Phase II Archaeological Testing of Site 9PA517, Dalton Expantion Project, Paulding County, Georgia. FERC Docket No. CP15-17-000

Transcontinental Gas Pipeline Company, LLC (Transco) is seeking a Certificate of Public Convenience from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) pursuant to Section 7 (c) of the Natural Gas Act for the construction and operation of a 111.7-mile natural gas pipeline (the Project) in northwestern Georgia. An initial report of archaeological survey for the Project was submitted to the Georgia Historic Preservation Division (HPD Project # HP-140603-005) and filed with Transco’s FERC application in March 2015 (FERC Docket No. CP15-117-000).

The Project consists of a new lateral pipeline, the Dalton Lateral, beginning at Transco’s Compressor Station 115 in Coweta County, and ending near Dalton, Georgia (Figure 1). The line would extend through eight counties in northwest Georgia to Murray County. The Project will consist of 111.7 miles of new natural gas pipeline in three continuous segments (Dalton Lateral Segments 1, 2, and 3) and a new 2.0-mile natural gas lateral pipeline spur (the AGL Spur). A new compressor station and three new meter stations also will be constructed, and modifications and supplemental odorization equipment will be installed at existing facilities as part of the Project.

Between June 2014 and October 2015, Cardno conducted Phase I survey of the Project within Georgia. Cardno identified 127 archaeological sites and 62 isolated finds (IFs) within the project’s area of potential effect. Of the 127 archaeological sites, only one is considered eligible for the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The NRHP-eligible site is the historic Mount Zion Church Cemetery (9BR1069) in Bartow County. The cemetery is currently outside of the Project workspace, and further ground penetrating radar (GPR) survey and probing will be conducted to insure that the activities within the Project workspace will have no adverse effects on the cemetery. Thirty archaeological sites were considered to have an unknown NRHP eligibility status. Of these 30 sites with unknown eligibility, nine required further work to determine their NRHP eligibility since they could not be avoided by the Project.

This report presents the results of Phase II archaeological site testing at a site located along the Mainline Route in Paulding County, 9PA517. Cardno conducted the Phase II investigation between August 2015 and May 2016. The purpose of the current archaeological investigation was to determine if site 9PA517 meets the minimum requirements for inclusion in the NRHP. Archaeological deposits would be eligible for inclusion in the NRHP under Criterion D if they have the potential to yield significant data relating to the prehistory or history of the region.

Cultural materials recovered from 9PA517 during Phase II excavations, including some diagnostic prehistoric and historic artifacts, were found in mixed context, affected either by recent logging, mechanized earthmoving, and/or erosion. Floral and faunal materials associated with the prehistoric occupation were lacking, indicating poor preservation. These factors limit the research potential of site 9PA517 and suggest that further archaeological research would not add significantly to our knowledge of prehistoric occupations in the region. Therefore, the portion of the site within the area of potential effects (APE) lacks data potential. However, the site has not been fully delineated as it extends past the project boundary. On these grounds, site 9PA517 is recommended as unknown for inclusion on the NRHP. No further archaeological work is recommended at the site.