Amendment ID: S3143-14

Amendment 14

Avoid Environmental Impacts During Transmission Line Projects

Ms. Comerford moves that the proposed new text be amended by adding the following section:-

"SECTION X. Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, any project undertaken by a distribution company, as defined in section 1 of chapter 164 of the General Laws, within an electric transmission or distribution right-of-way for the purpose of reliability improvement, vegetation management, system hardening, infrastructure replacement or related right-of-way improvement activities, shall avoid or minimize or, if impacts cannot be avoided or minimized, mitigate negative impacts to the environment, people and the commonwealth's goals and objectives for climate mitigation, resilience, biodiversity and protection of natural and working lands, to the extent practicable.

Before undertaking any minimization or mitigation measure, the distribution company shall submit documentation, in writing, to the Massachusetts environmental policy act office demonstrating that environmental impacts cannot reasonably be avoided. Before undertaking any mitigation measure, the distribution company shall submit documentation, in writing, to the Massachusetts environmental policy act office that environmental impacts cannot reasonably be minimized.

Distribution companies shall not use cost as the sole factor in determining the feasibility of avoidance, minimization or mitigation measures.

To the maximum extent practicable, mitigation measures shall be implemented within the municipality in which the adverse impacts occur."