[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 139 (Thursday, July 19, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 37660]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18013]



[[Page 37660]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on an 
Application for a Department of the Army Permit Under Section 404 of 
the Clean Water Act by Alcoa Inc. for Construction and Operation of the 
Three Oaks Surface Lignite Mine in Lee and Bastrop Counties, TX

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District (USACE), 
intends to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to assess 
the environmental, social, and economic effects of issuance of a 
Department of the Army permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
for discharges of dredged and fill material into waters of the United 
States associated with the proposed construction and operation of a 
surface lignite mine. In the EIS, the USACE will assess potential 
impacts associated with a range of alternatives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or 
questions about the proposed action and EIS, please contact Ms. 
Jennifer Walker, Regulatory Project Manager, by letter at Regulatory 
Branch, CESWF-PER-R, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, P.O. Box 17300, Fort 
Worth, Texas 76102-Texas 76102-0300 or by telephone at (817) 978-7547.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Description of the Proposed Project: The applicant, Alcoa, Inc. 
(Alcoa), proposes to construct and operate the Three Oaks Lignite Mine 
in Lee and Bastrop Counties, Texas. The Three Oaks Mine lands are in 
the Brazos and Colorado River basins in east central Texas. The mine 
would be located to recover lignite from the Wilcox lignite belt, and 
would be located adjacent to the Alcoa Sandow Mine, which lies 
immediately to the Northeast of the proposed mine near Rockdale, in 
Milam and Lee Counties, Texas. The Sandow Mine has been operated by 
Alcoa since the early 1950s.
    Alcoa currently intends to supply approximately 6 million tons per 
year of lignite to electric power generation plants owned by Alcoa and 
TXU that supply power to the Alcoa Rockdale Aluminum Smelter. A portion 
of the electricity generated by TXU is distributed over the TXU 
electric grid. At a rate of 6 million tons per year, Alcoa estimates 
that the proposed mine contains over 30 years of lignite fuel for these 
purposes.
    Based upon current mining technologies and costs and the current 
rate of mining, the Sandow Mine will reach the end of its useful life 
in approximately five years. The primary purpose of Alcoa's proposed 
Three Oaks Mine is to continue to provide to provide a long-term source 
of energy to allow the continued operation of Alcoa's Rockdale aluminum 
smelter. Alcoa has stated that, to serve this purpose, the energy 
source must meet the following criteria: (1) Generate, or be used to 
generate, sufficient amounts of electricity, (2) be delivered to the 
smelter at a total cost that is stable, predictable, and low enough to 
sustain the economic viability of the smelter, (3) be available on a 
secure, firm, and continuous basis over a 30 year period, and (4) be 
available for use when the existing Sandow Mine is no longer a source 
of economically-recoverable lignite reserves (five years).
    The USACE has received an application for a Department of the Army 
permit under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act from Alcoa to construct 
and operate the proposed mine. In accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) the 
USACE has determined that issuance of such a permit may have a 
significant impact on the quality of the human environment and, 
therefore, requires the preparation of an EIS.
    2. Alternatives: Alternatives available to the USACE are to: (1) 
Issue the Department of the Army permit; (2) issue the Department of 
the Army permit with special conditions; or (3) deny the Department of 
the Army permit. Alternatives available to Alcoa include: (1) 
Constructing and operating the new Three Oaks Mine as proposed by 
Alcoa; (2) constucting and operating the new Three Oaks Mine as 
proposed by Alcoa, with modifications; (3) developing or acquiring 
other energy sources, including purchasing power from the electrical 
grid, converting the existing power plants to utilize western coal, or 
converting to the use of natural gas; or (4) no action.
    3. Scoping and Public Involvement Process: A public meeting (open 
house format) to gather information on the scope of the EIS, including 
the issues to be addressed in detail in the document will be conducted 
on August 21, 2001, form 3 to 9 p.m at the American Legion Hall located 
oin the south side of U.S. Highway 77, one mile south of U.S. Highway 
290, in Giddings, Texas.
    4. Significant Issues: Issues to be given significant analysis in 
the EIS are likely to include, but will not be limited to: The effects 
of mining activities on the mine's neighbors and nearby communities; 
streams, wetlands, surface water quantity and quality, groundwater 
quantity and quality, geologic resources, vegetation, fish and 
wildlife, threatened and endangered species, soils, prime farmland, 
noise, light, aesthetics, historic and pre-historic cultural resources, 
socioeconomics, land use, public roads, and air quality.
    5. Cooperating Agencies: At this time, no other federal or state 
agencies are expected to be cooperating agencies in preparation of the 
EIS. However, numerous federal and state agencies, including the U.S. 
Office of Surface Mining, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Railroad Commission of Texas, the 
Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission, the Texas Parks and 
Wildlife Department are expected to be involved in the preparation of, 
and provide comments on, the EIS.
    6. Additional Review and Consultation: Compliance with other 
federal and state requirements that will be addressed in the EIS 
include, but will not be limited to, state water quality certification 
under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act, compliance with the Railroad 
Commission of Texas regulations regarding surface coal mining, 
protection of water quality under the Texas Pollutant Discharge 
Elimination System, protection of air quality under the Texas Air 
Quality Act, protection of endangered and threatened species under 
Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, and protection of cultural 
resources under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    7. Availability of the Draft EIS: The Draft EIS is projected to be 
available by April 2002. A public hearing will be conducted following 
the release of the Draft EIS.

    Dated: July 12, 2001.
Gordon M. Wells,
Colonel, Corps of Engineers, District Engineer.
[FR Doc. 01-18013 Filed 7-18-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-20-M