Record of Decision; JEA Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor Project
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76614 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Notices Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites would be cost-shared by DOE and JEA specific to the proposals under public comment. (formerly the Jacksonville Electric consideration. Dated: December 1, 2000. Authority) under DOE's Clean Coal The DOE strategy has three principal elements. The first element involved John Tressler, Technology (CCT) Program. The project would demonstrate circulating fluidized preparation of a comprehensive Leader Regulatory Information Management, Programmatic EIS for the CCT Program Office of the Chief Information Officer. bed (CFB) combustion technology at JEA's existing Northside Generating (DOE/EIS±0146, November 1989) to Office of Educational Research and Station in Jacksonville, Florida. After address the potential environmental Improvement careful consideration of the potential consequences of widespread commercialization of each of 22 Type of Review: New. environmental impacts, along with successfully demonstrated clean coal Title: Education Longitudinal Study program goals and objectives, DOE has technologies. of 2002 (ELS 2002). decided that it will provide approximately $73 million in federal The second element involved Frequency: Annually. preparation of a pre-selection, project- Affected Public: Not-for-profit funding support (about 24% of the total cost of approximately $309 million) to specific environmental review of institutions; State, Local, or Tribal proposed CCT projects based on project- Gov't, SEAs or LEAs. design, construct, and demonstrate the CFB technology proposed by JEA. specific environmental data and Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour analyses in accordance with DOE NEPA Burden: Responses: 51,597. Burden FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To regulations (10 CFR 1021.216). For the Hours: 59,497. obtain additional information about the proposed CFB combustor project, JEA Abstract: Year 2001 field test of 50 CFB combustor project or the EIS, supplied DOE with environmental data schools in five states, students, parents, contact Dr. Jan Wachter, National as part of their proposal. DOE reviewed teachers, and librarians. The main study Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) the potential site-specific in Spring 2002 in all 50 states and Document Manager, U.S. Department of environmental, health, safety, and District of Columbia will constitute the Energy, National Energy Technology socioeconomic issues associated with baseline of a longitudinal study of Laboratory, 626 Cochrans Mill Road, the proposed project before selecting school effectiveness and impact on Pittsburgh, PA 15236, telephone: (412) JEA's proposal for further consideration. postsecondary and labor market 386±4809, fax: (412) 386±4726, or e- In its review, DOE analyzed the outcomes. mail: [email protected]. For environmental advantages and Requests for copies of the proposed general information on the DOE NEPA disadvantages of the proposal and information collection request may be process, contact Ms. Carol M. alternative sites and processes accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, or Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA reasonably available to JEA. should be addressed to Vivian Reese, Policy and Compliance (EH±42), U.S. The third element consists of Department of Education, 400 Maryland Department of Energy, 1000 preparing site-specific NEPA documents Avenue, SW, Room 4050, Regional Independence Avenue, SW., for each selected project. For the JEA Office Building 3, Washington, D.C. Washington, DC 20585, telephone: (202) proposed project, DOE determined that 20202±4651. Requests may also be 586±4600, leave a message at (800) 472± an EIS should be prepared. As part of electronically mailed to the internet 2756, or fax: (202) 586±7031. the overall NEPA strategy for the CCT address [email protected] or Program, the JEA EIS draws upon the faxed to 202±708±9346. Please specify SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE has Programmatic EIS and pre-selection the complete title of the information prepared this Record of Decision environmental reviews. collection when making your request. pursuant to Council on Environmental On November 13, 1997, DOE Comments regarding burden and/or Quality (CEQ) regulations for published in the Federal Register (62 the collection activity requirements implementing the procedural provisions FR 60889) a Notice of Intent to prepare should be directed to Kathy_Axt at her of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500±1508) and the JEA EIS and hold a public scoping internet address Kathy_Axt@)ed.gov. DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part meeting. The Notice of Intent invited Individuals who use a 1021). This Record of Decision is based comments and suggestions on the telecommunications device for the deaf on DOE's final EIS for the JEA proposed scope of the EIS, including (TDD) may call the Federal Information Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor environmental issues and alternatives, Relay Service (FIRS) at 1±800±877± Project (DOE/EIS±0289, June 2000). and encouraged participation in the 8339. NEPA Strategy for the Clean Coal NEPA process. DOE held the scoping [FR Doc. 00±31144 Filed 12±6±00; 8:45 am] Technology Program meeting in Jacksonville, Florida, on December 3, 1997. DOE received 3 oral BILLING CODE 4000±01±P For the CCT Program, DOE developed responses and 20 written responses a strategy that is consistent with CEQ from interested parties. The responses and DOE regulations for compliance helped DOE to establish the issues to be DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY with NEPA and which includes analyzed in the EIS and the level of Record of Decision; JEA Circulating consideration of both programmatic and analysis warranted for each issue. Fluidized Bed Combustor Project, project-specific environmental impacts In August 1999, DOE issued the draft Jacksonville, Duval County, FL during and after the process of selecting EIS for public review and invited a project. This strategy, called tiering comments on the adequacy, accuracy, AGENCY: Department of Energy. (40 CFR 1508.28), refers to the and completeness of the EIS. As part of ACTION: Record of Decision. consideration of general issues in a the review, DOE held a public hearing broader EIS (e.g., for the CCT Program), in Jacksonville, Florida, on September SUMMARY: The Department of Energy followed by more focused 30, 1999. DOE received 1 oral comment (DOE) has prepared an environmental environmental impact statements or and 59 written comments, which helped impact statement (EIS) (DOE/EIS±0289) other environmental analyses that to improve the quality and usefulness of to assess the environmental impacts incorporate by reference the general the EIS. In June 2000, DOE issued the associated with a proposed project that issues and concentrate on those issues final EIS, which considered and, as VerDate 11<MAY>2000 18:28 Dec 06, 2000 Jkt 194001 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 E:\FR\FM\07DEN1.SGM pfrm08 PsN: 07DEN1 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 236 / Thursday, December 7, 2000 / Notices 76615 appropriate, incorporated public recently been dismantled and removed. The heated combustor converts water comments on the draft EIS. Among the Units 1 and 3 can burn both natural gas in tubes lining the combustor's walls to issues raised in the comments were and oil [No. 6 fuel oil or No. 2 fuel oil high-pressure steam. The steam is then concerns about (1) reliability of CFB (diesel)]. Units 1 and 3 have no air superheated in tube bundles placed in combustion technology in meeting pollution control with the exception of the solids circulating stream and the expected air emissions rates for low-NOX burners on Unit 3. Once- flue gas stream. The superheated steam particulate matter, sulfur dioxide (SO2), through cooling water is withdrawn drives a steam turbine-generator to and oxides of nitrogen (NOX), in view of from and discharged into the St. Johns produce electricity in a conventional limited large-scale operating experience; River. Existing facilities currently steam cycle. (2) air emissions of heavy metals, occupy about 200 acres of the 400-acre The injected limestone could capture radionuclides, carcinogenic chemicals, property. The property contains a up to 98% of the sulfur impurities and carbon dioxide (CO2); (3) potential number of wetland areas, especially in released from the fuel. When heated in effects of cooling water discharge on the the perimeter areas. the CFB combustor, the limestone, St. Johns River; (4) potential The proposed project would repower consisting primarily of calcium entrainment of juvenile sea turtles, such the idle Unit 2 steam turbine to generate carbonate (CaCO3), converts to calcium as endangered green sea turtles, in the nearly 300 MW of electricity using a oxide (CaO) and CO2. The CaO reacts cooling water intake; (5) potential new coal- and petroleum coke-fired with SO2 from the burning fuel to form effects on manatees and other combustor to demonstrate CFB calcium sulfate (CaSO4), an inert endangered species; (6) potential effects combustion technology. The new material that is removed with the on Essential Fish Habitat, such as combustor would be located adjacent to combustion ash. The combustion estuarine emergent wetlands; (7) the existing Unit 3. Piping and related efficiency of the CFB combustor allows potential effects on cultural resources; infrastructure would be constructed to the fuel to be burned at a relatively low (8) disposal of ash, including whether link the combustor with the Unit 2 temperature of about 1,650EF, thus the planned ash marketing would be steam turbine.