Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program, 39915 [E9-19064]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Commodity Credit Corporation

[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 152 (Monday, August 10, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 39915]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-19064]


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Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 152 / Monday, August 10, 2009 / 
Notices

[[Page 39915]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Commodity Credit Corporation


Notice of Availability of the Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Biomass Crop Assistance Program

AGENCY: Commodity Credit Corporation and Farm Service Agency, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that the Farm Service Agency (FSA), on 
behalf of the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC), has completed a Draft 
Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the 
administration and implementation of the Biomass Crop Assistance 
Program (BCAP) enacted by the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 
2008 (2008 Farm Bill). FSA is requesting comments on the draft PEIS.

DATES: We will consider comments that we receive by September 24, 2009.

ADDRESSES: We invite you to submit comments on this Draft PEIS. In your 
comments, include the volume, date, and page number of this issue of 
the Federal Register. You may submit comments by any of the following 
methods:
     E-Mail: marine.com">BCAPEIS@geo-marine.com.
     Online: Go to marine.com">https://public.geo-marine.com. Follow the 
online instructions for submitting comments.
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Fax: (757) 873-3703.
     Mail: BCAP PEIS, c/o Geo-marine Incorporated, 2713 
Magruder Boulevard, Suite D, Hampton, VA 23666.
     Hand Delivery or Courier: Deliver comments to the above 
mail address.
    Comments may be inspected in the Office of the Director, CEPD, FSA, 
USDA, 1400 Independence Ave., SW., Room 4709 South Building, 
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 
except holidays. A copy of the Draft PEIS is available through the FSA 
home page at https://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=ecrc&topic=nep-cd or at marine.com">https://public.geo-marine.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matthew Ponish, National Environmental 
Compliance Manager, USDA, FSA, CEPD, Stop 0513, 1400 Independence Ave, 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-0513, (202) 720-6853, or e-mail: 
Matthew.Ponish@wdc.usda.gov. Persons with disabilities who require 
alternative means for communication (Braille, large print, audio tape, 
etc.) should contact the USDA Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice 
and TDD).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    BCAP is authorized by Title IX of the 2008 Farm Bill (Pub. L. 110-
246). The 2008 Farm Bill amends Title IX of the Farm Security and Rural 
Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L. 107-171); specifically, for BCAP, the 
2008 Farm Bill adds section 9011 (7 U.S.C. 8111). BCAP is intended to 
support the establishment and production of certain crops for 
conversion to bio-energy in project areas (locations) and to assist 
with collection, harvest, storage, and transportation of eligible 
material for use in a biomass conversion facility.
    As a new energy program, BCAP presents an opportunity to encourage 
landowners and operators to produce biomass for commercial energy 
production in ways that both are economically and environmentally 
sound. CCC plans to implement BCAP by approving the best-qualifying 
project proposals from project sponsors (producers or facilities) and 
then entering into contracts with individual producers in the approved 
project locations. BCAP is a CCC program administered by the FSA with 
the support of other Federal and local agencies.
    Under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the EIS process 
provides a means for the public to provide input on program 
implementation alternatives and on environmental concerns. CCC provided 
first notice of its intent (NOI) to prepare the proposed BCAP PEIS in 
the Federal Register on October 1, 2008 (73 FR 57047-57048). CCC 
provided an amended NOI to prepare the proposed BCAP PEIS in the 
Federal Register on May 13, 2009 (74 FR 22510-22511) and solicited 
public comment on the proposed EIS for BCAP. Six public scoping 
meetings were held in May and June 2009 to solicit comments for the 
development of alternatives and to identify environmental concerns.
    FSA has considered comments gathered in the scoping process 
initiated with the October 1, 2008 NOI to develop the alternatives 
proposed for the administration and implementation of BCAP and to 
include in a Draft PEIS. The Draft PEIS assesses the potential 
environmental impacts associated with the following three alternatives:
     No Action Alternative--addresses the potential effects 
from not implementing BCAP.
     Action Alternative 1--addresses a targeted implementation 
of BCAP to specific areas or regions of the United States.
     Action Alternative 2--addresses a broad national 
implementation of BCAP.
    The Draft PEIS also provides a means for the public to voice any 
suggestions on the program and any ideas for rulemaking. The Draft PEIS 
can be reviewed online at: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/webapp?area=home&subject=ecrc&topic=nep-cd or at marine.com">https://public.geo-marine.com.
    The Draft PEIS was completed as required by NEPA (42 U.S.C. 4321-
4347), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for 
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), and FSA's policy and procedures (7 CFR part 799).

    Signed in Washington, DC on August 4, 2009.
Jonathan Coppess,
Administrator, Farm Service Agency, and Executive Vice President, 
Commodity Credit Corporation.
[FR Doc. E9-19064 Filed 8-7-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-05-P