The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and New Jersey Transit Corporation (NJ TRANSIT) prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM (the Project) which is available for public review as of May 20, 2019. A public comment period for the DEIS will run from May 20, 2019 to July 19, 2019. The document can be viewed here.
The document was prepared in accordance the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 United States Code [U.S.C.] 4321 et seq.), Section 106 of 23 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 771.123, and Section 4(f) of 49 U.S.C. 303, and all applicable regulations including, but not limited to: Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations at 40 CFR 1506.6; Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice; Executive Order 11988 on Floodplain Management; and U.S. DOT Order 5650.2 on Floodplain Management and Protection.
Following the close of the 60-day public comment period, comments on the DEIS will be considered in a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS and Record of Decision (ROD) will announce and explain FTA’s decision and describe any commitments for mitigating potential social, economic, and environmental impacts.
About the NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM
NJ TRANSIT proposes to design and construct the NJ TRANSITGRID TRACTION POWER SYSTEM, a first-of-its-kind microgrid designed to provide highly reliable power to support limited service in a core segment of NJ TRANSIT’s and Amtrak’s critical service territory. As defined by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), a microgrid is a local energy grid with control capability, which means it can disconnect from the traditional grid and operate autonomously.
The purpose of the proposed Project is to enhance the resiliency of the electricity supply to the NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak infrastructure that serves key commuter markets in New York and New Jersey to minimize public transportation service disruptions. The region’s public transportation infrastructure is vulnerable to power outages due to the nature of the existing centralized power distribution system and the intensity and frequency of severe weather events. The microgrid would be capable of providing energy to portions of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor, NJ TRANSIT’s Morris & Essex Line, and NJ TRANSIT’s HBLR system during power outages. The microgrid would generate power 24/7.