Fulcrum Biofuels
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DOE/EA - 1848 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY LOAN GUARANTEE TO FULCRUM SIERRA BIOFUELS, LLC FOR A WASTE-TO-ETHANOL FACILITY IN MCCARRAN, STOREY COUNTY, NEVADA U.S. Department of Energy Loan Guarantee Program Office Washington, D.C. 20585 June 2011 Environmental Assessment DOE/EA - 1848 Table of Contents CONTENTS Summary .............................................................................................................................................. v Acronyms and Abbreviations ............................................................................................................ x 1.0 Purpose and Need ..................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Background ......................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Scope of the Environmental Assessment ........................................................................... 1-2 2.0 Proposed Action and Alternatives .......................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Proposed Action .................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.1.1 Facility Components and Process .......................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Construction and Transportation Infrastructure .................................................... 2-5 2.1.3 Facility Construction .............................................................................................. 2-5 2.1.4 Facility Operation .................................................................................................. 2-6 2.1.5 Decommissioning ................................................................................................2-25 2.1.6 Permits, Approvals, and Authorizations .............................................................2-26 2.2 No Action Alternative ......................................................................................................2-27 2.3 Alternative Sites or Operating Parameters Considered but Eliminated ..........................2-27 3.0 Affected Environment and Environmental Effects .............................................................. 3-1 3.1 General Site Description ..................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Land Use and Special Management Areas ........................................................................ 3-5 3.2.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................ 3-5 3.2.2 Environmental Effects – Land Use and Special Management Areas ................... 3-7 3.3 Transportation Corridors, Infrastructure, and Utilities ...................................................... 3-7 3.3.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................ 3-7 3.3.2 Environmental Effects – Transportation Corridors, Infrastructure, and Utilities 3-9 3.4 Water Resources ................................................................................................................. 3-9 3.4.1 Affected Environment ............................................................................................ 3-9 3.4.2 Environmental Effects – Water Resources..........................................................3-10 3.5 Soils and Geology .............................................................................................................3-15 3.5.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-15 3.5.2 Environmental Effects – Soils and Geology .......................................................3-16 Environmental Assessment DOE/EA - 1848 i Table of Contents 3.6 Vegetation .........................................................................................................................3-16 3.6.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-16 3.6.2 Environmental Effects – Vegetation ...................................................................3-17 3.7 Wildlife and Fisheries .......................................................................................................3-17 3.7.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-17 3.7.2 Environmental Effects – Wildlife and Fisheries .................................................3-22 3.8 Special Status Species.......................................................................................................3-23 3.8.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-23 3.8.2 Environmental Effects – Sensitive Species .........................................................3-26 3.9 Air Quality ........................................................................................................................3-27 3.9.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-27 3.9.2 Environmental Effects – Air Quality ...................................................................3-30 3.10 Cultural Resources ............................................................................................................3-35 3.10.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-35 3.10.2 Environmental Effects – Cultural Resources ......................................................3-39 3.11 Socioeconomic Impacts ....................................................................................................3-39 3.11.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-39 3.11.2 Environmental Effects – Socioeconomics...........................................................3-39 3.12 Environmental Justice .......................................................................................................3-40 3.12.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-40 3.12.2 Environmental Effects – Environmental Justice .................................................3-40 3.13 Visual Resources...............................................................................................................3-40 3.13.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-40 3.13.2 Environmental Effects – Visual Resources .........................................................3-40 3.14 Noise .................................................................................................................................3-41 3.14.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-41 3.14.2 Environmental Effects – Noise ............................................................................3-41 3.15 Public Health and Safety ..................................................................................................3-42 3.15.1 Affected Environment ..........................................................................................3-42 3.15.2 Environmental Effects – Public Health and Safety .............................................3-42 4.0 Cumulative Environmental Impacts ...................................................................................... 4-1 4.1 Past, Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions .............................................. 4-1 4.2 Cumulative Analysis ........................................................................................................... 4-2 4.2.1 Vegetation .............................................................................................................. 4-2 4.2.2 Wildlife and Fisheries ............................................................................................ 4-2 4.2.3 Special Status Species ............................................................................................ 4-2 Environmental Assessment DOE/EA - 1848 ii Table of Contents 4.2.4 Air Quality .............................................................................................................. 4-3 4.2.5 Visual Resources .................................................................................................... 4-3 5.0 List of Preparers and Reviewers ............................................................................................ 5-1 6.0 List of Agencies, Organizations, and Persons Contacted .................................................... 6-1 6.1 State Agencies ..................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 Local Agencies ................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.3 Native American Tribes...................................................................................................... 6-1 7.0 References .................................................................................................................................