Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Clean Power from Integrated Coal/Ore Reduction
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34640 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 123 / Monday, June 28, 1999 / Notices on the World Wide Web at either of the Intensity Smelting (HIsmelt) FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To following sites: ironmaking process with technology to obtain additional information about this http://www.ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm generate electricity using steam heated project or to receive a copy of the draft http://www.ed.gov/news.html by combustion gas from the HIsmelt EIS when it is issued, contact Mr. To use pdf you must have Adobe process. The EIS will help DOE decide Joseph Renk at the address provided Acrobat Reader Program with search, whether to provide 15% of the funding above. For general information on the which is available free at either of the for the $1 billion proposed project. DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. preceding sites. If you have questions The purpose of this Notice of Intent Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of about using pdf, call the U.S. is to inform the public about the NEPA Policy and Assistance (EH±42), Government Printing Office, toll free, at proposed action; present the schedule U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 1±888±293±6498. for the action; announce the plans for a Independence Avenue, S.W., public scoping meeting; invite public Washington, D.C. 20585±0119, 202± Note: The official version of this document 586±4600; or leave a message at 1±800± is the document published in the Federal participation in (and explain) the Register. scoping process that DOE will follow to 472±2756. Program Authority: 20 USC 1138±1138d; comply with the requirements of NEPA; SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Public Law 105±277, 112 Stat. 2681, 2681± and solicit public comments for Background and Need for Agency 371. consideration in establishing the Action (Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance proposed scope and content of the EIS. Number 84.116X, Office of Postsecondary The EIS will evaluate the potential Under Public Law 102±154, the U.S. Education, Fund for the Improvement of impacts of the proposed project and Congress provided authorization and Postsecondary Education and the Safe and reasonable alternatives. funds to DOE for conducting cost-shared Drug-Free Schools and CommunitiesÐ Clean Coal Technology (CCT) Program Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Models DATES: To ensure that the full range of projects for the design, construction, on College Campuses Grant Competition) issues related to this proposal is and operation of facilities that ``* ** Dated: June 23, 1999. addressed, DOE invites comments on shall advance significantly the Judith Johnson, the proposed scope and content of the efficiency and environmental Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of EIS from all interested parties. All performance of coal-using technologies Elementary and Secondary Education. comments must be received by August and be applicable to either new or Claudio R. Prieto, 16, 1999, to ensure consideration. Late existing facilities * * *'' Under a Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of comments will be considered to the solicitation in 1992 pursuant to this law Postsecondary Education. extent practicable. In addition to (Round V of the CCT Program) and a [FR Doc. 99±16408 Filed 6±25±99; 8:45 am] receiving comments in writing and by subsequent appropriation (Public Law telephone, DOE will conduct a public BILLING CODE 4000±01±P 101±512), DOE selected for further scoping meeting in which agencies, consideration for cost-shared funding a organizations, and the general public are proposal from the CPICOR Management invited to present oral comments or Company for design, construction, and DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY suggestions with regard to the range of operation of a process to integrate Notice of Intent To Prepare an actions, alternatives, and impacts to be production of molten iron for Environmental Impact Statement for considered in the EIS. The scoping steelmaking with production of the Proposed Clean Power From meeting will be held at the Council electricity for utility distribution. Integrated Coal/Ore Reduction Chambers of the Provo City Center, 351 The demonstration of the CPICOR (CPICOR) Project W. Center Street, Provo, Utah, at 7 p.m. project under the CCT Program would on Thursday, July 15, 1999. In addition, fulfill an existing programmatic need. AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy. DOE will host an informational session Although substantial deposits of coal ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an for interested parties from 5 p.m. until exist as a resource suitable for and Environmental Impact Statement. 7 p.m. on the day of the meeting at the capable of resolving critical energy Council Chambers. Displays and other issues, there are a number of obstacles SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of forms of information about the proposed that present barriers to its increased use. Energy (DOE) announces its intent to project and its location will be available, These impediments include: (1) prepare an Environmental Impact and DOE personnel will be available to Concerns about environmental issues, Statement (EIS) pursuant to the National answer questions. The public is invited such as acid deposition, global climate Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of to this informal session to learn more change, polycyclic aromatic 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et about the proposed project. hydrocarbon emissions, and solid waste; seq.), the Council on Environmental (2) commercial demonstration of Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 ADDRESSES: Written comments and acceptable coal use technologies; and (3) CFR Parts 1500±1508), and the DOE requests to participate in the public technical and economic performance of NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021), to scoping process should be addressed to: the technologies. Thus, since the early assess the potential environmental and Mr. Joseph Renk, NEPA Document 1970's, DOE and its predecessor human health impacts of a proposed Manager, U.S. Department of Energy, agencies have pursued research and project under the Clean Coal Federal Energy Technology Center, P.O. development programs that have Technology Program that would Box 10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236±0940. included long-term, high-risk activities integrate the production of molten iron Individuals who would like to to support the development of a wide for steelmaking with the production of provide comments and/or otherwise variety of innovative coal technologies electricity. The Clean Power from participate in the public scoping process through the proof-of-concept stage. Integrated Coal/Ore Reduction (CPICOR) should contact Mr. Renk directly at However, the availability of a project, proposed to be located within telephone 412±892±6249; fax 412±892± technology at the proof-of-concept stage the Geneva Steel Company's existing 4775; e-mail [email protected]; or by is not sufficient to ensure its continued plant at Vineyard, Utah, would recorded message at toll-free number 1± development and subsequent demonstrate the integration of the High 800±276±9851. commercialization. Before any VerDate 18-JUN-99 12:53 Jun 25, 1999 Jkt 183247 PO 00000 Frm 00013 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\A28JN3.047 pfrm01 PsN: 28JNN1 Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 123 / Monday, June 28, 1999 / Notices 34641 technology can be seriously considered carbon from the coal would reduce iron air separation, and power plant units for commercialization, it must be ore to iron. Molten iron that collects in would be required. Wherever possible, demonstrated. The financial risk the bottom of the bath would be existing facilities and infrastructure associated with technology continuously tapped from the vessel to located at the Geneva Steel site would demonstration is, in general, too high maintain a constant level of iron inside be used for the CPICOR project. These for the private sector to assume without the vessel. Slag, would be tapped include railway lines/spurs, coal rotary strong incentives or legal requirements. periodically and used to coat and dumpsters, conveyors, day bins, slag The CCT Program was established by control the internal cooling system and handling facilities, and water Congress and endorsed by the private reduce heat loss. distribution and wastewater treatment sector as a way to accelerate the Based on equivalent production of systems. development of innovative technologies iron, the HIsmelt technology is Project activities would include to meet the nation's near-term energy capable of reducing sulfur dioxide engineering and design, permitting, and environmental goals, to reduce the emissions by over 85%, oxides of procurement, construction, start-up, and business community's investment risk nitrogen by 35%, and particulate matter demonstration. Assuming timely to an acceptable level, and to provide by over 85%, when compared to delivery from the CPICOR project team incentives for the private sector to conventional ironmaking technology. of the environmental information pursue innovative research and Desulfurization would occur through necessary for developing the EIS, DOE development directed at providing reaction of sulfur in the reducing gas anticipates a 15-month schedule (from solutions to long-range energy supply with limestone/dolomite additives. The date of publication of this Notice of problems. reducing atmosphere in the HIsmelt Intent) to complete the EIS and issue a process would minimize the formation Record of Decision. Upon completing its Proposed Action of oxides of nitrogen. Another NEPA review, if DOE decides to The proposed action is for DOE to environmental benefit of the HIsmelt implement the proposed action, provide, through a cooperative process is its ability to process iron construction would commence in the agreement with the CPICOR oxide wastes (called reverts) produced year 2001 and demonstration would Management Company, cost-shared from conventional iron and steel begin in the year 2003. Verification of financial assistance for the design, production. The Geneva Steel site, as the commercial feasibility of the construction, and operation of the well as many other U.S. ironmaking technology would be accomplished proposed project as described below.