[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11340-11341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03404]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Rural Utilities Service
Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC: Notice of availability of a Final
Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact
Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the
Department of Agriculture (USDA), has prepared a Final Environmental
Impact Statement (FEIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), RUS's implementing regulations, 7 CFR
part 1970, and other applicable environmental requirements related to
providing financial assistance for Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC's
(Energy Answers) proposed (Project) in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. RUS will
also use the FEIS to meet its responsibilities under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act, 54 U.S.C. 300101, and its
implementing regulations, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR
part 800). The FEIS addresses the construction, operation, and
maintenance of Energy Answers' proposed Project, a waste-to-energy
generation and resource recovery facility described previously in the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). It also addresses the
roughly 3,820 comments received during the comment periods for the
DEIS. The overall project area encompasses parts of the Cambalache Ward
in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.
DATES: Written comments on the FEIS will be accepted 30 days following
the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental
impact statement receipt notice in the Federal Register. Notices of
Availability of the FEIS will be published in the local newspapers.
After a 30-day public review period on the FEIS, RUS will consider
comments and prepare a Record of Decision for its respective action.
The environmental review process is expected to conclude in the late
winter or spring of 2017.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive copies of the FEIS or
request information on the proposed Project, the FEIS process, and RUS
financing, contact Mr. Steven Polacek, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, Water and Environmental Programs,
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mail Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250,
telephone: (202) 205-9805, fax: (202) 690-0649, or email:
[email protected]. Copies of the FEIS will be available for
review in the Arecibo Public Library (Nicolas Nabal Barreto), located
at: 210 Santiago Iglesias Pantin Ave., Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Energy Answers plans to request financial
assistance for the proposed Project from RUS. Completing the
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a precursor requirement to
processing a loan application from Energy Answers. Upon completion of
the EIS process, RUS would review Energy Answers' application along
with other technical and financial considerations. Energy Answers
proposes to construct a waste to energy generation and resource
recovery facility in the Cambalache Ward of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. The
proposed facility would receive and process approximately 2,300 tons of
municipal waste per day and generate a gross capacity of 77 megawatts
(MW). The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority will purchase power
generated from the facility. The preferred location of the facility is
the site of a former paper mill and would cover approximately 79.6
acres of the 90-acre parcel. The proposal would include the following
facility components: A municipal solid waste receiving and processing
building; processed refuse fuel storage building; boiler and steam
turbine; emission control system; ash processing and storage building;
and other associated infrastructure and buildings. Two other connected
actions, which would be constructed by other utilities, include
installation of an approximately 2.0-mile raw water line and
construction of a 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line approximately 0.8
miles in length. The connected actions will be addressed in the
proposed Project's EIS.
In accordance with 7 CFR 1970.15(c)(2) and 40 CFR 1502.18, RUS
incorporates as an appendix received on the environmental impact
analyses and associated documentation prepared by the Puerto Rico
Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) and the United States
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) where appropriate. PRIDCO
served as a lead agency in preparing an EIS under the Puerto Rico
Environmental Public Policy Act, Article 4(B)(3), Law No. 416
(September 22, 2004). The USEPA completed air quality analyses and
issued a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit for the
proposed Project on June 11, 2013. As applicable, the EIS documents
changes in the affected environment and environmental consequences that
may have changed since issuance of the PRIDCO-EIS and USEPA PSD permit.
Under NEPA regulations, RUS is required to identify and evaluate
reasonable alternatives to the Project, as well as a no-action
alternative. Reasonable alternatives are those that are ``practical or
feasible from the technical and economic standpoint.'' In determining
reasonable alternatives, RUS considered a number of factors including
the proposed action's size and scope, state of the technology, economic
considerations, legal considerations, socioeconomic concerns,
availability of resources, and the timeframe in which the identified
need must be fulfilled. Alternative site locations, thermal conversion
technologies, cooling process water sources, alternative fuels and
renewable energy technologies were also considered.
RUS reviewed multiple needs including (1) providing a dispatchable
electrical generation resource that adds to Puerto Rico Electric Power
Authority's (PREPA) reserve capacity levels, (2) helping PREPA meet the
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard enacted by Puerto Rico and use
cleaner and more environmentally friendly energy resources, and (3)
decreasing Puerto Rico's dependence on imported
[[Page 11341]]
fossil fuels and contributing to the fuel diversification of the
generation both owned and purchased by PREPA.
Of the alternatives considered by RUS, the Arecibo Waste-to-Energy
and Resource Recovery Project best minimizes or mitigates the potential
impacts on the environment while meeting the proposed purpose and need
for the project.
RUS is authorized to make loans and loan guarantees that finance
the construction of water lines, electrical transmission lines, Waste-
to-Energy and Resource Recovery facilities. RUS is responsible for
completing the environmental review process prior to processing Energy
Answers' application.
Completion of the environmental review process allows the project
proponents to submit an application for financing to RUS. It does not
represent a commitment to fund the project or a determination that the
applicant has met the agency's underwriting criteria. All loan
applicants are required to demonstrate eligibility, financial
feasibility and provide reasonably adequate security for any financing
made available from RUS.The proposed Project is subject to the
jurisdiction of, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant
presidential executive orders and federal, state, and local
environmental laws and regulations in addition to the completion of the
environmental review requirements as prescribed in RUS's Environmental
Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR part 1970.
RUS has prepared the FEIS to analyze the impacts of its respective
Federal actions and the proposed Project in accordance with NEPA, as
amended, the Council in Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), and Rural Development's Environmental Policies and Procedures (7
CFR part 1970). RUS has already prepared and published a DEIS which can
be found on the Agency Web site at http://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/arecibo-waste-energy-generation-and-resource.
In accordance with 7 CFR 1970.15(c)(2) and 40 CFR 1502.18, RUS
incorporates, as an appendix, the environmental impact analyses and
associated documentation prepared by the Puerto Rico Industrial
Development Company (PRIDCO) and the USEPA where appropriate. PRIDCO
served as a lead agency in preparing an EIS under the Puerto Rico
Environmental Public Policy Act, Article 4(B)(3), Law No. 416
(September 22, 2004). The USEPA completed air quality analyses and
issued a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit for the
proposed Project on June 11, 2013. As applicable, the EIS documents
changes in the affected environment and environmental consequences that
may have changed since issuance of the PRIDCO-EIS and USEPA PSD permit.
RUS has determined that its action regarding the proposed Project
would be an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 470 and its implementing
regulations, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR part 800).
As part of its broad environmental review process, RUS must take into
account the effect of the proposed Project on historic properties in
accordance with Section 106. Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), RUS is
using its procedures for public involvement under NEPA to meet its
responsibilities to solicit and consider the views of the public during
Section 106 review. Accordingly, comments submitted in response to this
Notice will inform RUS decision-making in its Section 106 review
process.
The Final EIS is available in both Spanish and English for review
at the following Web site: http://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/arecibo-waste-energy-generation-and-resource. The Final EIS will be available for review 30
days after the USEPA's EIS receipt notice in the Federal Register.
Following this review period, RUS will publish a Record of Decision
(ROD). Notices announcing the availability of the ROD will be published
in the Federal Register and in local newspapers.
This Notice of Availability also serves as a notice of proposed
floodplain and wetland action. It is anticipated that Energy Answers
would need to fill 2.4 acres (9,793.4 square meters) of on-site
wetlands for proposed Project. Energy Answers will be required to
implement mitigation for the wetland conversion, as contained in their
Section 404 permit. Additionally, excavation required for the proposed
Project is expected to result in a small increase in base flood
elevations along predominately undeveloped properties located east and
west, as well as immediately upstream, of the Project site.
Christopher A. McLean,
Assistant Administrator--Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-03404 Filed 2-21-17; 8:45 am]
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