Final Report Historical Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy ...

Historic Structures Assessment Report for the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility Project Relicensing Application
Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania
I. INTRODUCTION
Exelon Generation Company, LLC (Exelon) has initiated with the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission (FERC) the process of relicensing the 800-megawatt (MW) Muddy Run Pumped Storage
Project (Project). Exelon is applying for a new license using the FERC’s Integrated Licensing Process
(ILP). The current license for the Project was issued on September 21, 1964 and expires on August 31,
2014.
Exelon filed its Pre-Application Document (PAD) and Notice of Intent (NOI) with FERC on March 12,
2009. On June 10, 2009, a site visit and one scoping meeting was held for resource agencies and
interested members of the public. Following these meetings, formal study requests were filed with FERC
by several resource agencies. Many of these study requests were included in Exelon’s Proposed Study
Plan (PSP), which was filed on August 24, 2009. On September 22 and 23, 2009, Exelon held a meeting
with resource agencies and interested members of the public to discuss the PSP. Formal comments on the
PSP were filed with FERC on November 22, 2009 by Commission staff and several resource agencies.
Exelon filed a Revised Study Plan (RSP) for the Project on December 22, 2009. FERC issued the final
study plan determination for the Project on February 4, 2010, approving the RSP with certain
modifications.
The final study plan determination requires Exelon to conduct a historic structures study in the Project’s
APE, which is the subject of this report. The Project APE is defined as “…the lands enclosed by the
project’s boundary and lands or properties outside of the project’s boundary where project construction
and operation or project-related recreational development or other enhancements may cause changes in
the character or use of historic properties, if any historic properties exist." For the Project, the APE
consists of all lands enclosed by the project boundary, as depicted on Figures 1-2 and 4-1 in this report.
The Project is located in Lancaster and York Counties, Pennsylvania (Figure 1-1). The Project
Powerhouse and Upper Reservoir (Muddy Run Reservoir portion of the Project area) are located in
Martic and Drumore Townships, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, along the eastern shoreline of
Conowingo Pond, approximately two miles downstream of PPL’s Holtwood Hydroelectric Project. The
primary 4.25-mile-long transmission line corridor portion of the Project APE is located in Lancaster
County and in Lower Chanceford and Peach Bottom Townships in York County. The Muddy Run
Powerhouse and vehicular tunnel also lie within the Project boundaries of the Conowingo Hydroelectric
facility which is currently also undergoing FERC relicensing (ER 2011-0212-042-B). The
recommendations regarding the Muddy Run powerhouse and vehicular tunnel are included in this report
(the Muddy Run Historic Structures Assessment) as opposed to the Conowingo Historic Structures
Assessment Report for the Conowingo Hydroelectric Project (December 2011).
Exelon filed the Phase IA Archaeological Study and Preliminary Historic Structures Assessment Report
for the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Relicensing Application Project (Preliminary Structures Assessment)
(Sara et al. 2011) with the PHMC in March, 2011. This report provided an update on the one previously
surveyed architectural resource (Ritchie-Robinson House) within the Project area and the
recommendation to conduct a survey of any other resources 50 years or older in the APE. Following
further consultation with the PHMC in July 2011, TRC is submitting this Historic Structures Assessment
Report according to revised PHMC report guidelines and provides recommendations for additional survey
only. Exelon is submitting this Historic Structures Assessment Report in order to provide additional
information to assist FERC in making its federal licensing determination for the Project, as well as inform
the development of a Historic Properties Management Plan (HPMP) for the Project. The HPMP will
specify how Exelon will consider and manage the historic properties within the Project’s APE throughout
the term of the next FERC license, and assist Exelon in its compliance with applicable state and federal
laws, guidelines, and regulations. The architectural survey complies with Section 106 of the National
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