NSTAR is committed to environmental stewardship and compliance. We know our business and how it has the potential to impact the environment. Now that NSTAR has successfully divested its fossil and nuclear generating assets, we are focusing our environmental efforts on waste management, remediating spills from electrical equipment, and protecting wetlands, waterways and the species living there.
Waste Management
The nature of NSTAR’s wastes has changed significantly in
the last several years. Prior to the 1970’s, Polychlorinated Biphenyl
compounds (PCB’s) were used in much of the industry’s insulating liquids,
including NSTAR transformers. PCB’s were discontinued from use in new
manufactured electrical equipment in the 1970’s, but remained in use in
electric utility systems.
Although not required by law, NSTAR proactively instituted an extensive PCB Equipment Phase-Out Program in the mid-1980s. Major PCB filled equipment was identified and replaced; eliminating over 900 PCB filled units. Although some equipment with very small quantities of PBC (called PCB-contaminated) remains in service within NSTAR’s system, the impact to the environment and to public safety has been significantly reduced.
Likewise, management and disposal of a large portion of our waste oils, impacted soils, and used electrical equipment has shifted to environmentally beneficial recycling activities.
Our service centers, located across our service territory,
serve as key hubs of environmental activity. At these locations, wastes
generated from field repairs as well as those from onsite garage activities are
managed. To ensure environmental compliance, and as part of our corporate
environmental management system, each service center has a site-specific
compliance plan that identifies environmental requirements, procedures and
required records.
The compliance plans are an effective tool that assists NSTAR employees understand environmental requirements and maintain compliance.
Remediating Spills
There are times when electrical equipment becomes damaged resulting in insulating fluid spills.
It is NSTAR’s policy to clean these spills as soon as possible, minimizing the
impact to the environment and ensuring public health and safety.
We have additionally assisted a major manufacturer in investigating the feasibility of a new “non-toxic” vegetable oil-based dielectric fluid for use in certain electrical equipment that would minimize environmental impacts upon release.
Wetlands, Waterways, and Protected/Endangered Species
We are very
aware of wetland issues and are committed to
protecting wetland areas where we operate. Our construction projects are
carefully designed and monitored, and we work closely with local conservation
commissions, to ensure minimal impacts to wetland systems, vegetation,
and animal species.
We work within our environment, sensitive of the vegetation and animals living there. We are very proud of our efforts two decades ago to help restore the osprey population by working with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to erect artificial nesting platforms.
As we learn more about our
environment and act as good stewards of it, our right-of-way vegetation
management program continues to evolve. To ensure public safety and high
electric service reliability, it is imperative that our transmission towers and
wires are not too close to high growing trees and shrubs. NSTAR controls this
with a combination of vegetation management technologies resulting in a more
bio-diverse right-of-way for plants, animals and insects.
