[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 51 (Thursday, March 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10567-10568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5701]



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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Finding of No Significant Impact for the Alternative Fuel 
Transportation Program

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department) has prepared an 
Environmental Assessment (Assessment) (DOE/EA-1151) to identify and 
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the Alternative Fuel 
Transportation Program. The program implements statutorily-imposed 
alternative fueled vehicle acquisition requirements that apply to 
certain alternative fuel providers and some State government vehicle 
fleets.
    Based on the analysis in DOE/EA-1151, the Department has determined 
that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly 
affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended. 
Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not 
required, and the Department is issuing this Finding of No Significant 
Impact (Finding).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Katz, Program Manager, 
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-33), U.S. 
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 
20585. (202) 586-6116.
    For further information on the Department's general NEPA 
procedures, contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA 
Oversight (EH-25), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 
SW, Washington, DC 20585. (202) 586-4600 or leave a message at (800) 
472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Assessment addresses the 
effects of the Final Rule for the Alternative Fuel Transportation 
Program on the human environment. The Department proposed a rule for 
this program on February 28, 1995 (60 FR 10970), for the purpose of 
fulfilling its obligation under the Act to implement statutorily-
imposed alternative fueled vehicle acquisition requirements in sections 
501 and 507(o) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which apply to certain 
alternative fuel providers and some State government vehicle fleets. In 
proposing this rule, the Department determined that preparation of an 
Environmental Assessment was appropriate to determine whether an 
Environmental Impact Statement was required.

Proposed Action

    The Final Rule for the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program 
implements the statutorily-imposed

[[Page 10568]]
alternative fueled vehicle acquisition requirements in sections 501 and 
507(o) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which apply to certain 
alternative fuel providers and some State government vehicle fleets. 
The final rule principally covers: (1) interpretations necessary for 
affected entities to determine whether and to what extent the statutory 
requirements apply; (2) required procedures for exemptions and 
administrative remedies; and (3) a program of marketable credits to 
reward those who voluntarily acquire vehicles in excess of mandated 
requirements or before the requirements take effect. The purpose of DOE 
action is to reduce the use of imported petroleum by promoting 
alternative fuel use, infrastructure development and alternative fueled 
vehicle availability. The rationale for requiring fleets to acquire 
alternative fueled vehicles is that fleet demand for alternative fuels 
and alternative fueled vehicles should improve their availability to 
the public, increase public demand and cause a larger shift to 
alternative fuels than would be achieved in absence of the program.

Environmental Impacts

    An analysis (DOE/EA-1151) was performed to determine the effect on 
air quality due to implementation of the final rule. Emissions were 
computed for five pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon 
monoxide (CO), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), particulate matter (PM-
10), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Five scenarios were considered 
based upon differing assumptions of fuel-type market penetrations over 
a 25-year period for both the alternative fuel provider and State 
fleets.
    The air emissions analysis shows that, in 2020, the proposed action 
could reduce state and alternative fuel provider fleet emissions for 
all five pollutants. The Alternative Fuel Transportation Program is 
estimated to cause a less than 3% decrease in cumulative emissions from 
all highway vehicles in the United States by the end of the 25-year 
study period in 2020. However, the vehicles acquired due to this 
program, and thus the associated emissions improvements, would be 
concentrated in metropolitan areas. Because these vehicles represent 
only 0.5% of all light duty vehicles and air emissions are expected to 
be the principal environmental effect, other environmental effects are 
not quantified.
    For each of the pollutant-scenario combinations, the results show a 
reduction in the emission levels. When the projected emissions in 2020 
are compared with 1993 National Mobile Source Emissions, the reductions 
range from 0.001% for NOX in the Gaseous Fuel Dominant Scenario to 
0.15% for CO in the Gaseous Fuel Dominant with EVs Scenario and the New 
Technology Dominant Scenario. When the emissions from the entire 25-
year study period are compared with 1993 National Mobile Source 
Emissions, the reductions range from 0.02% for NOX in the Gaseous 
Fuel Dominant Scenario to 2.53% for CO in the Gaseous Fuel Dominant 
with EVs Scenario.
    Although vehicle manufacturing, conversion and delivery affect the 
environment, the Environmental Assessment assumes that the effects of 
these activities for alternative fueled vehicles are virtually the same 
as for conventional vehicles. Therefore, the assessment assumes that 
there will not be incremental environmental effects from manufacturing 
or converting and delivering AFVs.
    The program is projected to displace 50 trillion Btu (0.34%) of 
gasoline use in light duty vehicles in 2010. Similarly, petroleum 
extraction, gasoline production, and gasoline delivery infrastructure 
and delivery activities would be reduced not more than 0.34%. Because 
this is below the level of significance, the assessment does not 
quantify the incremental environmental effects of raw materials 
acquisition, production, or fuel transportation for alternative fuels 
or petroleum.
    The program includes the resale and ultimate disposal of fleet 
vehicles. Air emissions of AFVs and conventional vehicles are 
quantified for the entire useful life of the vehicle, irrespective of 
vehicle ownership, so resale does not affect the analysis. Disposal of 
AFVs would be similar to disposal of conventional vehicles, with the 
exception of electric vehicle battery disposal. Batteries from electric 
vehicles are the principal waste that is different under the proposed 
action, compared to conventional vehicle waste under the no action 
alternative. At most, it is estimated that the electric vehicles 
acquired under the program will only represent 2.2% of the total number 
of electric vehicles on the road in 2010. Currently the infrastructure 
for the disposal of lead-acid batteries results in 98% recycling. Other 
battery materials may be used in the future, but the new battery 
technologies are also expected to be recycled.
    For further information on other environmental effects of the 
alternative fueled vehicles that will be acquired in this program, DOE 
refers interested stakeholders to the Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-
1151), which can be obtained from Docket Number EE-RM-95-110. For 
further information concerning the docket: Andi Kasarsky, (202) 586-
3012.

Alternatives Considered

    Actions other than the proposed action could fulfill the goals of 
the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program, but DOE is required by the 
Energy Policy Act to proceed with the proposed action, and therefore no 
alternative actions other than the No Action alternative were 
considered in the assessment.
    A No Action alternative was considered and was found not to meet 
the mandate of the Energy Policy Act. However, the no action 
alternative serves as a baseline for evaluating the environmental 
effects of the program. If no action were taken, fleets would be 
expected to acquire fewer alternative fueled vehicles than if the 
proposed action were taken. The incremental effects of additional 
alternative fueled vehicle acquisitions, not the total effects, were 
considered in the Environmental Assessment. The analysis defines a 
reference, or no action, case and five different scenarios that are 
used to represent possible outcomes of the proposed action. The 
difference between the reference case and any of the alternative 
scenarios analytically defines the incremental effects.

Determination

    Based on the analysis in the Environmental Assessment, the 
Department has determined that the implementation of the Alternative 
Transportation Program does not constitute a major Federal action 
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within 
the meaning of the NEPA. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental 
Impact Statement is not required and the Department is issuing this 
Finding of No Significant Impact.

    Issued at Washington, D.C., this 5th day of March, 1996.
Brian T. Castelli,
Chief-of-Staff, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-5701 Filed 3-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P