Key Viewpoints Associated with the Project

Many of the features associated with constructing the proposed Project would be visible from public roads or lands that adjoin the proposed Project site. Changes to the landscape would be most visible to people who use PR-2 and less noticeable from PR-681, Highway PR-22, and the area near the residences along Avenue Domingo Ruiz south of the proposed Project and along PR-10 on the southeast side of Arecibo. Figure 3-15 shows the locations of the key observation

Avenue Domingo Ruiz

The community of Domingo Ruiz is located about 1.3 miles (2 kilometers) from the proposed Project. Avenue Domingo Ruiz runs north-south along the western edge of this community and intersects with PR-2 at the north end of the road. Views from Avenue Domingo Ruiz towards the former paper mill site capture a typical setting within the area, with foreground views of

overgrown agricultural fields and tree lines around the property obstructing longer views across the flat valley. A pair of brick stacks at the old sugar mill are visible in the distance.

PR-2

PR-2 is the main travel route connecting Arecibo to the north with Domingo Ruiz and

communities south. Between these two areas, the flat floodplain is marked with sparse residential structures; extensive agricultural fields; and some commercial, industrial, and abandoned

buildings, including the former paper and sugar mills. The road runs primarily through the middle of the valley and views along the road provide direct access to the proposed property. Trees and other tall vegetation left to grow along property lines paralleling PR-2 provide intermittent views beyond the road corridor to motorists using this route.

Yacht Club Parking Lot

The Yacht Club parking lot is located 1 mile (1.6 kilometers) north of the proposed Project site, along PR-681. When the marina is open, it is very busy and almost completely full with boats parked in each of its approximately 100 slips. The view out to the ocean is this location’s key viewpoint. PR-681 is the main travel route for this location. Besides the Ocean view, the areas surrounding the marina are mostly forested, so there are no direct views to the proposed Project from this location, although some of the Cambalache Power Plant’s taller stacks are visible in the direction of the Project site.

Intersection of PR-2 and PR-6681

The intersection of PR-2 and PR-6681 is about 0.5 mile (0.8 kilometer) north of the proposed Project along PR-2. This area has some fields to the south, with wooded areas to the north and east. To the west are some smaller buildings surrounded by woody landscapes. Also to the south, across the flat field, are the remaining buildings on the Project site peeking over the tree tops. Intersection PR-10 and PR-2 near Arecibo

Motorists traveling east on PR-2 leaving Arecibo, have a view into the distance over the existing tree line as the road transitions out of the city and across the floodplain. Driving farther east, drivers cross over the multiple channels of the Río Grande de Arecibo. These crossings have mostly forested areas on each of their banks. None of the remaining former paper mill structures are visible looking southeast toward the proposed Project site because of the tree cover around the site.

PR-2 near Residences

Views from PR-2 near the small community of residences just south of the proposed plant site are dominated by the divided highway. Mature trees line both sides of the highway precluding continuous direct views into the adjacent lands, most of which are farmed or were farmed in the past and are now overgrown. This is also the case with views into the former paper mill property. Motorists using PR-2 through this stretch of road are exposed to typical highway visual resources such as signs, pavement, intersections, and the adjacent property features. PREPA transmission lines parallel the east side of the highway connecting the Cambalache Power Plant north of this site and the existing substation where the proposed Project would connect. The lines cross the highway south of these residences and the former paper mill property.

PR-10 near the Baseball Stadium

Views from near PR-10 on the southeast side of Arecibo near the baseball stadium toward the proposed Project site include low lying agricultural lands in the foreground and the former sugar mill stacks in the middle ground distance. Views looking east capture the flat terrain of the floodplain with no tall features in the skyline visible beyond the brick stacks of the former sugar mill.

PR-22 West of PR-10

PR-22 is a four-lane divided highway along the north shore of the island. West of the Río Grande de Arecibo, the highway crosses the foothills and descends in elevation towards the floodplain, offering sweeping, albeit short-lived views to motorists traveling through this area, across the floodplain. The elevated position of this viewpoint provides unobstructed views of the existing structures of both the former paper and sugar mill sites. The roof of the former paper mill site is clearly visible due to its white color and rectangular shape, which contrast with the mostly natural vegetation and flat topography in the near ground. These structures are the central feature in the middle ground viewing area as motorists travel east on PR-22 down the modest grade.

3.6.2 Effects Analysis

Construction and operation of the proposed Project would use the existing Global Fibers Paper Mill property and redevelop the industrial site into a new WTE project, introducing visual elements similar to those that existed on the site in the past. These elements would include buildings, modifications to the road network, stacks, water pipelines and transmission line, landscaped grounds, fences, and water detention ponds.

This section discusses the potential effects of the proposed Project on the visual resources throughout the Río de Arecibo Grande Valley. The intensity of the impacts visual resources can be described through the thresholds shown in Table 3-27.

Table 3-27. Visual Resources Impacts Context of Intensity of Effects

Visual Resources Context

(Duration) Low Intensity Moderate Intensity High Intensity

Short term: During construction period

Long term: Life of the project (30 years)

Proposed changes could attract attention but would not dominate the view or detract from current user activities.

Proposed changes would attract attention and contribute to the landscape but would not dominate. User activities would remain unaffected.

Changes to the

characteristic landscape would be considered significant when those changes dominate the landscape and detract from current user activities.

No new roads would be developed to access the Project site, because access to the site already exists; however, new entrances and exit driveways would be built. Construction in the road right- of-way would be required to place the water pipeline. This pipeline would be buried and out of view once the Project is operational. The area above the pipeline would be resurfaced with the native material and maintained to protect the pipeline (e.g., mowing).

Construction of the transmission line would occur within a 25-foot (7.6-meter) right-of-way, resulting in effects on a total of 1.5 acres (0.6 hectare) that would be required for the lines. The transmission line would connect to an existing substation on land neighboring the former Central Cambalache Sugar Mill property, a distance of about 0.5 mile (0.8 kilometer).

Energy Answers proposes a landscaping plan that would help minimize the visual contrast with the construction and operations of a new facility at the currently unmaintained property. The most common views of the construction activity and the resulting changes in landscape would be from public roads. To most viewers, construction within the existing footprint of the former paper mill would bring activity to the vacant parcel similar to past operations.

Construction activity would include active heavy machinery and earth-moving equipment associated with developing the new structures at the site.

Because of its location in the floodplain along PR-2 and its relatively obstructed setting, a portion of construction activities at the plant site would be visible from parts of Domingo Ruiz and Arecibo. Activities would be most visible to people traveling along the local roads in the vicinity of the plant site; however, the overall ability to see specific activities on the site would be difficult because vegetation along the road would disrupt the view, and the speed of the vehicles passing the site would create relatively short viewing times. Motorists travelling on PR- 2 in the vicinity of the plant site represent the largest number of viewers potentially affected by construction, while the residents in the small community along PR-2 would have the greatest viewing times as a result of their proximity. The view of construction activities would become

more prominent after the elevation of the site is increased above the base flood elevations. The clearing of vegetation along PR-2 would provide clear sight lines into the property allowing longer viewing times; however, the speed passing vehicles would remain unchanged resulting in short viewing windows.

Construction of the water pipeline would be in the road right-of-way adjacent to PR-681, PR- 6681, and PR-2 and would be clearly visible to passing motorists. Activities would focus around the exposed trench as workers install the proper substrate, pipe, and backfill material.

Construction would introduce a visible scar along the road right-of-way; however, the tropical environment should aid in a fast vegetative recovery over the pipeline. Transmission line construction activities would introduce heavy machinery into the plant area and along the

property line closest to PR-2 across the Central Cambalache Sugar Mill property to connect with the existing substation. Construction would require clearing of existing material and the setting of steel poles every 150 feet (45.7 meters).

Construction activities of the plant, water line, and transmission line would likely last up to 3 years. Although construction equipment and activities could be visible from numerous viewpoints throughout the area, the majority of people viewing the construction would be motorists passing the active construction areas. As a result, the impact of these changes on the landscape character during construction would be moderate.

Effects of Operations on Viewsheds

Under Energy Answers’ proposal, the buildings and transmission line would introduce new and different uses to the former Global Fibers Paper Mill site. Proposed buildings would be visible from areas within the Río Grande de Arecibo Valley; however, the details would be difficult to ascertain depending on the viewpoint because the features would typically be in the viewer’s middle ground and obstructed by vegetation in the foreground. These new structures would supplement and restore industrial uses to the currently vacant and neglected property. The presence of the proposed stack would introduce a new tall visual feature currently absent from the plant site; however, the adjacent abandoned sugar mill has two such stacks, albeit slightly lower, on its property. Photosimulations from key observation points around the Río Grande de Arecibo Valley depict the potential new visual elements that the proposed Project would introduce to the area (Appendix B).

Because the elevation of the Project would be raised to site the plant above the base flood elevation, the buildings would be most visible to viewers in the foreground and middle ground distance, with diminished visibility proportional to the observer’s distance. Views of the new facilities, most notably the 351-foot (107-meter) tall plant stack could be visible from parts surrounding the Río Grande de Arecibo floodplain; however, the narrow lines would be muted in the greater landscape. In the foreground and middle ground view distances, the new buildings,

truck traffic, and landscaped grounds would restore a former industrial site currently in dilapidated conditions from years of abandonment and neglect.

The transmission line would be most visible to motorists on PR-2 passing in front of the plant and substation properties because the line would run along the road just outside the road right-of- way in a new right-of-way. Because there are existing steel pole transmission lines running along the east side of PR-2 that connect to the existing substation, the operation of the new line would create a modest increase to the industrial development along this stretch of road. Structures built with a dull finish would be consistent with construction trends designed to minimize visual contrast from new transmission line. Operation of the water pipeline would not be noticeable because the pipeline would be buried.

Overall, operation of the proposed Project would result in new visual resources in the existing landscape. The new buildings and landscaped exterior of the plant site would replace the abandoned mill and introduce new structures to the former industrial site. Raising the plant footprint above the base flood elevation would increase its visibility from middle ground

distances. These changes would result in moderate intensity level changes to the visual resources surrounding the Project site.

3.7 ACOUSTIC ENVIRONMENT