Developer: Duquesne Light Company (DLC)
Project summary: DLC purchased a lot previously utilized for parking to construct a new substation—located at Joncaire and Boundary (Parcel ID: 0053-A-00010-0000-00). The lot is zoned by the City as Park. The Pennsylvania Utility Commission has approved the proposed size of the transformers to be installed; public input sessions will be scheduled to allow review of construction plans.
DLC presented initial building design plans to the community at three separate meetings in late October/early November. OPDC hosted the community meeting on November 7, 2019 (see minutes below).
On November 15, DLC informed OPDC that they are preparing information to address questions and concerns raised at previous community meetings.
DLC will feature project updates and related issues relevant to neighbors and commuters traveling through the Hollow, including work schedules, road advisories, etc here: duquesnelight.com/service-reliability/infrastructure-projects/riazzi-substation#undefined.
Initial grading work (asphalt removal and site grading; no street work) began on the project site on December 9.
Councilman Bruce Kraus and Duquesne Light Co. hosted a Community Open House on January 6th to continue the dialogue with the Oakland community and to review potential site plans for the project.
Review the design concepts linked below and share your input through the feedback survey.
OPDC joined a group of Oakland residents at a meeting with State Representative Dan Frankel and his staff on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. The conversation focused on a number of outstanding concerns about requested environmental studies and project updates from DLC. We had hoped that there was state oversight of this process, but that appears not to be the case. Even so, we appreciate Rep. Frankel's efforts to assist to gather information and bring together parties to address concerns.
OPDC spoke with Darryl Lawrence, an attorney and Senior Assistant Consumer Advocate for the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate, on March 31. Through his past experiences and research on this project, Mr. Lawrence conveyed that the Riazzi substation is a “step-down” transformer that will operate at less than 100kV, which does not require PUC authority in Pennsylvania when the utility company owns the land.
DLC did receive permission from PJM (The PA, Jersey, Maryland Power Pool - a regional transmission organization). Permission from PJM is required any time a utility wants to connect to a high voltage grid, such as in this case.
On the topic of environmental concerns and studies expressed by Oakland residents, Lawrence was “fairly certain” that DLC got a permit from the Department of Environmental Protection.
OPDC shared notes on the call with Frankel’s office; they have contacted the DEP for follow-up details on oversight and permits.
Frankel’s office spoke to DEP in late May. DEP confirmed with the Bureau of Radiation Protection that electromagnetic radiation is not regulated as it is a non-ionizing form of radiation. (Please see this document and study for more information. Document and link provided by DEP.)
The Allegheny County Conservation District issued a permit in December 2019 to DLC for earthmoving (which requires stormwater runoff controls during the earthwork) and to maintain runoff from the substation once it's built - this is within state and local guidelines.
July 1, 2020 UPDATES:
via DLC:
There will be a lane closure and traffic restrictions in the area beginning on July 13 and lasting for approximately 8 weeks. The southwest-bound lane of Boundary Street will be closed during working hours to those driving towards Joncaire Street.
At the start of every work shift, a work zone and traffic controls will be set up in accordance with city permits. As the day progresses, the work zone may shift, so please be aware of changes throughout the day. At the end of each workday, we will reopen the closed lane until the following workday.
Via City of Pittsburgh’s Law Department:
In response to a community request to Pittsburgh’s City Council, the law department provided the following analysis:
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has found that the Public Utility Commission and Public Utility Code preempt municipal regulation of utility infrastructure such as substations. If you’re interested in learning more, preemption of public utility regulation is clarified in PL Elec. Utilities Corp. v. City of Lancaster, 214 A.3d 639 (Pa. 2019) and Duquesne Light Co. v. Upper St. Clair Twp., 377 Pa. 323, 334, 105 A.2d 287, 292 (1954). Municipalities retain the right to regulate to non-infrastructure buildings (ie offices) of utility companies and have some authority to require construction permits for certain types of work, however, their discretion is limited and any disputes which may arise are resolved by the PUC.
January 1, 2021 UPDATE:
via DLC:
As the Riazzi Substation project enters its final phase of construction, for the safety of the general public, Boundary Street (also known as S. Neville St.) will be closed north of Joncaire St. to Filmore St. to all thru traffic beginning on Jan. 11 through March 31 as crews perform underground work associated with the project as quickly and safely as possible.
The subsurface obstructions we discovered in the roadway – despite our best efforts to perform due diligence – have required us to redesign the underground portion of the substation project. We used four methods of underground investigation to give us confidence in our original design. Unfortunately, the subsurface reality we discovered will require us to do much more extensive excavation. In order to avoid conflicts with the other underground utility lines, our contractors will need to trench the street to a width that is wider than normal during the installation of our facilities.
In evaluating the safety of the worksite versus the inconvenience of extended closure, we have consciously prioritized safety while being mindful to minimize the duration of the traffic restriction. We realize this will result in restricted options for residents to get to and from their homes along Boundary St. and we have worked with our contractors to streamline the logistics so as to complete the work as quickly and safely as possible. The final traffic restriction plan which has been approved by DOMI will involve the full two-lane closure of Boundary with traffic routed along Joncaire St. during that time.
January 22, 2021 UPDATE
Duquesne Light announced on January 4 that they would close S. Neville/Boundary Street between Filmore and Joncaire in both directions on January 11, 2021, for a period of 11 weeks.
We’ve since been informed that in response to neighborhood concerns about the disruption this closure will cause, excavation has been postponed until later in the project schedule. No firm date for the closure is currently available. OPDC will post additional information as we receive it at opdc.org.
When the closure takes effect, signs will be posted at the intersections of Fifth and S. Neville and Bouquet and Joncaire to alert drivers and indicate the detour route. During the closure, pedestrian and bicycle trips originating in Panther Hollow and Schenley Park will direct people to use the Joncaire sidewalk and steps. Joncaire Street and the Pitt parking lot at Joncaire/Boundary will remain open.
March 2021 UPDATE
The planned closure of S. Neville/Boundary Street is indefinitely postponed. We have no other updates at this time.
June 28, 2021 UPDATE via DLC:
Boundary Street will be closed between Joncaire and Filmore streets beginning June 30. This was not a planned closure, but was deemed necessary out of an abundance of caution and to maintain safe conditions for the public and work crews.
The closure will last approximately 30 days and will only occur on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The project is expected to finish by August 31, 2021.
For more information about the Riazzi Substation project, please visit DuquesneLight.com/RiazziSubstation where you can find answers to frequently asked questions and updates on the project. If you have any questions about the Riazzi Substation project, please reach out by emailing RiazziSubstation@duqlight.com.
Project resources:
Community meeting minutes (November 7, 2019)
Design concepts (November 15, 2019)