What is PHI's approach to avoiding, minimizing, and/or mitigating environmental impact?

How are resources within the Chesapeake Bay and Choptank River being evaluated?

How will MAPP cross the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers?

How will MAPP cross the Nanticoke River?

What do world's scientists say about EMF and power lines?

What is PHI's approach to avoiding, minimizing, and/or mitigating environmental impact?

We are committed to working with interested parties and government agencies in order to assess and address MAPP's effect on the environment. Our priority is to protect the natural and cultural resources throughout the project. To do this, all necessary approvals and permits will be acquired in order to construct the project. Multiple techniques such as route selection analysis, design modification, compact construction methods, and operation and maintenance practices will be used to minimize project effects.

For example, for the Southern Maryland segments (Possum Point to Chalk Point), existing public sector information about natural and cultural resources was supplemented with site specific field studies to identify all natural resources and possible sensitive sites. The field studies included such resources as the location of wetlands, forested areas, and habitats of threatened and endangered species. This information allows PHI to avoid or minimize impacts to the maximum extent practicable through modifications to the project design.

In Dorchester County, Maryland, PHI worked with local watermen to map and survey the selected underwater route and avoid a majority of the oyster repletion areas in the Chesapeake Bay and the Choptank River. PHI will be required to mitigate for any oyster beds that are disturbed, and also plans to work with local watermen during that phase of the project. 

Once route and design modifications are completed, various construction techniques will be employed to further reduce potential project impacts. Examples of such construction techniques include the use of temporary mats to traverse wetlands, fencing off threatened or endangered plants, and employing time of year restrictions to reduce the level of work during sensitive time periods such as spawning or breeding periods.

In addition to minimizing environmental impact, many different methods of mitigation will be considered, such as restoring wetlands and streams, providing buffers to water bodies or sensitive resources, tree replanting, habitat restoration, and land conservation.

PHI has extensive experience with the planning, design, construction, operation and maintenance of power lines in sensitive environments. The experience that PHI has gained through the conduct of such projects will continue to be employed and refined for the MAPP project.

How are resources within the Chesapeake Bay and Choptank River being evaluated?

PHI is exploring the latest technologies to place this line under the Bay and River, and numerous environmental studies are being completed to make sure impacts to natural resources are minimized during this project. Environmental studies being performed are geophysical survey, soil characterization/vibracore sampling, sediment and turbidity modeling, submerged cultural resources survey, oyster survey, essential fish habitat study, blue crab study, ecological risk assessment, sediment thermal resistivity analysis, acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) deployment, and submarine cable thermal study.

How will MAPP cross the Potomac and Patuxent Rivers?

Crossings at these rivers are planned to include the existing overhead crossings and the installation of a second parallel circuit matching the existing crossings. The design for these crossings considered the most appropriate technology available.

How will MAPP cross the Nanticoke River?

Two (2) new steel pole crossings will be installed on the north side of the Route 50 bridge, north of Vienna.  Each crossing will have three poles in the river for a total of six steel poles. Poles will be 195 feet in height and will not require aviation lighting.

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What do world's scientists say about EMF and power lines?

Research on whether electromagnetic fields (EMF) causes health effects has been conducted for more than 35 years. The United Nations' World Health Organization (WHO) published its review of EMF research in June 2007. Considering all of the research together, the reviewers for the WHO did not conclude that these fields cause any long-term, adverse health effects. PHI follows EMF scientific research developments and evaluates appropriate precautionary measures to reduce EMF around its transmission facilities where they can be employed.

For additional information about EMF click here .