Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed TransAlta Pit 7 Mine Completion Project at Centralia, Washington, 17840-17841 [E6-5083]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
• Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers
• Engineers Corps
• Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 67 (Friday, April 7, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17840-17841]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-5083]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed TransAlta Pit 7 Mine Completion Project at Centralia, 
Washington

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District (Corps) and 
the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) will serve as 
joint lead agencies in the preparation of an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) and State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) to evaluate proposed 
approaches to TransAlta Centralia Mining LLC's (TCM) completion of 
mining in Pit 7, a current mining operation at its Centralia Mine. The 
Corps will use the EIS in making its decision whether to issue a 
Section 404 permit under the Clean Water Act. Ecology will use the EIS 
in making its decision whether to issue a Section 401 Water Quality 
Certification under the Clean Water Act.

DATES: Submit comments by May 8, 2006. An agency scoping meet for this 
project will be held on April 18, 2006 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the 
Washington Department of Ecology 300 Desmond Drive SE., Lacey, 
Washington. A public scoping meeting will be held on April 18, 2006 
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Chehalis Courthouse, 351 NW., North 
Street, Chehalis, Washington.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS or requests for 
information should be sent to Mr. Jonathan Smith at the U.S. Army Corps 
of Engineers, Seattle Regulatory Branch, Post Office Box 3755, Seattle, 
Washington 98124-3755, or sent via e-mail to 
Jonathan.Smith@nws02.usace.army.mil.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Jonathan Smith at the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Seattle Regulatory Branch, 4735 E. Marginal Way 
South, Seattle, Washington 98134, (206) 764-6910, or e-mail 
Jonathan.Smith@nws02.usace.army.mil. Mr. Mark Cline, at the Washington 
Department of Ecology, 300 Desmond Drive SE, Lacey, Washington 98503, 
or e-mail mcli461@ecy.wa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Centralia Mine is a surface coal mine 
that has been operating in Lewis and Thurston Counties near Centralia, 
Washington since 1970. TCM currently operates the mine under permit WA-
0001E, which was last renewed in 2005, from the U.S. Department of the 
Interior, Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM). 
TCM's previous Pit 7 mining was authorized by the Corps and Ecology 
under the Clean Water Act by Nationwide Permit 21 (Surface Coal Mining 
Activities).

Proposed Action

    TCM proposes to complete mining activities at its existing Pit 7 
mine by removing an estimated 9.58 million tons of coal during the 
period of 2007 through 2010. The proposed action would involve 
continued mining coal at Pit 7 in areas of previous coal extraction, as 
well as completion of Pit 7 mining activities through an approximately 
108-acre area across portions of Packwood Creek to access 6.34 million 
tons of coal reserves. Coal extracted at the Pit 7 mine would provide 
much of the fuel for the adjacent power plant operated by TransAlta 
Centralia Generating (TCG). TCM's sole customer is TCG's 1,404-megawatt 
(MW) power plant. According to TCM, the facility is capable of 
providing electricity equivalent to the amount consumed by 750,000 
households in the greater Washington region (8% of the power produced 
in Washington).
    As part of its mining activities, TCM proposes to reclaim the site, 
which would replace and restore impacted streams and wetland acreage 
and functions. In addition, TCM proposes to provide any additional 
wetland and stream mitigation that would be needed to replace any lost 
functions not addressed by the reclamation plan.

Preliminary Alternatives to the Proposed Action

    In addition to the Proposed Action, the EIS will evaluate a range 
of alternatives, including a No Action Alternative (Restrict Mining to 
Currently Permitted Mine Pits), as well as other alternative sources of 
coal to provide fuel for the adjacent power plant. The EIS will 
consider alternatives that may result from comments received during the 
agency and public scoping period. The EIS will also discuss 
alternatives considered and eliminated from further detailed study.

EIS Scoping Process

    The EIS process begins with the publication of this Notice of 
Intent. The scoping period will continue for 30 days after publication 
of this Notice of Intent and will close on May 8, 2006. During the 
scoping period the Corps and

[[Page 17841]]

Ecology invite Federal agencies, State and local governments, Native 
American Tribes, and the public to participate in the scoping process 
either by providing written comments or by attending one of the public 
scoping meeting scheduled for April 18, 2006 at the times and locations 
indicated above. We have identified the following as probable major 
topics to be analyzed in depth in the Draft EIS: wetland and streams 
including fish and wildlife habitat functions, surface water quality, 
surface water drainage and detention effects, mitigation, and 
cumulative impacts. Both written and oral scoping comments will be 
considered in the preparation of the Draft EIS. Comments postmarked or 
received by e-mail after the specified date will be considered to the 
extent feasible.
    The purpose of the scoping meeting is to assist the Corps and 
Ecology in defining issues, public concerns, alternatives, and the 
depth to which they will be evaluated in the EIS. The public scoping 
meeting will begin with a briefing on the proposed Pit 7 Mine 
Completion Project, the extent of reclamation efforts proposed as part 
of the project, and the preliminary EIS alternatives. Copies of the 
meeting handouts will be available to anyone unable to attend by 
contacting the Corps Seattle District as described above. Following the 
initial presentation, Corps representatives will answer scope-related 
questions and accept comments.

EIS Preparation

    The Corps has not made a determination of significance as to 
whether an EIS is required for the proposed project. Development of the 
Draft EIS will begin after the close of the public scoping period. The 
Draft EIS is expected to be available for public review in the Fall of 
2006.

Other Environmental Review and Consultations

    To the fullest extent possible, the EIS will be integrated with 
analysis and consultation required by the Endangered Species Act of 
1973, as amended (Pub. L. 93-205; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); the 
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, as amended 
(Pub. L. 94-265; 16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.), the National Historic 
Preservation Act of 1966, as amended (Pub. L. 89-655; 16 U.S.C. 470, et 
seq.); the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act of 1958, as amended (Pub. 
L. 85-624; 16 U.S.C 742a, et seq. and 661-666c); and the Clean Water 
Act of 1977, as amended (Pub. L. 92-500; 33 U.S.C. 1251, et seq.); and 
all applicable and appropriate Executive Orders.

    Dated: March 31, 2006.
Michelle Walker,
Chief, Regulatory Branch, Seattle District.
 [FR Doc. E6-5083 Filed 4-6-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-92-P