Compliance Monitoring During Wind Farm Construction

Environmental monitoring of construction projects for regulatory compliance should be site-specific. Wind farms are no exception. Although each turbine pad location is based on a standard civil design and erection of the turbine can be a standard procedure, the geographical layout of the wind farm, including the turbine locations, permanent and temporary access roads, and ancillary structures is based on a variety of environmental and topographical conditions. These sites can span areas greater than 30,000 acres, across hundreds of private landowner properties and multiple regulatory jurisdictions, and can include thousands of acres of disturbance. The expansive project site can pose challenges for stormwater permitting, SWPPP and erosion and sediment control plan development, and onsite construction monitoring procedures.

The presentation will provide an overview of some environmental and non-environmental regulatory considerations necessary for developing a wind farm, with a focus on NPDES permit authorization for construction stormwater discharges. Review of a case study will illustrate further some of the challenges faced in permitting and monitoring these types of projects including; NPDES permitting and surveys and permitting related to cultural resources, wetlands and waterways, and protected species, among others.