Department of Energy January 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

This notice announces a teleconference of the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB)Executive Working Group. The Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463; 86 Stat. 770), requires that public notice of these teleconferences be announced in the Federal Register. No official business will be conducted `` this is for information sharing only.

The DOE will support producers of oil and gas in carrying out projects to inject carbon dioxide for the purpose of enhancing recovery of oil or natural gas, while increasing the sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO2). The National Energy Technology Laboratory's (NETL) Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil program mission is to enhance U.S. security by ensuring the Nation has a reliable energy supply. The Strategic Center for Natural Gas and Oil seeks to accomplish this critical goal by advancing environmentally responsible technological solutions that bolster domestic oil and natural gas recovery. Priority will be given to projects in the noted areas of interestthe Williston Basin in North Dakota/Montana and the Cook Inlet Basin in Alaska. This solicitation seeks to maximize U.S. oil and natural gas production in a cost-effective manner through the injection of CO2, while at the same time sequestering significant quantities of CO2. To promote greater use of industrial CO2, additional consideration will be given to those proposals that use anthropogenic CO2 from existing industrial processes for the CO2 flood (e.g., ethanol and gas processing plants, oil refineries, petroleum coke gasification, coal liquefaction, etc.). Projects should clearly set forth the manner in which adverse environmental impacts would be minimized. Finally, the solicitation will give priority programmatic consideration to projects that involve, in a significant way, existing state/regional institutions that have a mandate or significant interest in supporting enhanced oil or natural gas recovery, and reducing the carbon intensity/CO2 emissions in the state and/or region.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is proposing to amend its regulations governing small power production and cogeneration in response to section 1253 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPAct 2005), which added section 210(m) to the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 (PURPA). The Commission seeks public comment on the amended regulations proposed herein.

In this Final Rule, pursuant to Title III, Subtitle B, and Title XII, Subtitle G of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission) is amending its regulations to implement new section 4A of the Natural Gas Act and new section 222 of the Federal Power Act, prohibiting the employment of manipulative or deceptive devices or contrivances.

This notice announces a meeting of the Basic Energy Sciences Advisory Committee (BESAC). Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, 86 Stat. 770) requires that public notice of these meetings be announced in the Federal Register.

The Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to 10 CFR 1021.315, is amending its Record of Decision: Savannah River Site Salt Processing Alternatives issued on October 17, 2001 (66 FR 52752). At that time the Department decided to implement the Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) technology, one of the alternative technologies evaluated in DOE/EIS-0082-S2 (Savannah River Site Salt Processing Alternatives Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SPA SEIS), June 2001) for separation of the high-activity fraction from the low-activity fraction of Savannah River Site (SRS) salt wastes. DOE has initiated design of the Salt Waste Processing Facility (SWPF), which will house the CSSX technology. Now, using technologies described in the SPA SEIS, DOE has decided to change the processing and disposition pathway for a fraction of the low activity salt waste currently stored in the F- and H-Area tank farms. This action is called Interim Salt Processing. When the SWPF becomes operational, the remaining (and by far the majority) salt waste will be processed through the SWPF using the CSSX technology as described in the SPA SEIS; this action is called High Capacity Salt Processing. DOE will proceed with this interim approach because doing so will enable DOE to continue uninterrupted use of the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) to vitrify higher activity sludge waste for disposal at a geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel and high-level waste. It will also allow DOE to use SWPF at higher capacity as soon as it comes on line. This will allow DOE to complete cleanup and closure of the tanks years earlier than would otherwise be the case. That, in turn, will reduce the time during which the tanksincluding some that do not have full secondary containment and have a known history of leak sitescontinue to store liquid radioactive waste. Finally, Interim Salt Processing will make more tank space available for routine operations, thereby reducing the number of transfers among tanks and increasing the safety of operations. Therefore, Interim Salt Processing will accelerate the reduction of potential risk to the environment, the public, and workers. DOE has prepared a Supplement Analysis (SA), Salt Processing Alternatives at the Savannah River Site (DOE/EIS-0082-S2-SA-01), in accordance with DOE National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations (10 CFR 1021.314) to determine whether implementation of Interim Salt Processing is a substantial change to the selected CSSX processing of salt waste or whether there are significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns such that a supplement to the SPA SEIS or a new EIS would be needed. Based on the SA, DOE has determined that a supplement to the SPA SEIS or a new EIS is not needed.