[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 216 (Thursday, November 8, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63169-63171]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21959]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Mesaba Energy Project
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of Availability and public hearings.
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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability
of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Mesaba Energy
Project (DOE/EIS-0382D) for public comment, as well as the dates,
locations and times for public hearings. The draft environmental impact
statement (EIS) analyzes the potential environmental consequences of
DOE's proposed action to provide a total of $36 million in co-funding,
through a financial assistance cooperative agreement, for the design
and one-year operational demonstration of a coal-based, Integrated
Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) electric generating facility on the
Iron Range of northern Minnesota. DOE may also provide a loan guarantee
pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to guarantee a portion of
private sector financing for the project; however, this loan guarantee
is not part of DOE's proposed action. The facility would be
demonstrated through a cooperative agreement between DOE and Excelsior
Energy Inc. (Excelsior) under the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI)
program.
DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on the draft EIS during the
public comment period, which ends January 11, 2008. DOE will consider
all comments postmarked or received during the public comment period in
preparing the Final EIS and will consider late comments to the extent
practicable.
DOE will conduct two public hearings to obtain comments on the
draft EIS. The meetings will be held at the Taconite Community Center,
26 Haynes Street, Taconite, Minnesota, on Tuesday, November 27, 2007,
beginning at 7 p.m., and at Hoyt Lakes Arena, 106 Kennedy Memorial
Drive, Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota, on Wednesday, November 28, 2007,
beginning at 7 p.m. An informational session will be held at each
location from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. preceding each meeting on the dates
above. See the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for details on the
meeting process.
ADDRESSES: Requests for information about this draft EIS, or to receive
a copy of the draft EIS, should be directed to: Mr. Richard A. Hargis,
Jr., NEPA Document Manager, M/S 922-178C, U.S. Department of Energy,
National Energy Technology Laboratory, P.O. Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA
15236-0940. Requests may also be submitted by telephone: 412-386-6065;
toll free number: 888-322-7436 ext. 6065; fax: 412-386-4604; or
electronic mail: [email protected].
The draft EIS will be available at: http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.
Copies of the draft EIS are also available for review at the locations
listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this Notice. Written
comments on the draft EIS can be submitted by mail, fax, or electronic
mail to Mr. Richard A. Hargis, Jr., as indicated above. Oral comments
on the draft EIS will be accepted only during the public hearings
scheduled for the dates and locations provided in the DATES section of
this Notice.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: For further information regarding the
proposed project or the draft EIS, please contact Mr. Richard A.
Hargis, Jr., (see ADDRESSES). For general information on the DOE NEPA
process, please 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, or leave a toll-free message at: 800-472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Description of Alternatives and Scope of the EIS
DOE's Proposed Action is to provide a total of $36 million in co-
funding, through a cooperative agreement with Excelsior under the CCPI
Program, for the design and one-year operational demonstration testing
period for Phase I of the proposed two-phased Mesaba Energy Project.
The first phase would be a nominal 606 megawatt electricity (MWe) IGCC
power plant with an estimated cost of $2.16 billion. Phase II, which
would be an identical, co-located 606 MWe plant, would be privately
financed and not involve co-funding by DOE. The project would
demonstrate the commercial-readiness of the Conoco-Phillips E-Gas
TM gasification technology, including advanced gasification
and air separation systems, feedstock flexibility, improved
[[Page 63170]]
environmental performance, and improved thermal efficiency. Although
DOE's proposed action would be applicable to Phase I only, the draft
EIS considers the combined impacts of both phases as connected actions.
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), and the DOE
procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021). Because the proposed
facility is considered a Large Electric Power Generating Plant, the
Project is subject to the Minnesota Power Plant Siting Act, which
requires the preparation of a state-equivalent EIS. The EIS
requirements under NEPA and the Act are substantially similar, and DOE
has prepared this draft EIS in cooperation with the Minnesota
Department of Commerce to fulfill the requirements of both laws.
Federal cooperating agencies for the EIS include the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, St. Paul District, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,
Forest Service, Superior National Forest, Laurentian District. Because
the proposed Project may affect floodplains and wetlands in northern
Minnesota, the draft EIS includes a floodplain and wetlands assessment
in accordance with DOE regulations for Compliance with Floodplain and
Wetlands Environmental Review Requirements (10 CFR part 1022).
DOE analyzed two main alternatives in the draft EIS--the Proposed
Action (including two alternative sites for the project) and the No
Action Alternative. Under the Proposed Action, DOE would provide cost-
shared funding to Excelsior for the design and one-year demonstration
of a coal-based, IGCC electric generating facility to be located in the
Taconite Tax Relief Area as defined in Minnesota Statutes Section
273.134. DOE has entered into a cooperative agreement with Excelsior,
which was a successful applicant in Round 2 of the CCPI program, to
demonstrate the Project. Excelsior is an independent energy development
company based in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that ultimately would be
responsible for the siting, design, construction, demonstration, and
operation of the Project and related components. Until the NEPA process
is complete, no funds would be provided for project activities that
could either have an adverse impact on the environment or limit the
choice of reasonable alternatives available to DOE. Pursuant to the
Energy Policy Act of 2005, DOE may also provide a loan guarantee for a
portion of the private-sector financing for the Project; however, this
loan guarantee is not part of DOE's proposed action.
The Minnesota Power Plant Siting Act is intended to ensure that
power plants and high voltage transmission lines are routed in an
orderly manner compatible with environmental preservation and the
efficient use of resources. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission
oversees permitting in accordance with the Act. State rules established
for the Act require the applicant for a site permit to identify at
least two sites for the power plant--a preferred site and an
alternative site. Excelsior identified the West Range site (Taconite,
Itasca County, Minnesota) as its preferred site and the East Range site
(Hoyt Lakes, St. Louis County, Minnesota) as its alternative site.
Although DOE has not participated in the identification or selection of
sites, the potential environmental impacts of locating the project at
either site are evaluated in the draft EIS. The final decision on which
site would be permitted, if any, will be made by the Minnesota Public
Utilities Commission in accordance with the Minnesota Power Plant
Siting Act.
For the No Action Alternative, DOE would not provide cost-shared
funding for the Project beyond that required to complete the NEPA
process. In this case, the remaining funding withheld from the Project
may be made available for other current or future CCPI projects.
Without DOE funding, it is not likely that the Mesaba Energy
Project would be built, although it is possible that Excelsior could
still elect to construct and operate the proposed power plant provided
that it could replace the Federal financing component and obtain the
required permits from state and Federal agencies. However, without DOE
participation, it is possible that the proposed project would be
canceled. Therefore, for purposes of analysis in the draft EIS, the No
Action Alternative is assumed to be equivalent to a ``No Build''
Alternative, meaning that environmental conditions would remain in the
status quo (no new construction, resource utilization, emissions,
discharges, or wastes generated). The No Action Alternative would not
contribute to the goal of the CCPI program, which is to accelerate
commercial deployment of advanced technologies that provide the United
States with clean, reliable, and affordable energy.
The draft EIS analyzes the environmental consequences that may
result from the proposed action at each of the two alternative sites,
as well as the no action alternative. Potential impacts identified
during the scoping process and analyzed in the draft EIS relate to the
following: aesthetics; air quality and climate; geology and soils;
groundwater and surface water resources; floodplains and wetlands;
biological resources; cultural resources; land use; socioeconomics;
environmental justice; utility systems; community services;
transportation and traffic; materials and waste management; human
health and safety; and noise.
Availability of the Draft EIS
Copies of the draft EIS have been distributed to Members of
Congress; Federal, Native American tribal government, 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://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa/. Copies of the draft EIS are available
for public review at the Bovey Public Library, 402 2nd Street, Bovey,
Minnesota; City of Taconite Community Center, 28 Haynes Street,
Taconite, Minnesota; Grand Rapids Public Library, 140 NE., 2nd Street
Grand Rapids, Minnesota; the Hibbing Public Library, 2020 East 5th
Avenue, Hibbing, Minnesota; and the Hoyt Lakes Public Library, 206
Kennedy Memorial Drive, Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. Additional copies also
can be requested (see ADDRESSES).
Public Meetings
DOE will conduct a public hearing near each of the two alternative
sites, in conjunction with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, to
obtain comments on the draft EIS. Requests to speak at the public
hearings can be made by contacting Mr. Richard A. Hargis, Jr., as
indicated in the ADDRESSES section above. Requests to speak that have
not been submitted prior to the hearing will be accepted in the order
in which they are received at the hearing. Speakers are encouraged to
provide a written version of their oral comments 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 hearing
record. Oral and written comments will be given equal consideration.
[[Page 63171]]
Each hearing will begin with an informational session at
approximately 4 p.m. DOE will then begin each meeting's formal session
at 7 p.m. with an overview of the project, followed by oral statements
by the scheduled speakers. Speakers may be asked questions to help
ensure that DOE fully understands the comments. A presiding officer
will establish the order of speakers and provide any additional
procedures necessary to conduct the meetings.
All meetings will be accessible to people with disabilities. Any
individual with a disability requiring special assistance, such as sign
language interpreter, or a translator, should contact Mr. Richard A.
Hargis, Jr., the NEPA Document Manager, (see ADDRESSES) at least 48
hours in advance of the meeting so that arrangements can be made.
Meeting Schedule
West Range Site--Taconite
Date: Tuesday, November 27, 2007.
Place: Taconite Community Center, 26 Haynes Street, Taconite,
Minnesota.
East Range Site--Hoyt Lakes
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2007.
Place: Hoyt Lakes Arena, 106 Kennedy Memorial Drive, Hoyt Lakes,
Minnesota.
Issued in Washington, DC, on November 2, 2007.
Mark J. Matarrese,
Director, Office of Environment, Security, Safety and Health, Office of
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. E7-21959 Filed 11-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P