[Federal Register: January 16, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 9)]
[
Notices]
[Page 1710-1711]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr16ja07-30]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability of the Supplement to the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for the Gilberton Coal-to-Clean Fuels
and Power Project
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability
for public comment of a Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Gilberton Coal-to-Clean Fuels and Power Project (DOE/
EIS-0357D-S1), prepared in response to comments on the original Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued in December 2005. This
Supplement corrects information regarding carbon dioxide
(CO2) emissions from the proposed Gilberton plant, provides
information on the feasibility of carbon sequestration for the
CO2 emissions from the Gilberton plant, and presents
additional information regarding CO2-related cumulative
impacts.
It should be noted that the Supplement contains only those sections
affected by comments related to CO2 emissions and
sequestration, and DOE is inviting comments only on those sections.
Comments on the original Draft EIS need not be resubmitted.
DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on the Supplement to the Draft
EIS during the public comment period, which ends February 27, 2007. DOE
will consider all comments postmarked or received during the public
comment period in preparing the Final EIS, and will consider late
comments to the extent practicable. DOE will consider and respond to
all comments submitted on the original Draft EIS in preparing the Final
EIS.
ADDRESSES: Requests for information about this Supplement to the Draft
EIS or to receive a copy of the Supplement or the Draft EIS should be
directed to: Janice L. Bell, NEPA Document Manager, U.S. Department of
Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, M/S 58-247A, P.O. Box
10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Additional information about the
Supplement or the Draft EIS may also be requested by telephone at:
(412) 386-4512, or toll-free at: 1-866-576-8240.
The Supplement to the Draft EIS will be available at http://
www.eh.doe.gov/nepa.
The original Draft EIS is available at the same
Internet address. Copies of the Supplement to the Draft EIS are also
available for review at the locations listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section of this Notice. Written comments on the Supplement
to the Draft EIS can be mailed to Janice L. Bell, NEPA Document
Manager, at the address noted above. Written comments may also be
submitted by fax to: (412) 386-4806, or submitted electronically to:
jbell@netl.doe.gov. In addition, oral comments on the Supplement to the
Draft EIS can be provided by calling the toll-free telephone number: 1-
866-576-8240.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information regarding the
DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director,
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-20), U.S. Department of
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone:
(202) 586-4600, or leave a message at: (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Department prepared this Supplement to the Draft EIS in
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR
parts 1500-1508), and the DOE procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR part
1021).
In the original Draft EIS, issued in December 2005, DOE's proposed
action (and preferred alternative) is to provide cost-shared funding to
design, construct, and operate a new plant to demonstrate coproduction
of 41 MW of electricity, steam, and over 5,000 barrels-per-day of
ultra-clean liquid hydrocarbon products (primarily diesel fuel and
naphtha). The demonstration plant would use a gasifier to convert coal
waste to synthesis gas, which would be conveyed to Fischer-Tropsch (F-
T) liquefaction facilities for production of liquid fuels and to a
combined-cycle power plant. The demonstration facilities, to be
constructed in Gilberton, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, would
process up to 4,700 tons per day of coal waste (anthracite culm). The
potential environmental impacts of this action are evaluated in the
Draft EIS. The Draft EIS also analyzed the No Action Alternative, under
which DOE would not provide cost-shared funding to demonstrate the
commercial-scale integration of coal gasification and F-T synthesis
technology to produce electricity, steam and liquid fuels. Under the
No-Action Alternative, it is reasonably foreseeable that no new
activity would occur.
Among the public comments received on the Draft EIS were those from
the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) regarding how the Draft
EIS addressed CO2 emissions. The NRDC comments expressed
concern about the potential impacts on global warming and questioned
the accuracy of the annual rate of CO2 emissions reported in
the Draft EIS. The comments also requested DOE to enhance the analysis
of potential CO2-related cumulative impacts, further explore
the feasibility of CO2 sequestration, and provide a public
comment opportunity on the revised sections of the EIS. DOE also
received similar comments on CO2 emissions and carbon
sequestration from other organizations and individuals: the Coalition
of Concerned Coal Region Citizens; the Mid-Atlantic Environmental Law
Center; the Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future; Mike Ewall; Edward and
Helen Sluzis; and James Kotcon.
In considering the comments received on the Draft EIS, DOE
determined that the annual rate of CO2 emissions reported in
the Draft EIS included only the quantity of CO2 that would
be emitted directly. The reported quantity did not include a larger
quantity of CO2 in a concentrated stream exiting the gas
cleanup system. While it was previously anticipated that the
concentrated CO2 stream would be sold as a byproduct, the
industrial participant has informed DOE that the commercial sale of the
CO2 would not occur in the foreseeable future. Therefore,
all of the CO2 would be emitted to the atmosphere. DOE has
prepared the Supplement to clarify the total emissions rate
accordingly. DOE has also enhanced the discussion of cumulative impacts
and the feasibility of carbon sequestration.
Availability of the Supplement to the Draft EIS
Copies of this Supplement to the Draft EIS have been distributed to
Members of Congress, Federal, State, and local officials, and agencies,
organizations and individuals who may be interested or affected. To
obtain copies of the Supplement and the original Draft EIS, see
ADDRESSES above. The Supplement and the Draft EIS are also available in
the public reading rooms of the following public libraries: Frackville
Free Public Library, 56 N. Lehigh
[[Page 1711]]
Avenue, Frackville, PA 17931; Mahanoy City Public Library, 17-19 West
Mahanoy Avenue, Mahanoy City, PA 17948; and the Pottsville Free
Library, 215 West Market Street, Pottsville, PA 17901.
It should be noted that the Supplement contains only those sections
affected by comments related to CO2 emissions and
sequestration, and DOE is inviting comments only on those sections.
Comments on the original Draft EIS need not be resubmitted.
Issued in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2007.
Mark J. Matarrese,
Director, Office of Environment, Security, Safety and Health, Office of
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. E7-409 Filed 1-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P