Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and Notice of Proposed Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Kemper County IGCC Project, Kemper County, MS, 54569-54573 [E8-22100]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 184 (Monday, September 22, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54569-54573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-22100]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Notice of Proposed Floodplain and Wetlands Involvement for the Kemper 
County IGCC Project, Kemper County, MS

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent and Notice of Proposed Floodplain and Wetlands 
Involvement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations 
(40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 
1021), to assess the potential environmental impacts associated with 
the construction and operation of a project proposed by Southern 
Company, through its affiliate Mississippi Power Company (Mississippi 
Power), which has been selected by DOE for consideration for cost-
shared funding under the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) program. In 
addition, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be a cooperating agency 
in the preparation of the EIS, and the

[[Page 54570]]

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region IV has expressed an 
interest in also participating in the preparation of the EIS as a 
cooperating agency. The proposed project would demonstrate Integrated 
Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) technology using lignite coal as a 
feedstock for a new electrical generating plant at a site in Kemper 
County, Mississippi. The facilities would convert lignite coal into 
synthesis gas for generating electricity while minimizing sulfur 
dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, mercury, and particulate emissions as 
compared to conventional lignite-fired power plants.
    The EIS will help DOE decide whether to provide a total of $294 
million in cost-shared funding (15% or less of the total project cost, 
which is currently projected to be greater than $2 billion) for the 
proposed project under the CCPI program. In addition, the EIS would 
help DOE decide, pending receipt of an application from Mississippi 
Power, whether to provide a loan guarantee pursuant to the Energy 
Policy Act of 2005. Accordingly, the EIS will evaluate the potential 
impacts of the proposed project, connected actions, and reasonable 
alternatives. The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to inform the 
public about the proposed project; invite public participation in the 
EIS process; announce the plans for a public scoping meeting; solicit 
public comments for consideration in establishing the scope and content 
of the EIS; and provide notice of proposed floodplain and wetlands 
involvement.

DATES: To ensure that all of the issues related to this proposal are 
addressed, DOE invites comments on the proposed scope and content of 
the EIS from all interested parties. Comments must be received by 
October 23, 2008, to ensure consideration. Late comments will be 
considered to the extent practicable. In addition to receiving comments 
in writing and by telephone, DOE will conduct a public scoping meeting 
in which agencies, organizations, and members of the general public are 
invited to present oral comments or suggestions with regard to the 
range of actions, alternatives, and potential impacts to be considered 
in the EIS. The scoping meeting will be held at Kemper County High 
School, 429 Philadelphia Road, DeKalb, Mississippi, at 7 p.m. on 
October 14, 2008. The public is also invited to learn more about the 
proposed project at an informal session at this location beginning at 5 
p.m. Displays and other forms of information about the proposed agency 
action and the demonstration plant will be available, and DOE personnel 
will be present at the informal session to discuss the proposed project 
and the EIS process.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed EIS scope and requests to 
participate in the public scoping meeting should be addressed to: Mr. 
Richard A. Hargis, U.S. Department of Energy, National Energy 
Technology Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, P.O. Box 10940, 
Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940. Individuals who would like to orally or 
electronically provide comments should contact Mr. Hargis directly by 
telephone: 412-386-6065; toll-free number: 1-888-322-7436; fax: 412-
386-4604; or electronic mail: Richard.Hargis@netl.doe.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For information about this project or 
to receive a copy of the draft EIS when it is issued, contact Mr. 
Richard A. Hargis as described above. For general information on the 
DOE NEPA process, 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 20585-0103; telephone: 202-
586-4600; fax: 202-586-7031; or leave a toll-free message at 1-800-472-
2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background and Need for Agency Action: Since the early 1970s, DOE 
and its predecessor agencies have pursued research and development 
programs that include long-term, technically complex activities that 
support the development of innovative concepts for a wide variety of 
coal technologies through the proof-of-concept stage. However, the 
availability of a technology at the proof-of-concept stage is not 
sufficient to ensure its continued development and subsequent 
commercialization. Before any technology can be considered seriously 
for commercialization, it must be demonstrated at a sufficient scale to 
prove its reliability and to show economically competitive performance. 
The financial risk associated with such large-scale demonstration is, 
in general, too high for the private sector to assume in the absence of 
strong incentives.
    The CCPI program was established in 2002 as a government/industry 
partnership to implement the President's National Energy Policy 
recommendation to increase investment in clean coal technology. The 
goal of the CCPI program is to accelerate commercial deployment of 
advanced coal technologies that provide the United States with clean, 
reliable, and affordable energy. Through cooperative agreements 
established with industry, the CCPI program plans to advance selected 
coal technologies to commercialization.
    The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established a Federal loan guarantee 
program for eligible energy projects that employ innovative 
technologies. Title XVII of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 authorizes 
the Secretary of Energy to make loan guarantees for a variety of types 
of projects, including projects that ``avoid, reduce, or sequester air 
pollutants or anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases; and employ 
new or significantly improved technologies as compared to commercial 
technologies in service in the United States at the time the guarantee 
is issued.'' Section 1703(a)(1), 42 U.S.C. 16513. Mississippi Power has 
submitted a pre-application to DOE and was invited to submit a formal 
application for a loan guarantee.
    Proposed Action: The proposed action for DOE is to provide a total 
of $294 million in cost-shared funding under CCPI for the proposed 
project. DOE has already provided a portion of the total funding ($24.4 
million) to Southern Company for cost-sharing for preliminary design 
and project definition, prior to completion of the NEPA process. In 
addition, DOE may also provide a loan guarantee pursuant to section 
1703 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
    The proposed IGCC electricity generating facility would be 
constructed on an undeveloped site of approximately 1,650 acres in 
Kemper County, Mississippi. The site is located in east-central 
Mississippi near the town of Liberty, approximately 20 miles north of 
the city of Meridian and consists principally of uplands and some 
wetlands. The uplands are mostly of managed pine timberlands, large 
portions of which have been clear-cut, while the wetlands are mostly 
mixed hardwood forest. Significant portions of the wetlands have been 
previously altered by human influences, including clear-cutting and 
conversion to grazing areas. Siltation from upland silvaculture has 
also previously impacted some wetlands. The generally undisturbed 
wetlands on the site have a canopy of red maple, yellow poplar and 
sweet gum. The site's topography is characterized by undulating sand 
and clay hills, and elevations vary from 400 feet above sea level along 
an unnamed tributary to Chickasawhay Creek in the site's southwestern 
corner to 500 feet above sea level in the site's northeastern corner.
    The IGCC facilities would occupy approximately 150 acres (or less 
than 10 percent) of the site. The rest of the site would remain 
undeveloped, with the

[[Page 54571]]

exception of new transmission lines, a natural gas supply pipeline, a 
carbon dioxide (CO2) pipeline and site access and fuel 
handling infrastructure.
    The proposed facilities would demonstrate IGCC technology in a new 
power plant consisting of two lignite coal gasifiers with gas cleanup 
systems, two gas combustion turbines (CTs), two heat recovery steam 
generators (HRSG), a single steam turbine, and associated support 
facilities. Onsite non-potable deep wells would provide approximately 6 
million gallons per day of groundwater required for cooling water 
makeup, steam cycle makeup, and other processes. The IGCC facility 
would produce synthesis gas from lignite coal and use this gas to drive 
the two CTs. Hot exhaust gas from the gas turbines would generate steam 
from water in the HRSGs to drive the steam turbine; all three turbines 
would generate electricity. The gas turbines would be capable of 
operating on either natural gas or synthesis gas. At full capacity, the 
two new lignite coal gasifiers would be expected to use about 12,000 
tons of lignite coal per day to produce synthesis gas. Combined, the 
three turbines would generate approximately 550 MW of electricity. This 
combined-cycle approach of using gas turbines and a steam turbine in 
tandem increases the amount of electricity that can be generated from a 
given amount of lignite coal.
    The proposed project would minimize sulfur dioxide, oxides of 
nitrogen, mercury, and particulate emissions as compared to 
conventional lignite-fired power plants. The project would be expected 
to remove in excess of 99% of the sulfur dioxide produced in the IGCC 
process. The removal of nearly all of the fuel-bound nitrogen from the 
synthesis gas prior to combustion in the gas turbines would result in 
oxides of nitrogen emissions of less than 0.07 pounds per million Btu. 
At least 90% of the mercury in the lignite would be removed. Over 99% 
of the particulates in the synthesis gas would be removed using high-
temperature, high-pressure filtration. In addition, the facility is 
planned for carbon capture systems sufficient to remove approximately 
25% of CO2. The CO2 would be piped off-site for 
geologic sequestration via enhanced oil recovery in Jasper County, 
approximately 60 miles southwest of the project location. Ash generated 
by the gasifiers would be stored onsite or made available for 
appropriate recycling alternatives.
    In addition to the gasifiers and turbines, new equipment for the 
project would include stacks, onsite deep groundwater supply wells, 
mechanical-draft cooling towers, synthesis gas cleanup facilities, and 
particulate filtration systems. The height of the proposed main stacks 
would be approximately 325 feet above ground. The project would also 
require systems for coal handling and storage, as well as plant roads, 
administration buildings, water and wastewater treatment systems, and 
ash handling and management facilities. Connected actions would include 
a natural gas supply pipeline, planned CO2 capture systems 
and CO2 pipeline, electric transmission facilities, and a 
surface lignite mine.
    The overall objective of the project is to demonstrate the 
feasibility of this selected IGCC technology at a size that would be 
attractive to utilities for commercial operation. The lignite coal 
gasifier is based on a technology that Southern Company, KBR Inc., and 
DOE have been developing since 1996 at a research facility near 
Wilsonville, Alabama. The technology is unique among coal gasification 
technologies in that it is cost-effective when using low-rank coal, 
including lignite, as well as coals with high moisture or high ash 
content. These coals comprise about half the proven U.S. and worldwide 
reserves.
    Project activities would include engineering and design, 
permitting, equipment procurement, construction, startup, operations, 
and demonstration of the commercial feasibility of the technology. If 
DOE decides to implement the proposed action upon completing the EIS 
and issuing a Record of Decision, the approximately 3-year construction 
period would be expected to commence in 2010, and operation of the 
plant would be expected to begin in 2013. Following a 4.5-year 
demonstration period, the facility would continue with commercial 
operations immediately afterward.
    Connected Actions: While the proposed project under the cooperative 
agreement would consist of the gasifiers, synthesis gas cleanup 
systems, two CT/HRSGs, a steam turbine, and supporting facilities and 
infrastructure, the EIS will also address the construction and 
operation of the neighboring surface lignite coal mine, associated 
transmission lines (and substations), CO2 capture systems 
and CO2 pipeline, and a natural gas pipeline, as connected 
actions.
    The mine would be operated by North American Coal Corporation and 
would provide the primary source of fuel for the project; the secondary 
source of fuel would be natural gas. Mining would result in two types 
of landscape disturbance during the 40-year life of mine area. Actual 
mining--the uncovering and removal of lignite--would disturb 
approximately 275 acres per year for about 40 years, or a total of 
about 11,000 acres. The mine would use draglines and a truck and shovel 
operation to remove the overburden, mine the lignite coal, and reclaim 
the site in accordance with a mine plan approved by the Mississippi 
Department of Environmental Quality. Actual mining would disturb 
uplands and wetlands and require stream diversions. The lignite coal 
would be transported by truck and/or overland conveyor. Following 
lignite removal, approximately 275 acres per year of mined land would 
be restored to approximate the pre-mine land contour and re-vegetated 
to a land use consistent with a mine reclamation plan approved by the 
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.
    The second type of landscape disturbance is the associated mining 
disturbance that would result from the installation of facilities and 
structures supporting the actual mining operation. Facilities would 
include an entrance road, office, shop, fuel farm complex, dragline 
assembly area, employee and equipment parking areas, and electrical 
substations and transmission lines. Support structures would include 
temporary reservoirs, ponds, and associated stream diversions to route 
rainfall and surface water flows (e.g. streams, drainages, and 
tributaries) from undisturbed areas away from or around areas where 
actual mining disturbance would occur, and storm water sedimentation 
control ponds to retain and treat surface runoff from areas disturbed 
by the mining and reclamation operations. As mining advances, those 
diversions, ponds and roads that would no longer be needed to support 
mining would either be restored to their approximate pre-mine contour 
or retained as permanent post-mine structures with appropriate 
landowner and regulatory agency approval.
    The outer boundary of the mining area would encompass approximately 
31,000 acres principally in Kemper County and partially in Lauderdale 
County. Within this area, a total of approximately 15,500 acres would 
be disturbed and reclaimed over the life of the mine. These 15,500 
acres would include approximately 11,000 acres for mining, 
approximately 4,000 acres for temporary reservoirs, ponds and stream 
diversions, and approximately 500 acres for mining support facilities. 
The mine would produce approximately 3.8 million tons of lignite per 
year to supply the IGCC project. The mine area has

[[Page 54572]]

similar topographical characteristics as described for the plant site 
area above.
    The proposed plant site is about 20 miles north of the existing 
Mississippi Power transmission infrastructure in the Meridian, 
Mississippi, metro area. New transmission facilities, including 
appropriate lines and substations, would be constructed to interconnect 
the plant to the existing grid and to provide firm transmission service 
for the plant's output. The new transmission lines would include 
construction of approximately 57 miles of 230 kilovolt (kV) 
transmission and approximately nine miles of 115 kV transmission. 
Rights-of-way (ROW) up to 125 feet would be required for these new 
transmission lines. The IGCC plant would also require approximately 27 
miles of existing transmission lines to be upgraded. The new and 
upgraded transmission lines would be in Kemper, Lauderdale and Clarke 
Counties in Mississippi. An approximately 5-mile natural gas pipeline 
extending due east from the proposed facilities and an approximately 
60-mile CO2 pipeline would also be built. The CO2 
pipeline would extend from the plant through Lauderdale and Clarke 
counties and end in Jasper County, connecting to an existing 
CO2 pipeline used for enhanced oil recovery. The ROW for 
these underground facilities would be up to 75 feet wide for the 
CO2 pipeline and 50 feet wide for the natural gas pipeline.
    Alternatives: NEPA requires that agencies evaluate the reasonable 
alternatives to the proposed action in an EIS. The range of reasonable 
alternatives encompasses those alternatives that would satisfy the 
underlying purpose and need for agency action. The CCPI program was 
established to help implement the President's National Energy Policy 
recommendation to increase investment in clean coal technology, thus 
improving the reliability and affordability of domestic energy supplies 
while simultaneously protecting the environment. The CCPI program was 
structured to achieve National Energy Policy goals by promoting private 
sector initiatives to invest in demonstrations of advanced coal 
technologies that could be widely deployed commercially. Rather than 
being responsible for the siting, construction, and operation of the 
projects, DOE's role is limited to evaluating applications by project 
sponsors to determine if they meet the CCPI program goals. The same is 
true of DOE's role with regard to applications under the loan guarantee 
program.
    In determining the range of reasonable alternatives to be 
considered in the EIS for the proposed Kemper County IGCC Project, DOE 
identified the reasonable alternatives that would satisfy the 
underlying purpose and need for agency action. Because of DOE's limited 
role in deciding whether to provide cost-shared funding, and possibly a 
loan guarantee for the project, DOE currently plans to analyze in 
detail the project as proposed by Mississippi Power (proposed action), 
the proposed action as modified by conditions (e.g., mitigation), and 
the no action alternative.
    In analyzing the proposed action, DOE will analyze implementing 
options for the location of the plant footprint within the site 
boundaries, the route of linear facilities (transmission lines and 
pipelines), options for CO2 sequestration (e.g., saline 
aquifers), and other reasonable alternatives that may be suggested 
during the public scoping period.
    Under the no action alternative, DOE would not provide continued 
funding under the cooperative agreement or provide a loan guarantee for 
the project. In the absence of DOE funding, Mississippi Power could 
reasonably pursue two options. These options will be analyzed under the 
no action alternative. First, the gasifiers, synthesis gas cleanup 
systems, CT/HRSGs and supporting infrastructure could be built as 
proposed without DOE funding; therefore, this option is essentially the 
same as the proposed action. The connected actions would remain 
unchanged. Second, Mississippi Power could choose not to pursue the 
IGCC project. None of the connected actions would likely be built. This 
option would not contribute to the goal of the CCPI program, which is 
to accelerate commercial deployment of advanced coal technologies that 
provide the United States with clean, reliable, and affordable energy. 
Similarly, the no-action alternative would not contribute to the 
Federal loan guarantee program goals to make loan guarantees for energy 
projects that ``avoid, reduce, or sequester air pollutants or 
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases; and employ new or 
significantly improved technologies.''
    Alternatives considered by Mississippi Power in developing the 
proposed project will be presented in the EIS. An analysis of 
alternative sites has been prepared by Mississippi Power indicating 
that the only reasonable site alternative is the Kemper County site 
based on location of accessible lignite reserves near Mississippi 
Power's service territory, proximity to infrastructure, topography, 
including the location of floodplains and wetlands, and available open 
space. DOE will describe and consider Mississippi Power's site 
selection process in the EIS, however DOE does not plan to analyze in 
detail the alternatives sites considered by Mississippi Power, because 
DOE agrees with Mississippi Power's conclusion that the sites are not 
reasonable alternatives.
    Floodplains and Wetlands Involvement: Plans for siting the IGCC 
facility on the plant site are such that the IGCC footprint would avoid 
to the extent practicable wetlands and floodplains impacts. Final 
design for the access roads from the mine to the coal handling 
facilities and other ancillary plant facilities is not yet complete, 
but may involve impacts to both wetlands and floodplains. Impacts on 
wetlands and floodplains would be avoided to the extent practicable and 
any unavoidable impacts would be minimized and mitigated appropriately.
    Linear facilities include new and upgraded transmission lines, 
CO2 pipeline, and natural gas pipeline. Wetlands delineation 
surveys are not yet complete; however, it is expected that some wetland 
impacts would occur. Construction and operation of the linear 
facilities are not expected to impact floodplains. Wetland impacts 
would be avoided to the extent practicable and any direct impacts would 
be minimized and mitigated appropriately.
    As noted above, the lignite mine operations would disturb uplands 
and wetlands and will require stream diversions. Wetlands delineation 
surveys are not yet complete; however, wetlands and floodplain impacts 
are an inevitable part of surface mine operations due to the acreage 
required for the operation. Minimization and mitigation of these 
impacts and reclamation of disturbed areas would comply with the 
Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality approved mine plan.
    DOE will prepare a floodplain and wetlands assessment in accordance 
with its regulations at 10 CFR Part 1022 and include the assessment in 
the EIS.
    Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues: The following 
environmental issues have been tentatively identified for analysis in 
the EIS. This list, which was developed from preliminary internal 
scoping of the proposed technology, permit applications that have been 
filed for the proposed project, and information from similar projects, 
is neither intended to be all-inclusive nor a predetermined set of 
potential impacts, but is presented to facilitate public comment on the 
planned scope of the EIS. Additions to or deletions from this list may 
occur as

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a result of the public scoping process. The environmental issues 
include:
    (1) Atmospheric Resources: Potential air quality impacts resulting 
from air emissions during construction and operation of the proposed 
Kemper County IGCC Project and the connected actions (e.g., effects of 
ground-level concentrations of criteria pollutants and trace metals 
including mercury, on surrounding areas, including those of special 
concern such as Prevention of Significant Deterioration Class I areas). 
Potential effects of greenhouse gas emissions.
    (2) Water Resources: Potential effects of groundwater withdrawals 
and discharges of effluents to surface waters. Potential water 
resources impacts resulting from construction and operation of the 
connected actions.
    (3) Infrastructure and Land Use: Potential effects on existing 
infrastructure and land uses resulting from the construction and 
operation of the proposed IGCC project and connected action facilities. 
For example, potential traffic effects resulting from the proposed 
project and potential land use impacts of committing land to power 
plant or temporary land use impacts of mining.
    (4) Solid Waste: Pollution prevention and waste management issues, 
including potential solid waste impacts caused by the generation, 
treatment, transport, storage, and management of ash and solid wastes.
    (5) Visual: Potential aesthetic impacts associated with new stacks, 
mechanical-draft cooling tower, two flare derricks, and other plant 
structures included in the IGCC plant and from the connected actions.
    (6) Floodplain: Potential impacts (e.g., impeding floodwaters, re-
directing floodwaters, onsite property damage) of siting structures and 
infrastructure within a floodplain.
    (7) Wetlands: Potential effects to wetlands due to construction and 
operation of the power plant and the connected action facilities.
    (8) Ecological: Potential onsite and offsite impacts to vegetation, 
terrestrial wildlife, aquatic wildlife, threatened and endangered 
species (other than broadly distributed and wide ranging species such 
as the bald eagle and red-cockaded woodpecker, the threatened Price's 
potato bean is the only Federally protected species known to occur in 
Kemper County), and ecologically sensitive habitats due to the 
construction and operation of the power plant and connected actions.
    (9) Safety and Health: Construction-related safety, process safety, 
and management of process chemicals and materials.
    (10) Construction: Potential impacts associated with noise, traffic 
patterns, and construction-related emissions.
    (11) Community Impacts: Potential congestion and other impacts to 
local traffic patterns; socioeconomic impacts on public services and 
infrastructure (e.g., police protection, schools, and utilities); noise 
associated with project operation; and environmental justice issues 
with respect to the surrounding community.
    (12) Cultural and Archaeological Resources: Potential impacts to 
such resources associated with construction of the project and 
connected actions.
    (13) Cumulative Effects: The incremental impacts of the proposed 
project (e.g., incremental air emissions affecting ambient air quality) 
when added to other past, present, and reasonably foreseeable future 
actions, including the connected actions. This analysis will include 
potential impacts on global climate change.
    The level of analysis of issues analyzed in the EIS will be in 
accordance with their level of importance and as determined by the 
scoping process. The most detailed analyses are tentatively expected to 
focus on potential impacts on air resources, cultural and 
archaeological resources, communities (noise and traffic), water 
resources, wetlands, and ecological resources.
    Public Scoping Process: To ensure that all issues related to this 
proposal are properly addressed, DOE will conduct an open process to 
define the scope of the EIS. The public scoping period will end on 
October 23, 2008. Interested agencies, organizations, and the general 
public are encouraged to submit comments or suggestions concerning the 
content of the EIS, issues and impacts to be addressed in the EIS, and 
alternatives that should be considered. Scoping comments should clearly 
describe specific issues or topics that the EIS should address in order 
to assist DOE in identifying significant issues. Written, e-mailed, 
faxed, or telephoned comments should be communicated by October 23, 
2008 (see ADDRESSES).
    In addition, DOE will conduct a public scoping meeting at the 
Kemper County High School, 429 Philadelphia Road, DeKalb, Mississippi, 
at 7 PM on October 14, 2008. The public is also invited to learn more 
about the proposed project at an informal session at this location 
beginning at 5 PM. DOE requests that anyone who wishes to speak at this 
public scoping meeting contact Mr. Richard A. Hargis, either by phone, 
fax, computer, or in writing (see ADDRESSES).
    Individuals who do not make advance arrangements to speak may 
register at the meeting and will be given the opportunity to speak 
following previously scheduled speakers. Speakers who need more than 
five minutes should indicate the length of time desired in their 
request. Depending on the number of speakers, DOE may need to limit 
speakers to five-minute presentations initially, but will provide 
additional opportunities as time permits. Speakers can also provide 
written material to supplement their presentations. Oral and written 
comments will be given equal weight.
    DOE will begin the formal meeting with an overview of the proposed 
Kemper County IGCC Project. DOE will designate a presiding officer to 
chair the meeting. The meeting will not be conducted as an evidentiary 
hearing, and speakers will not be cross-examined. However, speakers may 
be asked questions to ensure that DOE fully understands their comments 
or suggestions. The presiding officer will establish the order of 
speakers and provide any additional procedures necessary to conduct the 
meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 17th day of September 2008.
James A. Slutz,
Assistant Secretary (Acting), Office of Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. E8-22100 Filed 9-19-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P