[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26004-26005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10662]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Impact Statement for
the FutureGen 2.0 Project
AGENCY: U. S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearing.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the FutureGen 2.0
Project (DOE/EIS-0460D) for public review and comment, as well as the
date, location, and time for a public hearing. The draft environmental
impact statement (EIS) analyzes the potential impacts associated with
the FutureGen 2.0 Project (FutureGen 2.0), which would be designed,
constructed, operated, and partially funded by the FutureGen Industrial
Alliance, Inc. (Alliance). In addition to Alliance funding, FutureGen
2.0 may receive approximately $1 billion in federal financial
assistance under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
DOE prepared this draft EIS in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the
Council on Environmental Quality regulations that implement the
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), DOE's
procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021), and DOE's procedures
for compliance with floodplain and wetland review requirements (10 CFR
part 1022).
DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on the draft EIS during the
public comment period, which ends June 17, 2013. DOE will consider all
comments postmarked or received during the public comment period when
preparing the final EIS and will consider late comments to the extent
practicable.
DOE will hold a public hearing on May 21, 2013, at Jacksonville
High School, 1211 N. Diamond Street, Jacksonville, Illinois. An
informational session will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.,
preceding the formal presentations and comment period from 6:00 p.m. to
approximately 8:00 p.m. See the PUBLIC HEARING section for details on
the hearing process.
ADDRESSES: Requests for information about this draft EIS or for a paper
copy should be directed to: Mr. Cliff Whyte, M/S: I07, National Energy
Technology Laboratory, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, P.O. Box 880,
Morgantown, WV 26507-0880.
Additional information about the draft EIS may also be requested by
electronic mail at [email protected], by telephone at (304) 285-
2098, or by toll-free telephone at 1-800-432-8330, extension 2098. The
draft EIS will be available at http://energy.gov/nepa. Copies of the
draft EIS are also available for review at the locations listed in the
AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT EIS section of this notice.
Written comments on the draft EIS can be mailed or sent
electronically to Mr. Whyte at the addresses noted above. Written
comments may also be submitted by fax to (304) 285-4403. Oral comments
on the draft EIS will be accepted during the public hearing scheduled
for the date and location provided in the DATES section of this notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the
proposed project or the draft EIS, please contact: Mr. Cliff Whyte (see
ADDRESSES). For general information regarding DOE's NEPA process,
please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy
and Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585; Telephone: (202) 586-4600; Fax: (202)
586-7031. You may also call Ms. Borgstrom at (800) 472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE proposes to provide financial assistance
(approximately $1 billion), through two cooperative agreements, to the
Alliance for its proposed FutureGen 2.0 Project. FutureGen 2.0 is a
public-private partnership formed for the purpose of developing and
sharing the cost of the world's first commercial-scale oxy-combustion
electricity generation plant integrated with carbon dioxide
(CO2) capture and storage. Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation
Group, Inc. and Air Liquide Process and Construction, Inc., among
others, would participate in the project by supplying technology, major
components, and construction services.
The project would use oxy-combustion technology to generate
electric power and would capture CO2 for permanent storage
underground. The plant would generate 168 megawatts (MW) (gross) of
electricity. The Alliance would design and construct the plant to
capture at least 90 percent of the CO2 generated (up to 98
percent could be captured). Captured CO2 would be
transported through a 30-mile pipeline to a facility where it would be
injected into the Mount Simon formation for permanent storage. This
saline rock formation is approximately 4,000-4,500 feet below ground.
The project would be designed to capture, transport, and inject
approximately 1.1 million metric tons of CO2 annually, or a
total of approximately 33 million metric tons over 30 years of
operation. The Alliance would also construct and operate a visitor and
research center and training facilities related to carbon capture and
[[Page 26005]]
storage in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Illinois. The DOE-funded
demonstration period would last for 56 months, from the start of
operations (July 2017) through February 2022, but the plant is expected
to continue commercial operations after this date.
The oxy-combustion plant would be built on a 263-acre existing
power plant site in Morgan County, Illinois, approximately one mile
south of the Village of Meredosia. Ameren Energy Resources (Ameren) has
agreed to sell to the Alliance the assets at the Meredosia Energy
Center that are necessary for the FutureGen 2.0 Project. These assets
include Unit 4, which was constructed in 1975. The Unit 4 steam
turbine, material and fuel handling facilities, process water sources,
cooling systems, high-voltage interconnection lines, and certain other
facilities would be used for the new plant. Ameren would continue to
own the three other electricity generation units at the Meredosia
Energy Center. Operation of these units has been suspended since 2011.
The CO2 storage site would be located 30 miles east of
the plant site, on the eastern side of Morgan County. A new 12-inch
diameter pipeline would be sited and constructed using an 80-foot
construction right-of-way and a 50-foot permanent right-of-way. The
Alliance has identified two possible routes for the pipeline and has
proposed to use the route that would minimize impacts to landowners and
the environment. The Alliance has not identified a final location for
the proposed injection wells, but has identified an approximately
5,300-acre site in which the wells would be located and under which the
CO2 would be permanently stored. Up to 25 acres of land
would be used for the injection facilities, associated infrastructure
and buildings, and access roads.
The draft EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed
project, connected actions, and reasonable alternatives. Because the
proposed project may affect wetlands, the draft EIS includes an
assessment of impacts to wetlands in accordance with DOE's regulations
under Compliance with Floodplains and Wetlands Environmental Review
Requirements (10 CFR part 1022).
DOE analyzed two alternatives in the draft EIS: the proposed action
and the no action alternative. Under the proposed action, DOE would
provide approximately $1 billion in cost-shared ARRA funding to the
proposed project.
Under the no action alternative, DOE would not provide continued
funding. Without DOE funding, it is unlikely that the Alliance, or the
industry in general, would undertake the utility-scale integration of
CO2 capture and geologic storage with a coal-fueled power
plant using oxy-combustion. Therefore, the no action alternative also
represents a ``no-build'' alternative. Without DOE's investment in a
utility-scale facility, the development of oxy-combustion repowered
plants integrated with CO2 capture and geologic storage
would occur more slowly or not at all.
The draft EIS considers the environmental consequences that may
result from the proposed project and describes additional mitigation
that might be used to reduce various impacts.
Availability of the Draft EIS: Copies of the draft EIS have been
distributed to members of Congress; Native American tribal governments;
federal, state, and local officials; and agencies, organizations, and
individuals who may be interested or affected. The draft EIS will be
available on the Internet at: http://energy.gov/nepa/nepa-documents.
Copies of the draft EIS are available for public review at the
following locations: M-C River Public Library District, 304 Main
Street, Meredosia, Illinois; Jacksonville Public Library, 201 West
College Avenue, Jacksonville, Illinois; Taylorville Public Library, 121
West Vine Street, Taylorville, Illinois; Arcola Public Library, 407
East Main Street, Arcola, Illinois; and Tuscola Public Library, 112
Sale Street, Tuscola, Illinois. Additional copies also can be requested
(see ADDRESSES).
Public Hearing: DOE will conduct a public hearing on May 21, 2013
at the Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville, Illinois to obtain
comments on the draft EIS. Requests to speak at the public hearing can
be made by calling or writing to Mr. Whyte (see ADDRESSES). Requests to
speak not submitted prior to the hearing will be accepted in the order
in which they are received during the hearing. Speakers are encouraged
to provide a written version of their oral comments or supplementary
materials for the record. Each speaker will be allowed approximately
five minutes to present comments. Those speakers who want 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 all
speakers to five minutes initially and provide additional opportunities
as time permits. Comments will be recorded by a court reporter and will
become part of the public record. Oral and written comments will be
given equal consideration.
The public hearing will begin at 5:00 p.m. with an informational
session. Formal presentations and a formal comment session will begin
at approximately 6:00 p.m. DOE will begin the hearing's formal session
with overviews of its clean coal program, proposed FutureGen 2.0
Project, and the NEPA process, followed by oral statements by pre-
registered speakers. Speakers may be asked questions to help ensure
that DOE fully understands their comments. A presiding officer will
establish the order of speakers and provide any additional procedures
necessary to conduct the hearing.
The public hearing will be accessible to people with disabilities.
In addition, any individual needing specific assistance, such as a sign
language interpreter or a translator, should contact Mr. Whyte (See
ADDRESSES) at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing so that
arrangements can be made.
Dated: May 1, 2013.
Mark J. Matarrese,
Director, Office of Environment, Security, Safety and Health, Office of
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-10662 Filed 5-1-13; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P