Advance Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Implementation of the FutureGen Project, 8283-8287 [E6-2222]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 32 / Thursday, February 16, 2006 / Notices
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Dated: February 13, 2006.
Charles E. Smith,
Executive Director, National Assessment
Governing Board.
[FR Doc. 06–1445 Filed 2–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000–01–M
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Advance Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
Implementation of the FutureGen
Project
Department of Energy.
Advance Notice of Intent to
Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of
Energy (DOE) is announcing in advance
its intent to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS), pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), for
the proposed action of providing
Federal funding (up to $700 million) for
the FutureGen Project. FutureGen
would comprise the planning, design,
construction and operation by a privatesector organization of a coal-fired
electric power and hydrogen gas (H2)
production plant integrated with carbon
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dioxide (CO2) capture and geologic
sequestration of the captured gas. DOE
has prepared this Advance Notice of
Intent (ANOI) in accordance with DOE’s
NEPA regulations [(10 CFR 1021.311(b)]
to inform interested parties of a pending
EIS and to invite early public comments
on the proposed action, including: (1)
The proposed plans for implementing
the FutureGen Project, (2) the potential
range of environmental issues and
alternatives to be analyzed, and (3) the
nature of the impact analyses to be
considered in the EIS. DOE will later
issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) and
initiate a public scoping process during
which DOE will conduct public
meetings and invite the public to
comment on the scope, proposed action,
and alternatives to be considered in the
EIS.
Following President George W. Bush’s
announcement that the United States
would sponsor a $1 billion, 10-year
FutureGen initiative to build the world’s
first coal-based, near-zero emissions
power plant that produces both
electricity and H2, the DOE signed, on
December 2, 2005, a Cooperative
Agreement (DE–FC26–06NT42073) that
provides financial assistance to the
FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc.
(Alliance), which will undertake the
planning, design, construction and
operation of the project facilities. The
FutureGen initiative would establish the
technical and economic feasibility of coproducing electricity and H2 from coal
while capturing and sequestering the
CO2 generated in the process.
The Alliance is a consortium led by
the coal-fueled electric power industry
and the coal production industry.
Members of the Alliance collectively
own and produce over 40 percent of the
Nation’s coal and about 20 percent of its
coal-fueled electricity. The Alliance
would plan, design, construct and
operate the FutureGen power plant and
the sequestration facility. The Alliance
would also monitor, measure, and verify
geologic sequestration of CO2. DOE will
provide technical and programmatic
guidance to the Alliance, retain certain
review and approval rights as defined in
the Cooperative Agreement, and oversee
Alliance activities for compliance with
the terms of the Cooperative Agreement.
DOE will be responsible for NEPA
compliance activities. Both DOE and the
Alliance would consider ways for state
and local agencies, local communities,
the environmental community,
international stakeholders, and research
organizations to participate in the
Project, including involvement in
testing, monitoring and verification
protocols for CO2 sequestration.
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DOE invites Federal agencies,
Native American Tribes, state and local
governments, other organizations and
members of the public to provide early
assistance in environmental planning
for the FutureGen Project and to identify
significant environmental issues and
alternatives to be analyzed in the
forthcoming FutureGen Project EIS.
DOE will consider public comments and
other relevant information relating to
environmental planning for the
FutureGen Project. Comments in
response to this ANOI are requested by
March 20, 2006. DOE anticipates issuing
a NOI to prepare an EIS for the
FutureGen Project after DOE makes a
preliminary determination regarding the
alternative sites to be evaluated. After
the NOI is issued, DOE will conduct
public scoping meetings to assist in
defining the scope of the EIS, including
alternative sites and issues to be
addressed. The dates and locations of
the scoping meetings will be announced
in the NOI or subsequent Federal
Register notices and in local media
before the meetings.
ADDRESSES: Written comments or
suggestions on the scope of the EIS
should be submitted to Mark L. McKoy,
NEPA Document Manager for the
FutureGen Project, U.S. Department of
Energy, National Energy Technology
Laboratory P.O. Box 880, Morgantown,
West Virginia, 26507–0880. Comments
also may be submitted by telephone:
304–285–4426, fax: 304–285–4403,
electronic mail: mmckoy@netl.doe.gov,
or toll-free telephone number: 800–432–
8330 (ext. 4426).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: For
information on the FutureGen Project or
to receive a copy of the Draft EIS for
review when it is issued, contact Mark
L. McKoy as described in ADDRESSES
above. For general information on the
DOE NEPA process, contact: Ms. Carol
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA
Policy and Compliance (EH–42), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, DC 20585–0119, telephone:
202–586–4600, fax: 202–586–7031, or
leave a toll-free message at 800–472–
2756. Additional NEPA information is
available at the DOE NEPA Web site:
https://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.
Additional information on the
FutureGen Project can be found at the
following Web site: https://
www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/
powersystems/futuregen. Information
from the Alliance, including the draft
Request for Proposals discussed below,
can be found at https://
www.FutureGenAlliance.org. Comments
on the draft Request for Proposals are to
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be sent to the Alliance in accordance
with the instructions provided by the
Alliance. While comments related to the
NEPA process are due to DOE by March
20, 2006, comments on the draft Request
for Proposals are due to the Alliance by
February 28, 2006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
President Bush announced during
2003 that the United States has
committed to proceed with a $1 billion,
10-year project to build the world’s first
coal-fueled plant to produce electricity
and H2 with near-zero emissions. In
response to this announcement, the U.S.
Department of Energy unveiled plans for
a FutureGen plant that would establish
the technical and economic feasibility of
producing electricity and H2 from coal—
a low-cost and abundant energy
resource—while capturing and
geologically storing the CO2 generated
in the process.
The FutureGen Project would
showcase cutting-edge technologies that
could address environmental concerns
associated with the use of coal. DOE
plans to implement the FutureGen
Project through a cooperative agreement
that provides financial assistance to the
FutureGen Industrial Alliance, Inc.,
which is a non-profit corporation that
represents a global coalition of coal and
energy companies. Members of the
Alliance are expected to provide an
estimated $250 million to help fund
project development. The Alliance
members are: American Electric Power;
BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng Group;
CONSOL Energy Inc.; Foundation Coal;
Kennecott Energy, a member of the Rio
Tinto Group; Peabody Energy; and
Southern Company. The U.S.
government and foreign governments
would invest about $700 million in the
project.
The Alliance is a consortium of
industrial companies that collectively
own and produce over 40 percent of the
Nation’s coal and about 20 percent of
the Nation’s coal-fueled electricity. The
Alliance is: (a) Geographically diverse
by including both eastern and western
domestic coal producers and coal-fueled
electricity generators; and (b) resource
diverse by including producers and
users of the full range of coal types.
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
In pursuing its goal of providing safe,
affordable and clean energy for the
citizens of the United States, DOE has
determined that coal, as the Nation’s
most abundant fossil fuel resource, must
play an important role in the Nation’s
efforts to increase its energy
independence. DOE has identified a
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need for a near-zero emissions, coal-toenergy option that would produce
electric power and H2 from coal while
permanently sequestering CO2 in deep
geological formations. The technical,
economic, and environmental feasibility
of producing electric power and H2 from
coal, when coupled with geologic
sequestration technology, must be
proven.
The electricity and transportation
sectors are responsible for nearly threefourths of the country’s anthropogenic
greenhouse gas emissions. The
continued use of coal entails the need
to address environmental and
greenhouse gas mitigation challenges. A
key DOE mission is to ensure that fossil
fuels—particularly coal—are available
components of the future energy mix.
An alternative source of fuel for the
transportation sector, such as coalderived H2, could also reduce our
dependence on fuel imports.
In the absence of proven operations of
a large, integrated, near-zero emissions
power plant, the contribution of coal to
the energy mix could be reduced if
environmental regulations continue to
tighten. This could cause an imbalance
in the diversity of the domestic energy
portfolio, which would impact energy
security. Accordingly, DOE needs to
promote development of such a facility
to address the environmental concerns
over the use of coal, thus protecting
both energy diversity and security.
Proposed Action
DOE proposes to provide financial
assistance (up to $700 million) for the
Alliance to plan, design, construct, and
operate the FutureGen facility, an
advanced integrated coal gasification
combined cycle power plant and CO2
sequestration facility sized nominally at
275 MW (equivalent output). The goal of
this initiative would be to prove the
technical and economic feasibility of a
near-zero emissions, coal-to-energy
option that could be deployed by 2020.
During the first phase of the project, the
Alliance and DOE will quantify the
specific emissions objectives of the
project. The facility would co-produce
electric power and H2 in an industrial/
utility setting while capturing and
geologically sequestering approximately
one to two million metric tons of CO2
per year. As discussed further below,
the FutureGen Project would
incorporate both cutting-edge research
and demonstrations of emerging
technologies ready for testing at a large
scale to achieve its goal of validating the
technical and economic feasibility of an
integrated near-zero emissions plant.
Establishing the technical feasibility
and projected economic viability of a
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near-zero emissions, coal-based system
that integrates advanced technologies at
a large scale through the FutureGen
Project would contribute to DOE’s goals
by:
• Addressing environmental issues
and barriers to fossil fuel use, while
maintaining the availability and
affordability of fossil-fuel-derived
energy;
• improving energy efficiency;
• developing technologies that foster
a diverse supply of reliable, affordable,
and environmentally sound energy;
• providing scientific and
technological information and analysis
to assist policymakers and regulators in
their decision-making on control of
greenhouse gas emissions and use of
fossil fuels; and
• focusing on public benefits-driven
investment in high-risk, high-return
technology that private companies alone
cannot undertake.
The FutureGen facility is intended to
be a near-zero emissions facility that
would be the cleanest fossil-fuel-based
power system in the world. The project
would require approximately 10 years
for completion, not including postproject monitoring. Performance and
economic tests results would be shared
among all participants, industry, the
environmental community, and the
public. DOE intends to invite
participation from international
organizations to maximize the global
applicability and acceptance of
FutureGen’s results, helping to support
an international consensus on the role
of coal and geological sequestration in
addressing global greenhouse gas
emissions and energy security. Broad
engagement of stakeholders early in the
FutureGen effort is critical to the
successful achievement of
understanding and acceptance of
geologic sequestration as part of a nearzero emissions, coal-based energy
option.
FutureGen Project Processes
The FutureGen Project would employ
advanced coal gasification technology
integrated with combined cycle
electricity generation, H2 production,
CO2 capture and CO2 sequestration in
geologic repositories. The gasification
process would combine coal, oxygen
(O2), and steam to produce a H2-rich
‘‘synthesis gas.’’ After exiting the
conversion reactor, the composition of
the synthesis gas would be ‘‘shifted’’ to
produce additional H2. The product
stream would consist mostly of H2,
steam, and CO2. Following separation of
these three gas components, the H2
would be used to generate electricity in
a gas turbine and/or fuel cell. Some of
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the H2 could be used as a feedstock for
chemical plants or petroleum refineries
or as a transportation fuel. Steam from
the process could be condensed, treated,
and recycled into the gasifier or added
to the plant’s cooling water circuit. CO2
from the process would be sequestered
in deep underground geologic
formations that would be monitored to
verify the permanence of CO2 storage.
Overall Project Objectives
• Establish technical and economic
feasibility of producing electricity and
H2 from coal with near-zero emissions
(including CO2);
• Verify sustained, integrated
operation of coal conversion system
with geologic sequestration of CO2;
• Verify effectiveness, safety, and
permanence of geologic sequestration of
CO2;
• Establish standardized technologies
and protocols for CO2 measuring,
monitoring, and verification;
• Confirm the potential of the
FutureGen concept to achieve economic
competitiveness with other near-zero
emissions approaches through advances
in technology by 2020; and
• Gain acceptance by the coal and
electricity industries, environmental
community, international community,
and public-at-large for the concept of
coal-based systems with near-zero
emissions through the successful
operation of FutureGen.
Power Plant Performance Objectives
• Sequester CO2 at an operational rate
of approximately one to two million
metric tons per year;
• Produce electricity and H2 at ratios
(may be variable) consistent with market
needs (equivalent to plant capacity of
275 MW electricity output);
• Sequester at least 90 percent of CO2
initially with the eventual potential for
up to 100 percent sequestration;
• Locate plant consistent with, inter
alia, adequate coal feedstock
availability, proximity to market for
products (especially electricity) as part
of proving potential economic viability,
and proximity to geologic formations for
sequestration (e.g., deep saline
reservoirs, unmineable coal seams,
depleted oil and natural gas reservoirs,
basalt formations);
• Achieve environmental (near-zero
emissions) requirements;
• Provide a design database for
subsequent, near-zero emissions,
commercial demonstrations and/or
deployments; and
• Design capability for full-flow
testing of advanced technologies and
advanced technology modules, and
design incorporation of loosely
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integrated units that increase flexibility
and enhance operability and reliability.
CO2 Sequestration Monitoring and
Verification Performance Objectives
• Accurately quantify storage
potential of the geologic formation(s);
• Detect and monitor surface and
subsurface leakage, if it occurs
(capability to measure CO2 slightly
above atmospheric concentration of 370
ppm), and demonstrate effectiveness of
mitigation;
• Provide the scientific basis for
carbon accounting and assurance of
permanent storage;
• Account for co-sequestration of CO2
impurities; and
• Develop information necessary to
estimate costs of future CO2
management systems.
Technology Alternatives
The FutureGen Project would
incorporate both cutting-edge research
and demonstrations of emerging
technologies ready for testing at a large
scale to achieve its goal of validating the
technical and economic feasibility of an
integrated near-zero emissions plant.
The FutureGen power plant would be
designed to provide a capability for fullscale testing of new technologies prior
to their commercial demonstration and
deployment. The FutureGen facility
may integrate some combination of new
technologies for gasification, O2
production, H2 production, combustion
gas cleanup, H2 turbines, fuel cells and
fuel cell/turbine hybrids, CO2
sequestration, advanced materials,
instrumentation, sensors and controls,
and byproduct utilization. Decisions on
incorporation of specific technologies
would be made by the Alliance keeping
in mind the ability to achieve the
overall project goal of proving the
technical and economic feasibility of the
near-zero emissions concept.
Alternatives, Including the Proposed
Action
Under the proposed action, DOE
would implement the FutureGen Project
to achieve the President’s goals. The EIS
will analyze the reasonable alternatives
for implementing the FutureGen Project.
Once a list of best qualified sites is
delivered by the Alliance to DOE, DOE
will consider all of the available
alternatives in ascertaining which ones
are reasonable. The EIS also may
analyze technologies and strategies for
implementing important elements of the
Project.
Under the no-action alternative, DOE
would not fund the proposed Project. In
the absence of DOE funding, it would be
unlikely that the Alliance, or industry in
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general, would soon undertake the
utility-scale integration of CO2 capture
and geologic sequestration with a coalfired power plant. Absent DOE’s
investment in a utility-scale facility, the
development of integrated CO2 capture
and sequestration with power plant
operations could occur more slowly
through a series of small steps, and only
then in the presence of a regulatory
requirement. Given a regulatory
requirement for the curtailment of
greenhouse gas emissions, the no-action
alternative could result in higher costs
of electricity due to the use of more
expensive, commercially available
technology and due to a reduction in
plant availability as a result of the lack
of integrated test operations data and
experience that would have otherwise
been available from a FutureGen-type
facility.
DOE may consider other reasonable
alternatives that are suggested during
the public scoping period.
Preliminary Identification of
Environmental Issues
DOE intends to address the issues
listed below when considering the
potential impacts resulting from the
siting, construction and operation of the
FutureGen power plant. This list is
neither intended to be all-inclusive nor
a predetermined set of potential
impacts. DOE invites comments on
these and any other issues that should
be considered in the EIS. The
environmental issues include:
• Air quality impacts: potential for air
emissions during construction and
operation of the power plant and
appurtenant facilities to impact local
sensitive receptors, local environmental
conditions, and special-use areas,
including impacts to smog and haze and
impacts from dust and any significant
vapor plumes;
• Noise and light impacts: potential
impacts from construction,
transportation of materials, and facility
operations;
• Traffic issues: potential impacts
from the construction and operation of
the facilities, including changes in local
traffic patterns, deterioration of roads,
traffic hazards, and traffic controls;
• Floodplains: potential impacts to
flood flow resulting from earthen fills,
access roads, and dikes that might be
needed in a floodplain;
• Wetlands: potential impacts
resulting from fill, sediment deposition,
vegetation clearing and facility erection
that might be needed in a wetland;
• Visual impacts associated with
facility structures: views from
neighborhoods, impacts to scenic views
(e.g., impacts from water vapor plumes,
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power transmission lines, pipelines),
internal and external perception of the
community or locality;
• Historic and cultural resources:
potential impacts from the site
selection, design, construction and
operation of the facilities;
• Water quality impacts: potential
impacts from water utilization and
consumption, plus potential impacts
from wastewater discharges;
• Infrastructure and land use
impacts: potential environmental and
socioeconomic impacts of project site
selection, construction, delivery of feed
materials, and distribution of products
(e.g., power transmission lines,
pipelines);
• Marketability of products and
market access to feed stocks;
• Solid wastes: pollution prevention
plans and waste management strategies,
including the handling of ash, slag,
water treatment sludge, and hazardous
materials;
• Disproportionate impacts on
minority and low-income populations;
• Connected actions: potential
development of support facilities or
supporting infrastructure;
• Ecological: potential on-site and offsite impacts to vegetation, terrestrial
wildlife, aquatic wildlife, threatened or
endangered species, and ecologically
sensitive habitats;
• Geologic impacts: potential impacts
from the sequestration of CO2 and other
captured gases on underground
resources such as potable water
supplies, mineral resources, and fossil
fuel resources;
• Ground surface impacts from CO2
sequestration: potential impacts from
leakage of injected CO2, potential
impacts from induced flows of native
fluids to the ground surface or near the
ground surface, and the potential for
induced ground heave and/or
microseisms;
• Fate and stability of sequestered
CO2 and other captured gases;
• Health and safety issues associated
with CO2 capture and sequestration;
• Cumulative effects that result from
the incremental impacts of the proposed
project when added to the other past,
present, and reasonably foreseeable
future projects;
• Compliance with regulatory
requirements and environmental
permitting;
• Environmental monitoring plans
associated with the power plant and
with the CO2 sequestration site; and
• Ultimate closure plans for the CO2
sequestration site and reservoirs.
Host Site Selection
The Alliance will conduct a site
competition to identify one or more
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candidate sites suitable for the
FutureGen facility. The process will be
an open competition in which States,
tribes, private organizations and other
interested parties can offer sites to the
Alliance for consideration.
The selection process will include the
use of both qualification criteria and
scoring criteria. Qualification criteria
will be used to initially screen proposals
and thereby identify qualified sites
meriting further evaluation for the
FutureGen Project. Scoring criteria will
be used by the Alliance to distinguish
among the initial set of qualified sites to
identify the candidates (proposals and
sites) that merit evaluation under the
NEPA process. Categories of criteria that
will be considered by the Alliance
include: Suitability of the proposed site
for construction of the power plant,
suitability of the proposed sequestration
reservoir for permanently sequestering
CO2, availability of necessary
infrastructure and resources (e.g.
railroads, roads, natural gas lines, power
transmission lines, and water), access,
environmental factors, and costs.
Following the development of a site
selection plan and the site screening
criteria and subsequent to DOE approval
of these items, the Alliance is issuing a
draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a
two-week comment period. Following
the public comment period, the Alliance
will issue the final RFP (proposed for
March 2006) seeking proposals for a
host site. The draft RFP and other
information provided by the Alliance
will be available at https://
www.FutureGenAlliance.org.
Site proponents will be required to
submit information that the Alliance
will use to determine how, and the
extent to which, each of the screening
criteria would be met at each site.
Proponents of each site will be required
to submit sufficient acceptable
technical, environmental and economic
information. The RFP will also state
that, for those sites that will be analyzed
in the EIS, additional information may
be requested from site proponents. Such
information may require some field
work, but will not require drilling of
exploratory wells or conducting seismic
surveys, because the EIS will be based
on readily available information.
The Alliance will review the
proposals received to identify those
sites that are reasonable from a
technical, environmental, and economic
perspective. At the conclusion of the
review of proposals, the Alliance will
provide DOE with a report that
describes the screening process and
findings and identifies the sites that the
Alliance concludes are candidates (i.e.,
those believed by the Alliance to be
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reasonable alternatives). DOE will
review the Alliance’s selection process
for fairness, openness and compliance
with the established approach.
Based on its review of the Alliance’s
identification of candidate sites and
other relevant information, DOE will
then preliminarily determine the
reasonable alternatives to be addressed
in the EIS. DOE’s NOI to prepare an EIS
for the FutureGen Project will identify
the proposed reasonable alternative
sites.
The Alliance may assist the DOE and
DOE contractors in gathering additional
information to support completion of
the EIS. However, the DOE and DOE
contractors will develop the EIS.
Following the completion of the EIS and
the public involvement process, the
DOE will announce in a Record of
Decision (ROD) either the no-action
alternative or those sites, if any, that are
acceptable to the DOE for the project. If
the action alternative is selected, the
Alliance will subsequently select a host
site from among those, if any, that are
listed in the ROD as being acceptable to
the DOE. Following the tentative
selection of a host site, the Alliance will
conduct extensive site characterization
work on the chosen site. Information
obtained from the characterization will
be reviewed by the DOE and will
support the completion of a supplement
analysis by DOE to determine whether
the newly gained information would
have altered in a significant way the
findings in the EIS. The supplement
analysis will be used to determine
whether a Supplemental EIS must be
prepared.
dsatterwhite on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
Future Public Involvement
This ANOI does not serve as a
substitute for the Notice of Intent that
will initiate the public scoping process
for the FutureGen Project EIS. Following
publication of the Notice of Intent, DOE
will hold scoping meetings, prepare and
distribute the Draft EIS for public
review, hold public hearings to solicit
public comment on the Draft EIS, and
publish a Final EIS. Not less than 30
days after publication of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency’s
Notice of Availability of the Final EIS,
DOE may issue a Record of Decision
documenting its decision concerning
the proposed action.
Preliminary EIS Schedule
DOE anticipates issuance of a NOI to
prepare an EIS in July 2006. The NOI or
subsequent notices published in the
Federal Register will announce the
dates for public scoping meetings and
the target date for completion of a Draft
EIS.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:56 Feb 15, 2006
Jkt 208001
A Notice of Availability of the Draft
EIS will be published in the Federal
Register upon completion of the Draft
EIS and will announce the locations and
dates for public hearings on the Draft
EIS and the means for providing
comments. DOE will hold public
hearings at locations comparable to
those for the scoping meetings. DOE
will consider all comments received at
public hearings or otherwise during
preparation of the Final EIS.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 13,
2006.
John Spitaleri Shaw,
Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety
and Health.
[FR Doc. E6–2222 Filed 2–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Science; DOE/NSF Nuclear
Science Advisory Committee
Department of Energy.
Notice of open meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice announces a
meeting of the DOE/NSF Nuclear
Science Advisory Committee (NSAC).
Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub.
L. 92–463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that
public notice of these meetings be
announced in the Federal Register.
DATES: Thursday, March 2, 2006, 10
a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, March 3, 2006,
8 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Doubletree Hotel, 1750
Rockville Pike, Rockville, Maryland
20852–1699.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Brenda L. May, U.S. Department of
Energy; SC–26/Germantown Building,
1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,
Washington, D.C. 20585–1290;
Telephone: 301–903–0536.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of Meeting: To provide
advice and guidance on a continuing
basis to the Department of Energy and
the National Science Foundation on
scientific priorities within the field of
basic nuclear science research.
Tentative Agenda: Agenda will
include discussions of the following:
Thursday, March 2, 2006
• Perspectives from Department of
Energy and National Science
Foundation.
• Presentation of the Neutrino
Scientific Assessment Group
Subcommittee Report.
• Public Comment (10-minute rule).
Friday, March 3, 2006
• Discussion of NuSAG Report.
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
8287
• Preparation of Transmittal Letter.
• Possible Future Charges.
• Public Comment (10-minute rule).
Public Participation: The meeting is
open to the public. If you would like to
file a written statement with the
Committee, you may do so either before
or after the meeting. If you would like
to make oral statements regarding any of
these items on the agenda, you should
contact Brenda L. May, 301–903–0536
or Brenda.May@science.doe.gov (email). You must make your request for
an oral statement at least 5 business
days before the meeting. Reasonable
provision will be made to include the
scheduled oral statements on the
agenda. The Chairperson of the
Committee will conduct the meeting to
facilitate the orderly conduct of
business. Public comment will follow
the 10-minute rule.
Minutes: The minutes of the meeting
will be available for public review and
copying within 30 days at the Freedom
of Information Public Reading Room;
Room 1E–190; Forrestal Building; 1000
Independence Avenue, SW.;
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 4
p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays.
Issued at Washington, DC, on February 9,
2006.
Carol Matthews,
Acting Advisory Committee Management
Officer.
[FR Doc. E6–2228 Filed 2–15–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Environmental Management SiteSpecific Advisory Board, Oak Ridge
Reservation
Department of Energy.
Notice of open meeting.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
SUMMARY: This notice announces a
meeting of the Environmental
Management Site-Specific Advisory
Board (EM SSAB), Oak Ridge
Reservation. The Federal Advisory
Committee Act (Pub. L. 92–463, 86 Stat.
770) requires that public notice of this
meeting be announced in the Federal
Register.
DATES:
Wednesday, March 8, 2006,
6 p.m.
DOE Information Center,
475 Oak Ridge Turnpike, Oak Ridge,
Tennessee.
ADDRESSES:
Pat
Halsey, Federal Coordinator,
Department of Energy Oak Ridge
Operations Office, P.O. Box 2001, EM–
90, Oak Ridge, TN 37831. Phone (865)
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
E:\FR\FM\16FEN1.SGM
16FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 32 (Thursday, February 16, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8283-8287]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-2222]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Advance Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for Implementation of the FutureGen Project
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Advance Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is announcing in advance
its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), pursuant
to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321
et seq.), for the proposed action of providing Federal funding (up to
$700 million) for the FutureGen Project. FutureGen would comprise the
planning, design, construction and operation by a private-sector
organization of a coal-fired electric power and hydrogen gas
(H2) production plant integrated with carbon dioxide
(CO2) capture and geologic sequestration of the captured
gas. DOE has prepared this Advance Notice of Intent (ANOI) in
accordance with DOE's NEPA regulations [(10 CFR 1021.311(b)] to inform
interested parties of a pending EIS and to invite early public comments
on the proposed action, including: (1) The proposed plans for
implementing the FutureGen Project, (2) the potential range of
environmental issues and alternatives to be analyzed, and (3) the
nature of the impact analyses to be considered in the EIS. DOE will
later issue a Notice of Intent (NOI) and initiate a public scoping
process during which DOE will conduct public meetings and invite the
public to comment on the scope, proposed action, and alternatives to be
considered in the EIS.
Following President George W. Bush's announcement that the United
States would sponsor a $1 billion, 10-year FutureGen initiative to
build the world's first coal-based, near-zero emissions power plant
that produces both electricity and H2, the DOE signed, on
December 2, 2005, a Cooperative Agreement (DE-FC26-06NT42073) that
provides financial assistance to the FutureGen Industrial Alliance,
Inc. (Alliance), which will undertake the planning, design,
construction and operation of the project facilities. The FutureGen
initiative would establish the technical and economic feasibility of
co-producing electricity and H2 from coal while capturing
and sequestering the CO2 generated in the process.
The Alliance is a consortium led by the coal-fueled electric power
industry and the coal production industry. Members of the Alliance
collectively own and produce over 40 percent of the Nation's coal and
about 20 percent of its coal-fueled electricity. The Alliance would
plan, design, construct and operate the FutureGen power plant and the
sequestration facility. The Alliance would also monitor, measure, and
verify geologic sequestration of CO2. DOE will provide
technical and programmatic guidance to the Alliance, retain certain
review and approval rights as defined in the Cooperative Agreement, and
oversee Alliance activities for compliance with the terms of the
Cooperative Agreement. DOE will be responsible for NEPA compliance
activities. Both DOE and the Alliance would consider ways for state and
local agencies, local communities, the environmental community,
international stakeholders, and research organizations to participate
in the Project, including involvement in testing, monitoring and
verification protocols for CO2 sequestration.
[[Page 8284]]
DATES: DOE invites Federal agencies, Native American Tribes, state and
local governments, other organizations and members of the public to
provide early assistance in environmental planning for the FutureGen
Project and to identify significant environmental issues and
alternatives to be analyzed in the forthcoming FutureGen Project EIS.
DOE will consider public comments and other relevant information
relating to environmental planning for the FutureGen Project. Comments
in response to this ANOI are requested by March 20, 2006. DOE
anticipates issuing a NOI to prepare an EIS for the FutureGen Project
after DOE makes a preliminary determination regarding the alternative
sites to be evaluated. After the NOI is issued, DOE will conduct public
scoping meetings to assist in defining the scope of the EIS, including
alternative sites and issues to be addressed. The dates and locations
of the scoping meetings will be announced in the NOI or subsequent
Federal Register notices and in local media before the meetings.
ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions on the scope of the EIS
should be submitted to Mark L. McKoy, NEPA Document Manager for the
FutureGen Project, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy
Technology Laboratory P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, West Virginia, 26507-
0880. Comments also may be submitted by telephone: 304-285-4426, fax:
304-285-4403, electronic mail: mmckoy@netl.doe.gov, or toll-free
telephone number: 800-432-8330 (ext. 4426).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: For information on the FutureGen
Project or to receive a copy of the Draft EIS for review when it is
issued, contact Mark L. McKoy as described in ADDRESSES above. For
general information on the DOE NEPA process, contact: Ms. Carol M.
Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC
20585-0119, telephone: 202-586-4600, fax: 202-586-7031, or leave a
toll-free message at 800-472-2756. Additional NEPA information is
available at the DOE NEPA Web site: https://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.
Additional information on the FutureGen Project can be found at the
following Web site: https://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/
futuregen. Information from the Alliance, including the draft Request
for Proposals discussed below, can be found at https://
www.FutureGenAlliance.org. Comments on the draft Request for Proposals
are to be sent to the Alliance in accordance with the instructions
provided by the Alliance. While comments related to the NEPA process
are due to DOE by March 20, 2006, comments on the draft Request for
Proposals are due to the Alliance by February 28, 2006.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
President Bush announced during 2003 that the United States has
committed to proceed with a $1 billion, 10-year project to build the
world's first coal-fueled plant to produce electricity and
H2 with near-zero emissions. In response to this
announcement, the U.S. Department of Energy unveiled plans for a
FutureGen plant that would establish the technical and economic
feasibility of producing electricity and H2 from coal--a
low-cost and abundant energy resource--while capturing and geologically
storing the CO2 generated in the process.
The FutureGen Project would showcase cutting-edge technologies that
could address environmental concerns associated with the use of coal.
DOE plans to implement the FutureGen Project through a cooperative
agreement that provides financial assistance to the FutureGen
Industrial Alliance, Inc., which is a non-profit corporation that
represents a global coalition of coal and energy companies. Members of
the Alliance are expected to provide an estimated $250 million to help
fund project development. The Alliance members are: American Electric
Power; BHP Billiton; the China Huaneng Group; CONSOL Energy Inc.;
Foundation Coal; Kennecott Energy, a member of the Rio Tinto Group;
Peabody Energy; and Southern Company. The U.S. government and foreign
governments would invest about $700 million in the project.
The Alliance is a consortium of industrial companies that
collectively own and produce over 40 percent of the Nation's coal and
about 20 percent of the Nation's coal-fueled electricity. The Alliance
is: (a) Geographically diverse by including both eastern and western
domestic coal producers and coal-fueled electricity generators; and (b)
resource diverse by including producers and users of the full range of
coal types.
Purpose and Need for Agency Action
In pursuing its goal of providing safe, affordable and clean energy
for the citizens of the United States, DOE has determined that coal, as
the Nation's most abundant fossil fuel resource, must play an important
role in the Nation's efforts to increase its energy independence. DOE
has identified a need for a near-zero emissions, coal-to-energy option
that would produce electric power and H2 from coal while
permanently sequestering CO2 in deep geological formations.
The technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of producing
electric power and H2 from coal, when coupled with geologic
sequestration technology, must be proven.
The electricity and transportation sectors are responsible for
nearly three-fourths of the country's anthropogenic greenhouse gas
emissions. The continued use of coal entails the need to address
environmental and greenhouse gas mitigation challenges. A key DOE
mission is to ensure that fossil fuels--particularly coal--are
available components of the future energy mix. An alternative source of
fuel for the transportation sector, such as coal-derived H2,
could also reduce our dependence on fuel imports.
In the absence of proven operations of a large, integrated, near-
zero emissions power plant, the contribution of coal to the energy mix
could be reduced if environmental regulations continue to tighten. This
could cause an imbalance in the diversity of the domestic energy
portfolio, which would impact energy security. Accordingly, DOE needs
to promote development of such a facility to address the environmental
concerns over the use of coal, thus protecting both energy diversity
and security.
Proposed Action
DOE proposes to provide financial assistance (up to $700 million)
for the Alliance to plan, design, construct, and operate the FutureGen
facility, an advanced integrated coal gasification combined cycle power
plant and CO2 sequestration facility sized nominally at 275
MW (equivalent output). The goal of this initiative would be to prove
the technical and economic feasibility of a near-zero emissions, coal-
to-energy option that could be deployed by 2020. During the first phase
of the project, the Alliance and DOE will quantify the specific
emissions objectives of the project. The facility would co-produce
electric power and H2 in an industrial/utility setting while
capturing and geologically sequestering approximately one to two
million metric tons of CO2 per year. As discussed further
below, the FutureGen Project would incorporate both cutting-edge
research and demonstrations of emerging technologies ready for testing
at a large scale to achieve its goal of validating the technical and
economic feasibility of an integrated near-zero emissions plant.
Establishing the technical feasibility and projected economic
viability of a
[[Page 8285]]
near-zero emissions, coal-based system that integrates advanced
technologies at a large scale through the FutureGen Project would
contribute to DOE's goals by:
Addressing environmental issues and barriers to fossil
fuel use, while maintaining the availability and affordability of
fossil-fuel-derived energy;
improving energy efficiency;
developing technologies that foster a diverse supply of
reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy;
providing scientific and technological information and
analysis to assist policymakers and regulators in their decision-making
on control of greenhouse gas emissions and use of fossil fuels; and
focusing on public benefits-driven investment in high-
risk, high-return technology that private companies alone cannot
undertake.
The FutureGen facility is intended to be a near-zero emissions
facility that would be the cleanest fossil-fuel-based power system in
the world. The project would require approximately 10 years for
completion, not including post-project monitoring. Performance and
economic tests results would be shared among all participants,
industry, the environmental community, and the public. DOE intends to
invite participation from international organizations to maximize the
global applicability and acceptance of FutureGen's results, helping to
support an international consensus on the role of coal and geological
sequestration in addressing global greenhouse gas emissions and energy
security. Broad engagement of stakeholders early in the FutureGen
effort is critical to the successful achievement of understanding and
acceptance of geologic sequestration as part of a near-zero emissions,
coal-based energy option.
FutureGen Project Processes
The FutureGen Project would employ advanced coal gasification
technology integrated with combined cycle electricity generation,
H2 production, CO2 capture and CO2
sequestration in geologic repositories. The gasification process would
combine coal, oxygen (O2), and steam to produce a
H2-rich ``synthesis gas.'' After exiting the conversion
reactor, the composition of the synthesis gas would be ``shifted'' to
produce additional H2. The product stream would consist
mostly of H2, steam, and CO2. Following
separation of these three gas components, the H2 would be
used to generate electricity in a gas turbine and/or fuel cell. Some of
the H2 could be used as a feedstock for chemical plants or
petroleum refineries or as a transportation fuel. Steam from the
process could be condensed, treated, and recycled into the gasifier or
added to the plant's cooling water circuit. CO2 from the
process would be sequestered in deep underground geologic formations
that would be monitored to verify the permanence of CO2
storage.
Overall Project Objectives
Establish technical and economic feasibility of producing
electricity and H2 from coal with near-zero emissions
(including CO2);
Verify sustained, integrated operation of coal conversion
system with geologic sequestration of CO2;
Verify effectiveness, safety, and permanence of geologic
sequestration of CO2;
Establish standardized technologies and protocols for
CO2 measuring, monitoring, and verification;
Confirm the potential of the FutureGen concept to achieve
economic competitiveness with other near-zero emissions approaches
through advances in technology by 2020; and
Gain acceptance by the coal and electricity industries,
environmental community, international community, and public-at-large
for the concept of coal-based systems with near-zero emissions through
the successful operation of FutureGen.
Power Plant Performance Objectives
Sequester CO2 at an operational rate of
approximately one to two million metric tons per year;
Produce electricity and H2 at ratios (may be
variable) consistent with market needs (equivalent to plant capacity of
275 MW electricity output);
Sequester at least 90 percent of CO2 initially
with the eventual potential for up to 100 percent sequestration;
Locate plant consistent with, inter alia, adequate coal
feedstock availability, proximity to market for products (especially
electricity) as part of proving potential economic viability, and
proximity to geologic formations for sequestration (e.g., deep saline
reservoirs, unmineable coal seams, depleted oil and natural gas
reservoirs, basalt formations);
Achieve environmental (near-zero emissions) requirements;
Provide a design database for subsequent, near-zero
emissions, commercial demonstrations and/or deployments; and
Design capability for full-flow testing of advanced
technologies and advanced technology modules, and design incorporation
of loosely integrated units that increase flexibility and enhance
operability and reliability.
CO2 Sequestration Monitoring and Verification Performance
Objectives
Accurately quantify storage potential of the geologic
formation(s);
Detect and monitor surface and subsurface leakage, if it
occurs (capability to measure CO2 slightly above atmospheric
concentration of 370 ppm), and demonstrate effectiveness of mitigation;
Provide the scientific basis for carbon accounting and
assurance of permanent storage;
Account for co-sequestration of CO2 impurities;
and
Develop information necessary to estimate costs of future
CO2 management systems.
Technology Alternatives
The FutureGen Project would incorporate both cutting-edge research
and demonstrations of emerging technologies ready for testing at a
large scale to achieve its goal of validating the technical and
economic feasibility of an integrated near-zero emissions plant. The
FutureGen power plant would be designed to provide a capability for
full-scale testing of new technologies prior to their commercial
demonstration and deployment. The FutureGen facility may integrate some
combination of new technologies for gasification, O2
production, H2 production, combustion gas cleanup,
H2 turbines, fuel cells and fuel cell/turbine hybrids,
CO2 sequestration, advanced materials, instrumentation,
sensors and controls, and byproduct utilization. Decisions on
incorporation of specific technologies would be made by the Alliance
keeping in mind the ability to achieve the overall project goal of
proving the technical and economic feasibility of the near-zero
emissions concept.
Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
Under the proposed action, DOE would implement the FutureGen
Project to achieve the President's goals. The EIS will analyze the
reasonable alternatives for implementing the FutureGen Project. Once a
list of best qualified sites is delivered by the Alliance to DOE, DOE
will consider all of the available alternatives in ascertaining which
ones are reasonable. The EIS also may analyze technologies and
strategies for implementing important elements of the Project.
Under the no-action alternative, DOE would not fund the proposed
Project. In the absence of DOE funding, it would be unlikely that the
Alliance, or industry in
[[Page 8286]]
general, would soon undertake the utility-scale integration of
CO2 capture and geologic sequestration with a coal-fired
power plant. Absent DOE's investment in a utility-scale facility, the
development of integrated CO2 capture and sequestration with
power plant operations could occur more slowly through a series of
small steps, and only then in the presence of a regulatory requirement.
Given a regulatory requirement for the curtailment of greenhouse gas
emissions, the no-action alternative could result in higher costs of
electricity due to the use of more expensive, commercially available
technology and due to a reduction in plant availability as a result of
the lack of integrated test operations data and experience that would
have otherwise been available from a FutureGen-type facility.
DOE may consider other reasonable alternatives that are suggested
during the public scoping period.
Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues
DOE intends to address the issues listed below when considering the
potential impacts resulting from the siting, construction and operation
of the FutureGen power plant. This list is neither intended to be all-
inclusive nor a predetermined set of potential impacts. DOE invites
comments on these and any other issues that should be considered in the
EIS. The environmental issues include:
Air quality impacts: potential for air emissions during
construction and operation of the power plant and appurtenant
facilities to impact local sensitive receptors, local environmental
conditions, and special-use areas, including impacts to smog and haze
and impacts from dust and any significant vapor plumes;
Noise and light impacts: potential impacts from
construction, transportation of materials, and facility operations;
Traffic issues: potential impacts from the construction
and operation of the facilities, including changes in local traffic
patterns, deterioration of roads, traffic hazards, and traffic
controls;
Floodplains: potential impacts to flood flow resulting
from earthen fills, access roads, and dikes that might be needed in a
floodplain;
Wetlands: potential impacts resulting from fill, sediment
deposition, vegetation clearing and facility erection that might be
needed in a wetland;
Visual impacts associated with facility structures: views
from neighborhoods, impacts to scenic views (e.g., impacts from water
vapor plumes, power transmission lines, pipelines), internal and
external perception of the community or locality;
Historic and cultural resources: potential impacts from
the site selection, design, construction and operation of the
facilities;
Water quality impacts: potential impacts from water
utilization and consumption, plus potential impacts from wastewater
discharges;
Infrastructure and land use impacts: potential
environmental and socioeconomic impacts of project site selection,
construction, delivery of feed materials, and distribution of products
(e.g., power transmission lines, pipelines);
Marketability of products and market access to feed
stocks;
Solid wastes: pollution prevention plans and waste
management strategies, including the handling of ash, slag, water
treatment sludge, and hazardous materials;
Disproportionate impacts on minority and low-income
populations;
Connected actions: potential development of support
facilities or supporting infrastructure;
Ecological: potential on-site and off-site impacts to
vegetation, terrestrial wildlife, aquatic wildlife, threatened or
endangered species, and ecologically sensitive habitats;
Geologic impacts: potential impacts from the sequestration
of CO2 and other captured gases on underground resources
such as potable water supplies, mineral resources, and fossil fuel
resources;
Ground surface impacts from CO2 sequestration:
potential impacts from leakage of injected CO2, potential
impacts from induced flows of native fluids to the ground surface or
near the ground surface, and the potential for induced ground heave
and/or microseisms;
Fate and stability of sequestered CO2 and other
captured gases;
Health and safety issues associated with CO2
capture and sequestration;
Cumulative effects that result from the incremental
impacts of the proposed project when added to the other past, present,
and reasonably foreseeable future projects;
Compliance with regulatory requirements and environmental
permitting;
Environmental monitoring plans associated with the power
plant and with the CO2 sequestration site; and
Ultimate closure plans for the CO2
sequestration site and reservoirs.
Host Site Selection
The Alliance will conduct a site competition to identify one or
more candidate sites suitable for the FutureGen facility. The process
will be an open competition in which States, tribes, private
organizations and other interested parties can offer sites to the
Alliance for consideration.
The selection process will include the use of both qualification
criteria and scoring criteria. Qualification criteria will be used to
initially screen proposals and thereby identify qualified sites
meriting further evaluation for the FutureGen Project. Scoring criteria
will be used by the Alliance to distinguish among the initial set of
qualified sites to identify the candidates (proposals and sites) that
merit evaluation under the NEPA process. Categories of criteria that
will be considered by the Alliance include: Suitability of the proposed
site for construction of the power plant, suitability of the proposed
sequestration reservoir for permanently sequestering CO2,
availability of necessary infrastructure and resources (e.g. railroads,
roads, natural gas lines, power transmission lines, and water), access,
environmental factors, and costs.
Following the development of a site selection plan and the site
screening criteria and subsequent to DOE approval of these items, the
Alliance is issuing a draft Request for Proposals (RFP) for a two-week
comment period. Following the public comment period, the Alliance will
issue the final RFP (proposed for March 2006) seeking proposals for a
host site. The draft RFP and other information provided by the Alliance
will be available at https://www.FutureGenAlliance.org.
Site proponents will be required to submit information that the
Alliance will use to determine how, and the extent to which, each of
the screening criteria would be met at each site. Proponents of each
site will be required to submit sufficient acceptable technical,
environmental and economic information. The RFP will also state that,
for those sites that will be analyzed in the EIS, additional
information may be requested from site proponents. Such information may
require some field work, but will not require drilling of exploratory
wells or conducting seismic surveys, because the EIS will be based on
readily available information.
The Alliance will review the proposals received to identify those
sites that are reasonable from a technical, environmental, and economic
perspective. At the conclusion of the review of proposals, the Alliance
will provide DOE with a report that describes the screening process and
findings and identifies the sites that the Alliance concludes are
candidates (i.e., those believed by the Alliance to be
[[Page 8287]]
reasonable alternatives). DOE will review the Alliance's selection
process for fairness, openness and compliance with the established
approach.
Based on its review of the Alliance's identification of candidate
sites and other relevant information, DOE will then preliminarily
determine the reasonable alternatives to be addressed in the EIS. DOE's
NOI to prepare an EIS for the FutureGen Project will identify the
proposed reasonable alternative sites.
The Alliance may assist the DOE and DOE contractors in gathering
additional information to support completion of the EIS. However, the
DOE and DOE contractors will develop the EIS. Following the completion
of the EIS and the public involvement process, the DOE will announce in
a Record of Decision (ROD) either the no-action alternative or those
sites, if any, that are acceptable to the DOE for the project. If the
action alternative is selected, the Alliance will subsequently select a
host site from among those, if any, that are listed in the ROD as being
acceptable to the DOE. Following the tentative selection of a host
site, the Alliance will conduct extensive site characterization work on
the chosen site. Information obtained from the characterization will be
reviewed by the DOE and will support the completion of a supplement
analysis by DOE to determine whether the newly gained information would
have altered in a significant way the findings in the EIS. The
supplement analysis will be used to determine whether a Supplemental
EIS must be prepared.
Future Public Involvement
This ANOI does not serve as a substitute for the Notice of Intent
that will initiate the public scoping process for the FutureGen Project
EIS. Following publication of the Notice of Intent, DOE will hold
scoping meetings, prepare and distribute the Draft EIS for public
review, hold public hearings to solicit public comment on the Draft
EIS, and publish a Final EIS. Not less than 30 days after publication
of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability of
the Final EIS, DOE may issue a Record of Decision documenting its
decision concerning the proposed action.
Preliminary EIS Schedule
DOE anticipates issuance of a NOI to prepare an EIS in July 2006.
The NOI or subsequent notices published in the Federal Register will
announce the dates for public scoping meetings and the target date for
completion of a Draft EIS.
A Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS will be published in the
Federal Register upon completion of the Draft EIS and will announce the
locations and dates for public hearings on the Draft EIS and the means
for providing comments. DOE will hold public hearings at locations
comparable to those for the scoping meetings. DOE will consider all
comments received at public hearings or otherwise during preparation of
the Final EIS.
Issued in Washington, DC, on February 13, 2006.
John Spitaleri Shaw,
Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. E6-2222 Filed 2-15-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
