Abstract
This document is Appendix O from the Final Environmental Assessment LEEDCo Project Icebreaker Lake Erie, City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The Lake Erie Energy Development Corporation (LEEDC0) is proposing to develop the first offshore freshwater wind project in the Great Lakes – planned to be located in Lake Erie offshore of Cleveland. As part of the project, an eight mile long, three-phase, 34.5kV, AC transmission cable will be buried below the sediment surface along the bottom of Lake Erie to transmit electricity from the turbines to the mainland transformer station. During recent discussions regarding the LEEDCo project, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) expressed an interest in the potential impacts of the electric transmission cable on fish in the project area; particularly with respect to electromagnetic field (EMF) impacts. In addition, the ODNR Aquatic Sampling Protocol for Offshore Wind Development requires acoustic telemetry studies to monitor fish behavior and the ODNR has suggested that LEEDCo’s study should also include monitoring near the transmission line to evaluate its effects on fish behavior. This memorandum is intended to summarize current research and information regarding the impact of EMFs on fish and provide our assessment of the likely impact to fish in the vicinity of the proposed transmission line. Based on the current research and existing EMF fish impact studies that have been done in the Great Lakes, the expected EMF to be generated by the LEEDCo electric transmission line will not have an adverse impact on fish behavior and habitat.