Action
of Alternative 1, expanding Armenia Mountain Wind Farm, existing wildlife habitat and
inventory would remain unchanged within Mill Cove. There would be no additional
 impacts to wildlife habitat, or inventory. Wildlife Management Unit Section 3A would
continue to be managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. To expand the Armenia
Mountain Wind Farm would have less impacts on wildlife than construction of a new
wind farm at Mill Cove. Roads were previously constructed for the initial wind farm at
Armenia Mountain. Clearcutting of trees would be necessary to construct new windmills,
and allow access for maintenance. This would cause loss of habitat and species within
this area. It is generally expected that within time these species would regain their
population, as there is plenty of suitable habitat in the areas surrounding Armenia
Mountain.
5.7.4 Alternative 2: Nuclear Power Plant: Under the Proposed Action of Alternative 2,
constructing a nuclear power plant, there would be significant change to wildlife habitat
and inventory. During construction there would be habitat destruction, and fragmentation.
It is possible that a large portion of the species habitat would be removed. Post
construction, the nuclear power plant would utilize the water from the Tioga River to
assist in cooling the reactors. Altering the water temperature can have a significant
change on fish species. Fish species may not survive, or spawn in waters that are not the
ideal temperature. Nuclear power plants can emit low levels of radiation. Even low levels
of radiation can have a dramatic effect on wildlife species. BMPs would be applied to
minimize effect on wildlife during construction. Post construction, fixed monitoring
stations would be established to sample air, surface and groundwater to ensure minimal
impacts on Mill Cove’s wildlife. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 2018)
5.7.5 Simpson’s Diversity Index: Species diversity was calculated for each site using
Simpson’s Diversity Index. The proposed action site at Mill Cove has a diversity number
of 2.114. The diversity index number for the Armenia Mountain site is 2.685. The
diversity index number for the location within Mill Cove for the nuclear power plant is
2.91. These indices indicate that the location within Mill Cove for the nuclear power
plant is the most diverse, while the location for the Wind Farm is the least diverse. If the
proposed action is approved, the site of the Wind Farm will monitor for species diversity
two times a year. If the Armenia Mountain site is expanded, species monitoring will
occur once a quarter. If the nuclear power plant is constructed within Mill Cove,
monitoring for species diversity will occur monthly.
5.8 Threatened and Endangered Species
As Mill Cove is an environmental area, most of the land is natural forest with an interwoven
creek system, resulting in the primary land use being recreation. The current acreage of Mill
Cove is 250 acres. The only current man-made structures are a few wooden pavilions and an
unpaved gravel road that runs along Mill Creek. The proposed wind farm would be located along
the highest ridge at Mill Cove. This area has no current visual impurities. The ridge is covered in
a thick tree canopy that would be affected if the wind farm is installed.
Mill Cove is currently a remote area that is basically untouched by man, as there are only a few
man- made structures on the property. This means that there is a lot of possibility of endangered
or threatened species using or being located within the seemingly untouched forest area and
creek.
Multiple endangered or threatened species are located within this area of Tioga County,
Pennsylvania, or have the capability of utilizing this location. Below is a list of endangered and
threatened species that could occupy the Tioga Watershed and may utilize the Mill Cove area
based on their habitat, behavior, and diets.

Abies balsamea – Balsam Fir

Aeshna verticalis – Green-striped Darner Alasmidonta undulata – Triangle Floater Alisma
triviale – Northern Water Plantain
Ambystoma jeffersonianum – Jefferson Salamander
Ardea Herodias – Great Blue Heron
Argomphus furcifer – Lilypad Clubtail
Bartonia paniculate – Screw-stem
Botaurus lentiginosus – American Bittern
Boyeria grafiana – Ocellated Darner Carex
diandra – Lesser Panicled Sedge Carex
disperma – Soft leaved Sedge Carex
ormostachya – SpikeSedge
Carex paupercula – Bog Sedge Carex
retrorsa – Backward Sedge Circus
cyaneus – Northern Harrier
Cistothorus palustris – Marsh Wren
Coenagrion resolutum – Taiga Bluet
Crotalus horridus – Timber Rattlesnake
Dryopteris clintoniana – Clinton’s Wood Fern
Elymus trachycaulus – Slender Wheatgrass
Epilobium palustre – Marsh Willow-herb
Epilobium strictum – Downy Willow-herb
Equisetum variegarum – Variegated Horsetail
Euphydryas phaeton – Baltimore
Euphyes dion – Dion Skipper Galium
trifidum – Marsh Bedstraw Gallinago
delicata – Wilson’s snipe
Gaultheris hispidula – Creeping Snowberry
Glyptemys insculpta – Wood Turtle
Haliaeetus leucocphalus – Bald Eagle
Hypericum majus – Larger Candian St. John’s-wort
Juncus torreyi – Torrey’s Rush
Lasionycteris noctivagans – Silver-haired Bat
Lithobates pipiens – Northern Leopard Frog
Lycaena epixanthe – Bog Copper
Myotis septentrionalis – Northern Long-eared Bat
Omalotheca sylvatica – Woodland Cudweed Pandion
haliaetus – Osprey
Platanthera hookeri – Hooker’s Orchid
Plestiodon anthracinus anthracinus – Northern Coal Skink
Podilymbus podiceps – Pied-billed Grebe Salix
myricoides – Broad-leaved Willow Schoenoplectus
torreyi – Torrey’s Bulrush Scirpus pedicellatus –
Stalked Bulrush Somatochlora elongate – Ski-tailed
Emerald Somatochlora walshii – Brush-tipped
Emerald Sorbus decora – Showy Mountain-ash
Sorex dispar – Long-tailed Shrew
Spiranthes casei – Case’s Ladies’-tresses Sympetrum
internum – Cherry-faced Meadowhawk Thamnophis
sauritus – Eastern Ribbon Snake
Tyto alba – Barn Owl
Wolffia borealis – Spotted Water-meal
Xylotype capax – Broad Shallow Mot

Above are the listed endangered species that have been identified in Tioga County. Upon
investigation, none of the above species were actively utilizing the project area located at Mill
Cove. Species food supply, habitat, and behavior may change during colder months; therefore, a
spring investigation should be completed before construction commences on the Wind Farm at
Mill Cove.
“PNHP Species Lists.” Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program: Species List,
www.naturalheritage.state.pa.us/species.asp
5.8.1 Proposed Action:
5.8.2 Alternative 1: No-Action:
5.8.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility:
 5.8.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant:
5.9 Historical and Archaeological
5.9.1 Proposed Action: The Proposed Action of constructing a wind farm would have a
few effects on the Historical and Archaeological Resources. The construction would
produce lots of vibrations through the ground which could potentially harm any future
historical or archaeological discoveries. The high amounts of heavy vehicle traffic during
construction also contribute to vibrational disturbances in the ground.
5.9.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: The No Action Alternative would avoid any disturbance
of historical or archaeological resources. At this time, there are no historical or
archaeological resources at this location. However, the No Action Alternative would
allow historical and archeological research in the future. Construction at this location
could destroy any unknown artifacts.
5.9.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: The expansion of the wind
farm on Armenia Mountain would cause less disturbance than the construction of a new
wind farm at the Mill Cove location. Any archaeological or historical resources would
have already been disturbed through the construction, maintenance and operation of the
current wind farm. Most of the roadways are also already constructed to handle the large
amounts of heavy vehicle traffic that would be needed to add on to the wind farm which
would cause less of an impact than an entirely new roadway system.
5.9.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: A Nuclear Power Plant would cause the
most amount of damage to any historical and archaeological resources that have yet to be
discovered. The construction of a Nuclear Power Plant is much more extreme than the
construction of a wind farm or the expansion of one. The construction process would
cause much more ground vibrations which would potentially harm any artifacts at the
location.
5.10 Visual
As Mill Cove is an environmental area, most of the land is natural forest with an interwoven
creek system. If the windfarm is not constructed, the land will remain untouched. Without the
proposed action, there will not be any problems related to the visual conditions of Mill Cove. No
mitigation will be required.
5.10.1 Proposed Action: The proposed wind farm would be located along the highest
ridge at Mill Cove. This area has no current visual impurities. The ridge is covered in a
thick tree cover that would be affected if the wind farm is installed. A wind farm would
require new access roads to the construction site which would degrade the aesthetics of
the area. The installation of power lines and a power storage system could be seen as
visual impurities. As a mitigation measure, the power lines could be installed
underground to reduce their visual impact. Some people believe windmills are an eyesore
to the natural land. As the windmills will be visible from very far away, it would be
difficult to mitigate their visual impact to the land.
 5.10.2 Alternative 1: No-Action:
5.10.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: If the Armenia Mountain
windfarm is expanded, we will see the same visual impurities as the proposed action at
Mill Cove. Additional power lines will need to be installed to transport power from the
windmills. The Armenia Mountain site already has a power storage system, which
eliminates the need to construct a new one. As a mitigation measure, the expansion of the
Armenia Mountain site could rely on existing access roads during construction. This area
already contains over 60 windmills, which should reduce the visual impacts of creating
additional windmills. This land has already been modified, so this alternative would not
be ruining the aesthetics of untouched land.
5.10.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: The Mill Cove site currently contains very
few visual impurities. The land is used for recreation and environmental education. The
construction of a nuclear power plant would be a massive eyesore to the area. The plant
would require a very large area of natural land. New access roads would need to be
installed to transport construction materials. Once construction is complete, the plant will
be visible from miles away. Operation of a nuclear plant would create large amounts of
steam that can be seen at a huge distance. A storage system for radioactive waste will
need to be constructed. Not much can be done to mitigate the visual impurities produced
by a nuclear power plant.
5.11 Traffic and Transportation
Currently at the Mill Cove property there is one road that enters the property. The name of the
road that enters the property is call Mill Creek road. The property itself has no road throughout
it. The property is just a parcel of land that is approximately three quarters wooded and a quarter
of open grass land. The closest town to the property is Mansfield which is where you have
to drive through to get to mill creek property. The nearest main high way is route 15 which has
on ramp in the town of Mansfield. Currently at the Mill Cove property there is one road that
enters the property. The name of the road that enters the property is call Mill Creek road. The
property itself has no road throughout it. The property is just a parcel of land that is
approximately three quarters wooded and a quarter of open grass land. Since there are no roads
throughout the property, in order to do this project new roads will need to be created to access
the windmills. The closest town to the property is Mansfield which is where you have to drive
through to get to mill creek property. The nearest main high way is route 15 which has on ramp
in the town of Mansfield. The Armenia Mountain complex is east of Mansfield by a few miles.
The wind mill there are spread out across the mountain range. There are already roads that exist
to access the windmills from the construction of them when they were built. The roads are
already able to handle the traffic and transportation for more windmills due to the construction of
the other windmills in the past. Currently at the Mill Cove property there is one road that enters
the property. The name of the road that enters the property is call Mill Creek road. The property
itself has no road throughout it. The property is just a parcel of land that is approximately three
quarters wooded and a quarter of open grass land. In order to do this project, there will need to
be new roads added to the property as well parking areas for the large number of workers and
supplies. The closest town to the property is Mansfield which is where you have to drive through
to get to mill creek property. The nearest main high way is route 15 which has on ramp in the
town of Mansfield.
5.11.1 Proposed Action: Under the Proposed Action Alternative, there would be a need
for more roadways for construction and maintenance of the wind mills. A road would
need to be constructed from the main access road at the bottom of the property up to the
ridge line where the turbines would be in installed. The road will have a minimum width
of 25 feet because of the long and heavy equipment and material that will need to be
delivered. There will be a significant increase in traffic during construction. The biggest
increase will be the amount of commercial motor vehicles that will be going into the mill
cove site. Currently the traffic count, at the site, is slim to none and especially no
commercial vehicles. Also, there will be many construction workers using these roads
consistently to access the site in the morning and then when they are leaving the site at
night. This is expected to be temporary and subside after construction has deceased.
Overall the traffic will increase slightly for the long-term while workers continue to
maintain the wind mills. There would not be a need for mitigation on the roads coming
into the property but there could possibly be a need for some erosion control on the edges
of the new road added so you access the turbines at the top of the mountain. We do not
want the sediment to erode off the roads so the newly made roads will be lined on either
side with compost filter sock. The sock will allow the water to travel through, but it will
stop the sediment from leaving the road way.
5.11.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Under the No Action Alternative, the
existing roadways would remain the same. There will be no need to add additional
roadways and traffic patterns would remain the same. The effects from the current traffic
levels and roadway would remain unchanged. Because there will be no impacts to the
area through this action, there will be no need for mitigation strategies.
5.11.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Under the Expanse of
Armenia Mountain Alternative, we would look to expand the Armenia Mountain wind
farm. There would be a need to build new roads to the area for installation and
maintenance of the new turbines. During construction there would be an increase in
traffic in the area while workers install the wind mills. In order to install the new
windmills, the equipment and materials will need to be delivered to the site. The majority
of the increase will be in commercial vehicles delivering the material. There could also
be an increase of workers to help install the wind mills, but the area and the site already
have people working there. It would not be a huge shock to the area because they already
have a permanent increase of people monitoring the already existing wind mills. Traffic
patterns should stay similar after construction because there are already workers
maintaining current windmills. People in the surrounding area will not have any added
traffic. There will be a need to implement erosion control devices, ECD’s, to prevent
erosion that could occur from added roadways. The newly constructed roads accessing
the new turbines will be lined with compost filter sock to keep any erosion from leaving
the roads. The filer sock will stay there until the construction is finished or the vegetation
on the sides of the roads can hold the soil in place.
 5.11.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Under the Nuclear Powerplant Alternative,
there would be an increase in traffic and transportation. From the time the project is
started there will forever be an increase of traffic compared to the current state. During
construction you will have an abundant number of commercial vehicles delivering
equipment and materials. Also, there will be a large amount of people that will be
commuting to the site in the morning and then leaving in the evening. The commercial
vehicle traffic will eventually die off, but the employees of the plant will be driving there
every day. During construction there will have to be roads added to allow construction
materials to enter and current roads have to be widened for construction equipment. The
roads will have to be reinforced to hold the heavy material being transported. There will
also be permanent roads created for the workers at the power plant. Traffic in the area
will increase for the short-term during construction and long term for the workers at the
plant. The traffic in the surrounding area will increase because of the addition of new
residents in town that will be working at the power plant. We will have to implement
erosion control methods to decrease the amount of erosion created form the additional
roads and construction of power plant until the construction is finished and vegetation
returns. The property and roads will be lined with compost filter sock to make sure no
erosion will leave the property. With Mill Creek so close its very important to
maintain the erosion so it does not enter the stream. Along the stream there will be silt
fence behind the Compost filter sock as an assurance to make sure no material reaches
the stream. The compost filter sock will stay in place till the end of construction or until
the site and road edges obtain vegetation again. New traffic patterns may need to be
added to the town of Mansfield and its surrounding suburb to withstand the traffic from
construction, maintenance and workers. Detours for heavy loads may have to be
implemented for roads that cannot withstand the weight of the vehicles. This would add
more time and materials because the trips would be longer to get the material to the site.
Also, from consistent commercial vehicle travel on the roads it could possibly start to
break the roads down. Which in that case, it would cost much more to repair the road
after the construction is finished.
5.12 Public Safety
The Mill Cove property is in a very rural location. With the property the way it is, there are no
health and safety concerns for the local people. The property is just a wooded mountain side that
has no impact to anything surrounding it. The homes are in the area do not have any issues with
the property now because it is use as an education facility. He majority of the time the property is
vacant because it only gets use on certain occasions for educations programs or
classes. Currently at the Armenia Mountain location there are windmills that are in operation so
there are some issues. The windmills are place around the mountain but have houses in between
them as well. The most dangerous safety concern with the homesteads being so close is ice
flying off the windmills. The houses are within the zone of possibly being struck by the
ice if it were to fly off the windmills. Another safety concern is the sound decibel level that the
windmills put off. Some of the houses are close enough that could possibly be a concern to the
people that live there. The decibel levels will have to monitored to make sure the people are safe.
The Mill Cove property is in a very rural location. With the property the way it is, there are no
health and safety concerns for the local people. The property is just a wooded mountain side that
has no impact to anything surrounding it. The homes are in the area do not have any issues with
the property now because it is use as an education facility. He majority of the time the property is
vacant because it only gets use on certain occasions for educations programs or classes.
5.12.1 Proposed Action: Under the Proposed Action Alternative, there would be a
potential decrease in public safety. When wind mills freeze, there can be a buildup of ice
on the blades. Ice can be thrown from the blades if they are in motion (“Mitigating
Risk”,2017). There is a radius of about 2500 feet that could have the potential to be in
danger of this. In order to avoid that. We could place the windmills in such a fashion that
the surrounding houses would not lie within that radius. We could also use offsite
monitoring technology that senses conditions of ice during the winter months to be sure
that the windmills are not able to operate when there is a dangerous buildup of ice on the
blades. Currently this doesn’t seem like a potential problem because resident seem to live
well outside this dangerous radius.
5.12.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Under the No Action Alternative, the existing
conditions of public health and safety would remain the same. There would be no
changes added to the site and the surrounding area. Because there will be no impacts to
the area through this action, there will be no need for mitigation strategies.
5.12.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Under the Expanse of
Armenia Mountain Alternative, we would look to expand the Armenia Mountain wind
farm. The surrounding area is already adapted to having the windmills nearby. Additional
windmills would increase the risk of ice being thrown from the blades of the windmill.
To predict how much this would increase the risk is challenging. This is due to the
unpredictable nature of weather. To help avoid the risk of this situation, the windmills are
going to be placed in areas with an adequate radius, as shown previously. This shouldn’t
be a problem considering the area is already aware of the danger of ice on the blades. The
decibel levels created by the noise of the windmill will be monitored, since the addition
of the new windmills could increase the noise level. Mitigation could include operating
windmills at half load to decrease noise levels.
5.12.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Under the Nuclear Powerplant Alternative,
there would be an increase in concern for public health and safety in the surrounding
area. The nuclear powerplant has potential to be disastrous. Problems like a nuclear
meltdown, radiation poisoning and other pollution could occur. Water and soil pollution
are our main concerns. The runoff from uranium mining will disturb the biological
systems nearby and downstream. This could affect the wells of residents that live nearby
and the water bodies in close approximation. The plant itself uses a large amount of
freshwater to cool the system. Then it is put back into the environment but at a much
higher temperature. This water, that has sometimes increase by 30 degrees, this greatly
impacts the aquatic ecosystems (Langman, n.d.). This can cause there to be less oxygen
in the water which puts stress on the ecosystem. The storage and transport of the
radioactive waste will cause trace pollutants in the soil. Air pollution will not come from
the power plant itself but mining for materials does cause air pollution. There will be a
need to transport the nuclear waste from the power plant or set up a storage facility at the
 plant. This is a huge risk for a spill or problem to occur and allow nuclear radiation to
escape into the area. The danger of this proposal will cause a lot of backlash from the
community. In order to prevent these problems from occurring we will implement a
monitoring plan to be sure that these pollution problems will not be occurring. We can
hire full time people to monitor the levels along with monitoring technology.
5.13 Social and Neighborhood Impacts
Currently there are no social and neighborhood issues with the Mill Cover property. The
property is just a wooded piece of land that does not have any effect to the surrounding area. The
community benefits from this piece of land because it is being used as an education facility.
The property is being used as an education facility for Mansfield University and the local
community. Classes are allowed to go there for assignments and to get real field experience.
Also, every year the University puts on an environmental education day for the surrounding high
school students. Currently there are no social and neighborhood issues with the Mill Cover
property. The property is just a wooded piece of land that does not have any effect to the
surrounding area. The community benefits from this piece of land because it is being used as an
education facility. The property is being used as an education facility for Mansfield University
and the local community. Classes are allowed to go there for assignments and to get real field
experience. Also, every year the University puts on an environmental education day for the
surrounding high school students. The Armenia Mountain facility on the other hand does have
some social and neighborhood impacts. The area already has functioning windmills there so the
community has been dealing with that since the construction of when they were built. Before the
windmills were put in the area was not disturbed minus what land owner already had on their
properties. Now the land owner and community have to look at large windmills across the
landscape every day. The eye sore factor of the windmills is the biggest concern of community
currently. With the addition of more windmills it would only make it worse for the people. On a
good note though the property owners would benefit from the windmills being put onto their
land because they would get money for the use of their property. The land owner would get a
boost of income off of their property that hey never had before. Their land is now making money
for them, they just have to deal with the eye sore of seeing them every day. Currently there are
no social and neighborhood issues with the Mill Cover property. The property is just a wooded
piece of land that does not have any effect to the surrounding area. The community benefits from
this piece of land because it is being used as an education facility. The property is being used as
an education facility for Mansfield University and the local community. Classes are allowed
to go there for assignments and to get real field experience. Also, every year the University puts
on an environmental education day for the surrounding high school students.
5.13.1 Proposed Action: Under the proposed action alternatives, there is a potential for a
increase in the residents that live in this from 1,894 to approximately 2,500 people. The
addition of the windmill farm will bring in workers to this area by an extra 200 more due
to the labors, operators, inspectors. These guys will be broken down into short-term for
the construction crews and there will be long-term crews who are monitors and inspectors
that will need to stay here permanently to make sure everything is copacetic with the
windmills. This added population to the area will change the current social and
neighborhood structure because with such a small community everybody knows
 everything going on and with throwing more outsiders into the community will make the
majority of the locals upset due to the new people coming in. This could lead to an
increase of the student population, because you could have the opportunity of throwing a
new school up or adding kids that enroll at Mansfield University due the job
opportunities with inspectors and monitors. which will also change the current social and
neighborhood structure. There should be no need to relocate or disturb current residents
because the windmills will be placed in specific areas so these residents are not disturbed
by the construction of the windmills. Some closer residents may have concerns with the
proximity of the windmills but we will assure them of their safety and their positive
impact on the community. We will try and adhere to the concerns as much as possible.
5.13.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Under the No Action Alternative, the existing
conditions and social patterns would remain the same. There would be no new workers
coming to the area. There would also be no impact to the people living in the surrounding
area currently. Impacts suggested by the proposed action would not be an issue. Because
there will be no impacts to the area through this action, there will be no need for
mitigation strategies.
5.13.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Under the expansion of
Armenia Mountain Alternative, we would look to expand the Armenia Mountain wind-
farm. The social and neighborhood structure should not be impacted because there are
already windmills in the proposed area. Depending on the specific location on which the
windmills placed, the expansion may come closer to resident’s personal property. This
could cause problems; however, we could avoid these by getting the area approved first.
5.13.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Under the Nuclear Powerplant Alternative,
there would be a significant impact on the social aspect of the surrounding area and the
surrounding neighborhoods impact on the social aspect of the surrounding area and the
surrounding neighborhood because it’s going to affect recreation at Mill Cove because
you’re going to have to take the majority of the land to make an area for the building and
you could have a potential for polluting the water and ruining the fishing that a lot of
people around here love to do. Another concern with the construction of the nuclear
powerplant will greatly affect the social behavior of the residents near the proposed
location. The people nearby will be concerned with the proximity of their houses to the
plant and the potential for all the air pollution from the plant. There is a risk of ruining of
the underground well water. The powerplant will also take away from the visual
aesthetics of the area. The large plant and smoke stacks will take away from the beauty
and natural area. This could decrease the amount of people who want to live near the
plant.
5.14 Business and Home Relocation
5.14.1 Proposed Action: The project area is located at the Mill Cove Environmental
Area in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. The proposed action for this area of land is
to build windmills for energy and jobs in the Tioga area. This land is tucked
behind Tioga's wooded hills a decent distance away from highways, businesses and
homes. The only disturbances maybe from a few residences that live near to the project
 area that may not like the aesthetic or noise of the wind mills. The proposed action will
not lead to any near residences forced to leave.
5.14.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Under the No Action Alternative, existing status of the
Environmental area will remain. No residences that live by to the project area will be
affected.
5.14.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Under the Expand Armenia
Mountain Facility Alternative, residence will already be used to the aesthetic and noise of
the proposed wind mills. The expansion may lead to more of a drastic aesthetic that
some residence may not find appealing. No residences or businesses that are place in the
project area will be forced to leave.
5.14.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Under the Nuclear Power Plant Alternative,
the Power Plant will be built in the existing Mill Cove Environmental
Area. Residence's that live near the proposed area may need to leave the area due to
precautions of malfunctions of the power point. Research from Stanford university states
that 1 ton of fresh fuel rod waste from a nuclear reactor would give you a fatal dose of
radiation in 10 seconds if placed 3 meters away. The disturbances of noise of
construction and visual aesthetic may also displease residents in the nearby area of the
project area.
5.15 Employment and Business
5.15.1 Proposed Action: Under the proposed action, the creation of a wind farm at Mill
Cove should not affect the exiting job of maintaining the current site. The only job that
may be affected is that of the gun range. The job of monitoring of the gun range may be
disposed of, since having a gun range within the boundaries of a wind farm could
potentially be dangerous. The addition of this wind farm, though, will create many jobs
during the process. The construction of this will require help for making roads, clearing
grounds for buildings, the construction of windmills and buildings, and other crucial parts
to this wind farm. Also, there is high potential for jobs regarding the windmills in
general. An office is needed as an overseeing position, maintenance of the windmills and
surrounding properties, and the assurance of safety as just a few jobs that will be created
with the building of this wind farm.
5.15.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: The no action alternative would not affect current jobs
at Mill Cove, but will not create any potential jobs either. The jobs of monitoring the gun
range and the site of Mill Cove in general will not be affected, since no power plant will
be created at the recreation site. Since nothing will be added to this site, there is no
potential for future jobs to be created at this time. If new jobs were to be created, the
addition of any type of power plant would be crucial in aiding it.
5.15.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: The expansion of the
current wind farm on Armenia Mountain would not affect any type of business at Mill
Cove currently. Since there are no current businesses there, the addition to the already
 existing wind farm would not add to or take away from anything at Mill Cove. The
expansion may affect the future addition of a power plant at Mill Cove, but will not affect
any type of existing jobs within the near future.
5.15.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: The development of a nuclear power plant
would also not affect any current business at Mill Cove, but it will play a major role in
future business. The only jobs this addition may affect would be those who monitor the
gun range at Mill Cove and those who monitor the site of Mill Cove in general. As
mentioned before, the availability of a gun range in the premise of a nuclear power plant
could be seen as dangerous, which could result in the removal of the gun range and it’s
supporting jobs. If a new power plant is available, then roads will be developed, created
a new branch of jobs for construction workers. There will also be other jobs developed
like services for clearing vegetation, transporting materials, and constructing a nuclear
power plant and adjoining buildings. The biggest business aspect that will be developed
during this action is the nuclear plant itself. Once the plant is built, multiple experience
level jobs will be open. Jobs range from office jobs to reactor operators. These jobs are
not limited to engineers, mechanical technicians, electrical technicians, chemistry
technicians, and radiation technicians as well. The job opportunities listed are just a
handful of those possible, which will need to be supported by the surrounding
community. The addition of a nuclear power plant will affect potential jobs rather than
existing jobs, in which there are only few to effect.
5.16 Noise
Located near highway 15, the only man-made noise being heard from Mill Cove is the noise of
the passing vehicles on the interstate located near the south west end of the property. With the
installation of a wind farm there would be a noise increase to the area during the construction
time and post construction noise would be the rotation of the turbine arms and structure
movement. Furthermore, we will need to test the decibel levels of the interstate from different
locations on the site and compare them to average turbine rotation noise to see if there would be
an increase of noise conditions post construction time.
5.16.1 Proposed Action: As roads are being built and other pre-construction activities
occur, the noise level of the projected area will be increased. In addition to the pre-
construction noise, the construction duration will also have increased noise due to the
traffic and machinery noise used to erect the windmills. Although it is inevitable noise
during the construction period, mitigation efforts include scheduled traffic hours and
work time so homeowners in the surrounding area would not have to worry about big
trucks using their Jake Brakes at odd hours of the day. When the windfarm is up and in
operation the noise produced is set in stone due to the mill arms rotating and the only
mitigation effort that could be set in would be the planting of specific trees that would
help drown out the wind farm noise.
5.16.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Mill Cove would not have any noise impacts if there is
no action put into place.
 5.16.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: In the expansion of the
Armenia Mountain wind farm, there would be the typical pre-construction and during
construction noise impacts mitigated by a set schedule of working hours and federal
equipment decibel regulations. The operation noise impact would just be the additional
noise from the rotating wind mills adding to the current decibels of the existing
windmills.
5.16.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: The pre-construction and during
construction noise would be increased significantly due to machinery and building the
plant. Construction time for plant would be significantly longer in comparison to
windfarm meaning longer construction noise which is predicted to be loudest noise
increase to area. Operation noise would be significant due to the traffic of plant workers
and consistent noises from plant operating.
5.17 Air Quality
Currently, the air quality of Mill Cove is good standing conditions. There is little influence of
pollution as there is for large scale towns and cities, as shown below in Figures 1 and 2 (Tioga
County, PA vs. Hershey, PA). There are some discrepancies between the way the data is shown
between the two data sets, but the main message is clear. Air Quality is currently in a good
condition for Tioga County, there aren’t large influences of pollution like there would be in a
big, tourist city like Hershey.

5.17.1 Proposed Action: Air quality will change throughout the all transportation and
construction phases of building the wind farm at Mill Cove. There will be higher outputs
of emissions from the transport and construction vehicles, causing there to be an influx in
air pollution. Any dust or other particles that could be kicked up into the air during
transportation and construction will also cause an influx of air pollution. Any pollutants
 will deplete the good standing conditions for the air quality that currently stand per the
existing conditions. The amount of pollutants in the air can be measured with an air
quality meter. There are few mitigation measures that can be used to limit the amount of
air pollution but during the transportation and construction phases, the amount of
transportation can be limited only for items needed and trucks could be loaded to
capacity. Also, measures to lower the amount of dust particles in the air like spraying
down the ground can be used. After the transportation and construction phases are
complete, the air quality will return to the original good standing conditions. The
windmills will not output any sort of pollution or emissions.
5.17.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: If no action was implemented into the use of this site,
there would be no change in the air quality as explained in the existing conditions. The
air quality would remain in good standing conditions because there would be no
construction or heavy flow of traffic to build a new site.
5.17.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Air quality, like with
building a wind farm at Mill Cove, will change throughout the transportation and
construction phases of expanding at the current facility. As explained before, the
transportation and construction vehicles will cause an increase in air pollution as well as
any particles that may be kicked up into the air during these two phases. Any mitigation
measures would be the same or similar to building a whole new facility at Mill Cove.
After the construction phase is complete, the air quality will return to good standing
conditions since the windmills do not output any air pollution.
5.17.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Like with building the wind farm at Mill
Cove or expanding the current Armenia Mountain facility, the air quality will diminish
during the transportation and construction phases of the site. The transportation and
construction vehicles as well as any particle debris will lower the air quality of Mill
Cove.Similar mitigation techniques as explained above can help lower the amount of air
pollution but, other measures like scrubbers on any sort of smoke stacks, or similar items
to lower the amount of particles going into the atmosphere from the use of the power
plant can be used. After the construction phase is done however, the power plant will
continue to release forms of air pollution like smog. This will dramatically decrease the
air quality of Mill Cove and its surrounding areas.
5.18 Property Value and Tax Revenue
Mill Cove is owned by the Pennsylvania Game Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. Surrounding properties average around $3,200 per acre. The Mill Cove area may have
a lower value due to the sloping topography and undesirable soils. Mill Cove does not generate
very much tax revenue currently because it is owned by the government. There are no current
businesses or residents that live on the property.
5.18.1 Proposed Action: The wind farm will more than likely decrease the overall
property value for the site. The danger of ice flying off of the windmills will make the
land undesirable in the winter and the constant loud humming that the windmills produce
 will also keep people away. The addition of the wind farm would expand the tax base
which would only benefit the residents of Mansfield.
5.18.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: Land use would not be changed or affected in any
way, shape, or form at both the Mill Cove location or the Armenia Mountain site.
5.18.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: Expanding Armenia
Mountain would increase the property value of the site because it is already an
established wind farm and adding more power sources would increase production of the
site. Recently land at Armenia Mountain sold for $66,000/acre proving that land within
and near the already existing site is very valuable. The expansion of the wind farm would
increase the tax base because Armenia Mountain would be generating more power and
then, making more money which would draw more taxes.
5.18.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: Building a nuclear power plant at Mill
Cove would decrease property value. Traffic would heavily increase which is not normal
as conditions are currently. The nuclear plant may drive nearby residents away due to the
risks/dangers of nuclear power. On the other hand, a nuclear power plant would
significantly widen the tax base. A nuclear power plant would require a larger business to
move in with lots of people and other assets that will be brought into the area to work in
the plant.
5.19 Controversy
5.19.1 Proposed Action:
5.19.2 Alternative 1: No-Action:
5.19.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: .
5.19.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant:
5.20 Energy
Currently at the Mill Cove location there isn’t an established power grid. Generators are used to
power certain areas at the location when needed.
5.20.1 Proposed Action: If the purposed action is undertaken, a power grid will need to
be set up to provide minimal power to the facility and for storage of the energy produced
by the windfarm. The energy produced from the windfarm will power local homes and
supply the demand for growing energy needs. The energy produced can be varied by the
amount of wind in the area. The average wind turbine with a capacity of 2.5-3 MW
(Mega Watt) can produce more than 6 million kWh (kilowatt hour) in a year. That is
enough energy to supply 1,500 average households with electricity. The amount of
energy that a wind turbine produces depends on the size of the turbine’s and how fast the
wind moves through the rotor. Larger wind turbines will produce more energy.
 5.20.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: If this alternative is chosen needed supplemental
energy will not be created to power homes. The generators will continue to be the source
of power when needed.
5.20.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: The existing grid will need
to be expanded in order to store the produced energy from the existing facility.
Additional energy will be created to power homes.
5.20.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: The nuclear power plant will create an
enormous amount of energy to power the surrounding area. A large power grid will need
to be put in place to keep the facility running and for storage of created energy. After
construction of the plant is completed, it will be able to sustain itself through energy
created. Existing roads may be used for transportation of energy, or a new road can be
built to connect the power plant to the highway.
5.21 Recreation
The project site is at Mill Cove. It will take anywhere between 6 and 18 months to construct the
whole wind farm.
5.21.1 Proposed Action: If the proposed action is chosen, recreation will be minimally
affected. The windfarm will be built on top of the mountain, so the archery range,
pavilions, and river access will not be affected. Some hiking trails may be shortened as to
not interfere with the wind farm. The only time that recreation will be affected is during
construction. There will be increased traffic during construction, increased noise, and
some dangers because of the equipment needed to build the turbines. Once construction is
complete the wind turbines will still produce noise. It will produce a mechanical and
aerodynamic noise and will have an average sound pressure of 45-50 dB. To put this into
context, the average window air conditioner has a sound pressure average of 50 db. It
would just be an annoying sound in the area.
Proposed mitigation would be to only clear out enough roads to get the equipment to the
location where the turbines will be. Strategic planning would be used to place the wind
turbines where they would create the most energy and least limiting to recreational
activities.
5.21.2 Alternative 1: No-Action: If the no action alternative was taken the site can
remain an educational site. It can still be used for its current recreational purposes. There
will be easy access to the river. The picnic pavilions can still be used as well as the
archery range. If the no action alternative is taken there will be no need for mitigation
because no land will be affected.
5.21.3 Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Mountain Facility: If this action is chosen
recreational opportunities available at Mill Cove will not be affected.
5.21.4 Alternative 3: Nuclear Power Plant: If a Nuclear power plant is built on this site
there will be a lot of clear-cut land. If this action is chosen, recreational opportunities will
 become obsolete. With the construction of the nuclear powerplant, a large amount of land
will be used and it can be considered a safety hazard to visitors.
VII. REFERENCES
 FIGURES
Figure 1

Figure 2
 Exhibit 5.5.3.1 Location of Wetlands in Area

Exhibit 5.5.3.2 Location of Wind farm location on mountain in between creeks

Exhibit 5.5.3.4 Potential Wind Energy Mill Cove

Exhibit 5.5.3.5 Potential Wind Energy Armenia Mountain
Exhibit 5.5.3.3 Emergent Wetlands at
Mill Cove

Mill Cove Current View Shed

Mill Cove Proposed Impact View Shed
RED= Current Recreation Area
BLUE= Windmills
 TABLES
Table 1.1
Advantages Alternative 1: No-Action Alternative 2: Expand Alternative 3: Nuclear Power
Armenia Mountain Facility Plant
Green Energy Vegetation will help filter Yes No
out pollutants
High Tech Jobs None No, there would already be a Yes, provides many high
staff, but a few job paying jobs
opportunities may be
available
Cost Effective No money invested Yes No
Tax Base Same, no increase or Yes, same as proposed action Increased taxes
decrease
Produce/Excess Power None Yes Yes, provides excess amount
of power
Labor Relations None Yes, same as proposed action Yes, many health and safety
precautions will need to be put
into place
Sustainability It can take care of itself Yes Yes
Domestic Security Same as before Yes, same as proposed action Yes
Space Efficiency Same as before Yes, just expanding on No, the construction of a
current land nuclear power plant will not be
space efficient
Operational Costs None Yes Yes

Table 1.2
Disadvantages Alternative 1: No-Action Alternative 2: Expand Armenia Alternative 3: Nuclear
Mountain Facility Power Plant
Initial Cost No cost involved Yes Yes, the construction and
precautions of the initial
cost will be extremely high.
Wildlife Not impacted Yes, more land will be needed Yes, habitats and food/water
across the ridgeline of the sources will be affected.
current facility which means
wildlife will have a smaller
area. Birds and bats could also
be impacted.
Noise None Same as before Yes
Safety No issues Yes, ice is likely to fly off in the Yes, high probability of
winter, but regular maintenance risk; safety precautions will
will help with this issue. have to be put into place, so
the health of the
 environment and its workers
will not be affected.
Inconsistent None Yes No
Roads No need for roads Yes, construction roads but will Yes
be filled in after construction is
completed.
Power Grid None Yes Yes
Storage None Yes Yes
Topography/Elevation Not an issue No, the current facility is at a The topography of the plant
high enough elevation and will need to be examined
already serves the purpose. before construction.
Political Boundaries None Yes, especially in current times Yes, there will be many
political views against the
construction of the plant.
Aesthetics Plenty, woods and wetlands Yes, not everyone likes wind Yes, the aesthetics of the
can attract wildlife, foliage farms disrupting the natural surrounding area will be
can change color during the view of nature. affected.
fall.
Sedimentation None Yes Yes
Appendix A
5.5.3.4 Wetlands at Mill Cove