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Vantage to Pomona Heights Chapter 2 230 kV Transmission Line Project FEIS Proposed Action and Alternatives PAGE 2-20 14) Geotechnical surveys are conducted. 15) Centerline of transmission line surveyed and staked. 16) Access roads identified and constructed, where necessary. 17) ROW and structure sites cleared. 18) Work areas and set-up sites cleared, as needed. 19) Materials distributed along centerline. 20) Holes dug for transmission line structures. 21) Structures framed and erected. 22) Conductors and ground wires installed. 23) Construction sites cleaned-up and reclaimed. 2.2.3.1 Surveying the Centerline The engineering survey would involve verifying and staking the centerline of the final transmission line route; ROW boundaries; access roads; spur roads to structure sites; structure locations; and temporary work areas. Required cultural and biological resource surveys may begin once certain survey information is available and land rights are obtained on private land. Depending on the final route approved by the federal, state, and local authorizing entities, the centerline may be adjusted to accommodate detailed engineering requirements and as a result of the discovery of environmentally and/or culturally sensitive areas. 2.2.3.2 Overhead Transmission Line Design Disturbance Model, Access Roads, and Ground Disturbance Assumptions Construction of the proposed new 230 kV transmission line would require vehicle, truck, and crane access to each new structure site for construction crews, materials, and equipment. Roads enable access to the ROW corridor and structure sites for both construction and long-term maintenance of the proposed transmission line. Short-term, temporary impacts and long-term, permanent impacts created as a result of proposed Project construction, operations, and maintenance were modeled along the assumed centerlines based on the assumptions described below. This disturbance model was utilized to determine impacts on resources for overhead construction of the proposed of the Action Alternatives and route segments. Proposed transmission line ROW access would be provided through a combination of existing and new access roads, overland access, and/or improvement to existing roads. Roads would be upgraded or constructed in accordance with Pacific Power’s standards for road construction, or according to land management agency requirements (such as those contained in BLM Manual 9113 [1985]). Existing paved and unpaved roads and trails would be used, where possible, for the transportation of materials and equipment from the storage yards to locations they are needed along the proposed transmission line ROW corridors. All construction access on federal, state, and locally managed lands is subject to the approval of the appropriate land management agency prior to the initiation of construction. Additionally, approvals from WSDOT would be needed for I-82 and State Route (SR) 243 crossings; where a break in access would occur on I-82, approval from Federal Highway Administration would also be necessary. Approval from DNR would be needed for Pacific Power’s easements and access permit applications for crossing DNR-managed uplands and use authorization applications for crossing state-owned aquatic lands. All affected private landowners and agencies would be consulted before road construction begins. Specific plans for the construction, rehabilitation, and/or maintenance of roads, including the general locations of access roads, would be documented in the POD. These plans would incorporate relevant requirements and stipulations from the agencies and landowners. Where the proposed transmission line would parallel existing transmission lines or other linear features, the access roads along the existing utilities would be used wherever possible to minimize the amount of new road construction. However, these roads may require upgrading before they could be used for