DOE/EA-1709 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR COMPACT POWER, INC. ELECTRIC DRIVE VEHICLE BATTERY AND COMPONENT MANUFACTURING INITIATIVE APPLICATION, HOLLAND, MICHIGAN U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory March 2010 DOE/EA-1709 FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR COMPACT POWER, INC. ELECTRIC DRIVE VEHICLE BATTERY AND COMPONENT MANUFACTURING INITIATIVE APPLICATION, HOLLAND, MICHIGAN U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory March 2010 COVER SHEET RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) TITLE: Final Environmental Assessment for Compact Power, Inc. Electric Drive Vehicle Battery and Component Manufacturing Initiative Application, Holland, Michigan CONTACT: For additional copies or more information concerning this environmental assessment (EA), please contact: Mr. Mark W. Lusk U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory P.O. Box 880 3610 Collins Ferry Road Morgantown, WV 26507-0880 Telephone: (304) 285-4145 Email: [email protected]. ABSTRACT: DOE prepared this EA to evaluate the potential environmental consequences of providing an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act; Public Law 111- 5, 123 Stat. 115) grant to Compact Power, Inc. to construct and operate a high-volume manufacturing plant to build advanced lithium-ion cells and batteries. The cells and batteries would be for use in automotive applications including but not limited to hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid electric, pure electric vehicles for commercial purposes, and military hybrid vehicles, as well as for aviation, smart grid support, broadband backup power, and energy storage for renewable energy. DOE’s Proposed Action is to provide $151 million in financial assistance in a cost-sharing arrangement with the project proponent, Compact Power, Inc. The total cost of the project is estimated at $303 million. Compact Power, Inc.’s proposed project would expand its domestic capacity to produce advanced lead-acid batteries for use in the transportation industry. Compact’s 850,000-square-foot facility would be built on vacant land located mostly in the City of Holland, Allegan County, Michigan, with a small portion of the proposed site located in the adjacent Fillmore Township. This EA evaluates 14 resource areas and identifies no significant adverse impacts for the proposed project after consideration of the mitigation of impacts to wetlands. Beneficial impacts to the nation’s air quality and transportation could be realized from implementation of the proposed project. In addition, beneficial socioeconomic impacts would occur from increased employment opportunities and spending in the affected local economies. Availability: A Notice of Availability was placed in the Holland Sentinel and Grand Rapids Press on January 8, 9, and 10, 2010. The Draft EA was made available for public review from DOE/EA-1709 iii January 8, 2009 through February 7, 2010 at the Herrick District Library, 300 S. River Avenue, Holland, Michigan. The Draft EA was also available on the National Energy Technology Laboratory web site and was mailed to individuals and agencies listed in Appendix A. This Final EA is available on DOE’s National Energy Technology Laboratory website at http://www.netl.doe.gov/publications/others/nepa/ea.html. DOE/EA-1709 iv ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS BPW Board of Public Works CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO carbon monoxide CPI Compact Power, Inc. DOE U.S. Department of Energy (also called the Department) EA environmental assessment EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency LiPF6 lithium hexafluorophosphate NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NEPA National Environmental Policy Act, as amended NMP N-methylpyrrolidone NO2 nitrogen dioxide NOx nitrogen oxides O3 ozone Pb lead PM10 particulate matter with an aerodynamic size less than or equal to 10 microns PM2.5 particulate matter with an aerodynamic size less than or equal to 2.5 microns SO2 sulfur dioxide Stat. United States Statute at Large U.S.C. United States Code Note: Numbers in this EA generally have been rounded to two or three significant figures. Therefore, some total values might not equal the actual sums of the values. DOE/EA-1709 v Contents CONTENTS Section Page Summary ...................................................................................................................................... S-1 1 Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 National Environmental Policy Act and Related Procedures .......................................... 1-2 1.2 Background ...................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Purpose and Need ............................................................................................................ 1-4 1.4 Consultations and Public Comment Response Process ................................................... 1-4 1.4.1 Consultations............................................................................................................ 1-4 1.4.2 Comment-Response Process .................................................................................... 1-5 2 DOE Proposed Action and Alternatives ............................................................................... 2-1 2.1 CPI’s Proposed Project .................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 No-Action Alternative ..................................................................................................... 2-6 2.3 DOE Alternative Actions ................................................................................................. 2-6 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ................................................... 3-1 3.1 Land Use .......................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 3-1 3.1.2 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................. 3-2 3.1.2.1 Proposed Project ............................................................................................ 3-2 3.1.2.2 No-Action Alternative ................................................................................... 3-2 3.2 Air Quality ....................................................................................................................... 3-2 3.2.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 3-2 3.2.1.1 Ambient Air Quality Conditions .................................................................... 3-2 3.2.1.2 Air Quality Conformity .................................................................................. 3-4 3.2.1.3 Greenhouse Gas Emissions ............................................................................ 3-4 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................. 3-5 3.2.2.1 Proposed Project ............................................................................................ 3-5 3.2.2.2 No-Action Alternative ................................................................................... 3-5 3.3 Noise ................................................................................................................................ 3-6 DOE/EA-1709 vi Contents 3.3.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 3-6 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................. 3-6 3.3.2.1 Proposed Project ............................................................................................ 3-6 3.3.2.2 No-Action Alternative ................................................................................... 3-7 3.4 Aesthetics and Visual Resources ..................................................................................... 3-7 3.4.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 3-7 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................. 3-7 3.4.2.1 Proposed Project ............................................................................................ 3-7 3.4.2.2 No-Action Alternative ................................................................................... 3-8 3.5 Geology and Soils ............................................................................................................ 3-8 3.5.1 Affected Environment .............................................................................................. 3-8 3.5.1.1 Geologic and Topographic Conditions .......................................................... 3-8 3.5.1.2 Soils................................................................................................................ 3-9 3.5.1.3 Prime Farmland .............................................................................................. 3-9 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences .................................................................................. 3-9 3.5.2.1 Proposed Project ...........................................................................................