[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 106 (Tuesday, June 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33111-33113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-13857]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Western Greenbrier Co-Production Demonstration Project, Rainelle, 
WV and Notice of Floodplain/Wetlands Involvement

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
and Notice of Floodplain/Wetlands Involvement.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces its intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ) NEPA regulations (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and the DOE 
NEPA regulations (10 CFR Part 1021), to assess the potential 
environmental impacts of a proposed project by Western Greenbrier Co-
Gen LLC (WGC) to design, construct, and operate, in Rainelle, 
Greenbrier County, West Virginia, a demonstration facility that would 
use an innovative atmospheric-pressure circulating fluidized-bed (ACFB) 
boiler as the source of heat for the co-production of electricity, 
steam and structural brick. The proposed project, selected under the 
Clean Coal Power Initiative competitive solicitation, would be the 
first demonstration in the United States of a compact inverted cyclone 
configuration for the boiler design. This design has a 40 percent 
smaller footprint than a conventional boiler system of similar 
capacity.
    The proposed power station would produce 85 MW (megawatts) of net 
electrical power plus 10,000-30,000 pounds per hour of steam and hot 
water. Steam and hot water from the proposed facility would serve an 
industrial park, which the host municipality has planned for land 
adjoining the power plant. Fuel for the power plant would be coal 
wastes from waste piles within the surrounding area. When necessary to 
raise the BTU content of the fuel, quality coal would be blended with 
the waste coal. The proposed project would also be a first 
demonstration of the utilization of coal combustion ash and wood wastes 
for the manufacture of molded building blocks, known as 
WoodbrikTM, to supply the regional construction materials 
market. All ash that is not used in by-product manufacture would be 
returned to the coal waste source sites to be used in the mitigation of 
acid leachate.
    The EIS will evaluate the proposed project and reasonable 
alternatives. Because the proposed project would affect a floodplain 
and may affect wetlands, the EIS will include a floodplain assessment 
and wetlands assessment and DOE will prepare a floodplain statement of 
findings in accordance with DOE regulations for compliance with 
floodplain/wetlands environmental review requirements (10 CFR part 
1022).
    The EIS will help DOE decide whether to provide 50 percent 
(approximately $107.5 million) of the total estimated funding of $215 
million for the proposed project. The purpose of this Notice of Intent 
is to inform the public about the proposed project; announce plans for 
a public scoping meeting; invite public participation in the EIS 
process; and solicit public comments for consideration in establishing 
the proposed scope and content of the EIS.

DATES: To ensure that all of the issues related to this proposal are 
addressed, DOE invites comments on the proposed scope and content of 
the EIS from all interested parties. Comments must be received by July 
3, 2003, to ensure consideration. Late comments will be considered to 
the extent practicable. In addition to receiving comments in writing 
and by telephone [See ADDRESSES below], DOE will conduct a public 
scoping meeting in which agencies, organizations, and the general 
public are invited to present oral comments or suggestions with regard 
to the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts to be considered in 
the EIS. The scoping meeting will be held at Greenbrier West High 
School in Charmco, West Virginia on June 19, 2003, beginning at 7 p.m. 
(See Public Scoping Process). Greenbrier West High School is located on 
U.S. Route 60 approximately 10.3 miles west of I-64 Exit 156 at Sam 
Black Church. The public is invited to an informal session at this 
location beginning at 4 p.m. to learn more about the proposed action. 
Displays and other forms of information about the proposed agency 
action and the demonstration plant will be available, and DOE personnel 
will be present at the informal session to discuss the proposed project 
and the EIS process.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the proposed EIS scope and requests to 
participate in the public scoping meeting should be addressed to the 
NEPA Document Manager for the Western Greenbrier Co-Production 
Demonstration Project: Mr. Mark L. McKoy, National Energy Technology 
Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, WV 
26507-0880.
    People who want to participate in the public scoping process also 
may contact Mr. Mark L. McKoy directly at telephone 304-285-4426; toll 
free number 1-800-432-8330 (extension 4426); fax 304-285-4403; or e-
mail [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain additional information about 
this project or to receive a copy of the draft EIS for review when it 
is issued, contact Mr. Mark L. McKoy at the address provided above. For 
general information on the DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol 
M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (EH-42), 
U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW.,Washington, DC 
20585-0119, Telephone: 202-586-4600, facsimile: 202-586-7031, or leave 
a toll-free message at 1-800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background and Need for Proposed Agency Action

    Since the early 1970s, DOE and its predecessor agencies have 
pursued research and development programs that contain long-term, high-
risk activities that support the development of innovative concepts for 
a wide variety of coal technologies through the proof-of-concept stage. 
However, the availability of a technology at the proof-of-concept stage 
is not sufficient to ensure its continued development and subsequent 
commercialization. Before any technology can be considered seriously 
for commercialization, it must be demonstrated. The financial risk 
associated with technology demonstration is, in general, too high for 
the private sector to assume in the absence of strong incentives. The 
Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) was established in 2002 as a 
government/industry partnership to implement the President's National 
Energy Policy recommendation to increase investment in clean coal 
technology. This recommendation addresses a national challenge of 
ensuring the reliability of electricity supply while simultaneously 
protecting the environment. The goal of the CCPI program is to 
accelerate commercial deployment of advanced

[[Page 33112]]

coal technologies that provide the United States with clean, reliable, 
and affordable energy. Through cooperative agreements established 
pursuant to the CCPI program, DOE would accelerate deployment of 
innovative technologies to meet near-term energy and environmental 
goals, reduce technological risks to the business community to an 
acceptable level, and provide private sector incentives required for 
continued activity in innovative research and development.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action is for DOE to provide, through a 5-year 
cooperative agreement with Western Greenbrier Co-Gen LLC (WGC), 
financial assistance for a proposed demonstration project to co-produce 
heat and electric power in a new generating station at Rainelle, 
Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The new generating station would be 
designed for long-term commercial operation (at least 20 years) 
following completion of the cooperative agreement with DOE and would 
cost approximately $215 million. DOE's share would be approximately 
$107.5 million (50 percent).
    WGC is proposing to design, construct, and operate an 85 MW 
(megawatt) atmospheric-pressure, circulating fluidized-bed boiler 
(ACFB) facility that would generate electricity and steam by burning 
approximately 1,800 tons per day of waste coal as the primary fuel. A 
coal-fired rotary kiln would be coupled with the power plant and would 
calcine coal ash and limestone into a cementitious material for use 
with wood wastes in the on-site manufacture of structural bricks and 
blocks (WoodbrikTM).
    The proposed facility would be the first commercial application 
within the United States of a fluidized bed combustor that would have a 
compact inverted cyclone design. This design would give the boiler 
system a 40 percent smaller footprint than a conventional boiler system 
of similar capacity, and would reduce structural steel requirements and 
construction costs by up to 60 percent. Additionally, the proposed 
brick making facility would be the first commercial demonstration of 
the WoodbrikTM process in the United States.
    In addition to electricity and WoodbrikTM products, the 
proposed plant would co-produce steam and hot water and serve as the 
anchor tenant for a new environmentally balanced industrial park. This 
``Eco-Park'' would use hot water produced from the plant's turbine 
exhaust to provide heating for buildings, agricultural activities and 
aquacultural activities. Steam would be used for various heating and 
industrial processes, which might include hardwood drying.
    The source for the waste coal fuel for the plant would be a 4 
million ton coal refuse site in Anjean, WV. If the Anjean site is not 
available, other nearby sites would supply the coal wastes. Any 
additional heating value requirements for the waste coal as a fuel 
would be supplied by blending with quality coal. Coal combustion ash 
that is not used in by-product manufacture at the proposed facility 
would be used to remediate acid drainage from the source coal waste 
piles. If successfully demonstrated, this technology could be applied 
to many regions of the country for reclaiming contaminated land where 
waste coal is currently stockpiled.
    The proposed project site comprises approximately 26 acres located 
within or adjoining a 30-acre industrial park that is currently under 
development by the city of Rainelle. The site is approximately 160 
kilometers (100 miles) southeast of the city of Charleston, West 
Virginia. The area can be reached by State Highway 60 and is less than 
14 miles from I-64. Construction of the proposed plant would be 
expected to require approximately 27 months, following eight months of 
project definition and nine months of detailed design.

Alternatives

    NEPA requires that agencies discuss the reasonable alternatives to 
the proposed action in an EIS. The purpose of the agency action 
determines the range of reasonable alternatives. In this case, the 
Clean Coal Power Initiative was established to help implement the 
President's National Energy Policy (NEP) recommendation to increase 
investment in clean coal technology by addressing national challenges 
of ensuring the reliability of domestic energy supplies while 
simultaneously protecting the environment. The CCPI program was 
structured to achieve NEP goals by promoting private sector initiatives 
to invest in demonstrations of advanced commerce-ready technologies 
through the use of Federal, cost-sharing, financial assistance awards. 
This approach puts DOE in a much more limited role than if the Federal 
government were the owner and operator of the project. In the latter 
situation, DOE would be responsible for a comprehensive analysis of 
reasonable alternative locations for the project. However, when dealing 
with applicants for financial assistance awards under the CCPI program, 
the scope of alternatives is necessarily more restricted because DOE 
must focus on alternative ways to accomplish its purpose that reflect 
both the applications before it and the functions that DOE plays in the 
decision process. As a grantor of financial assistance awards under a 
competitive open solicitation, DOE must give substantial deference to 
each applicant's needs in establishing a project's reasonable 
alternatives.
    The range of reasonable options to be considered in the EIS for the 
WGC Demonstration Project is determined in accordance with the overall 
NEPA strategy. Because of DOE's limited role of providing financial 
assistance for the proposed Western Greenbrier Co-Production 
Demonstration Project, DOE currently plans to give primary emphasis to 
the proposed action and the no-action alternative. Under the no-action 
alternative, DOE would not provide partial funding for the design, 
construction, and operation of the proposed project. In the absence of 
DOE funding, the Western Greenbrier Co-Production Demonstration Project 
probably would not occur. If the proposed Western Greenbrier Co-
Production Demonstration Project is not built, Western Greenbrier would 
need to consider other approaches to meet its goals, which could 
include the use of conventional technologies to produce electricity or 
using some other currently developing technology. DOE will consider 
other alternatives that may be suggested during the public scoping 
period.
    Under the proposed action, project activities would include 
engineering and design, permitting, fabrication and construction, and 
testing of facilities that would demonstrate the proposed technologies. 
Upon completion of the demonstration phase, the facility would continue 
commercial operation.

Preliminary Identification of Environmental Issues

    The following environmental issues have been tentatively identified 
for analysis in the EIS. This list was developed from analyses of the 
proposed technology, the scope of the proposed project, and similar 
projects. It is presented to facilitate public comment on the planned 
scope of the EIS and is neither intended to be all-inclusive nor a 
predetermined set of potential impacts. Additions to or deletions from 
this list may occur as a result of the public scoping process. 
Environmental issues include:
    (1) Air quality impacts: potential impacts resulting from air 
emissions during operation of the power plant and kiln, impacts on 
local sensitive

[[Page 33113]]

receptors, increases in local smog and haze, water vapor plumes, dust 
from construction and transportation, impacts on special-use areas;
    (2) Noise and light impacts: potential impacts resulting from 
construction, transportation of materials, and plant operation;
    (3) Traffic Issues: potential impacts resulting from the 
construction and operation of the proposed facility including changes 
in local traffic patterns, deterioration of roads, traffic hazards, 
traffic controls;
    (4) Floodplains and wetlands: potential impacts on flood flow 
resulting from earthen fills, access roads and dikes constructed within 
the floodplain; impacts to wetlands;
    (5) Visual impacts associated with plant structures: views from 
neighborhoods, impacts on scenic views, impacts from water vapor plumes 
and haze; internal and external perception of the local community;
    (6) Reclamation impacts: potential impacts resulting from recovery 
of coal waste and from the reclamation of the waste coal source sites; 
mitigation of acid drainage from coal waste piles, and other 
environmental improvements;
    (7) Water quality: potential impacts resulting from wastewater 
utilization and discharge, water usage, and reclamation of waste coal 
sites;
    (8) Infrastructure and land use, including potential environmental 
and socioeconomic effects of plant construction, delivery of feed 
materials, recovery of waste coal, steam and heat distribution, 
electric power generation and transmission, WoodbrikTM production and 
distribution, and site restoration;
    (9) Water usage: water consumption, potential effects on surface 
and groundwater resources and withdrawal of water from the municipal 
sewage treatment plant;
    (10) Solid Waste: pollution prevention and waste management, 
including ash, slag, and wastewater treatment facility sludge;
    (11) Cumulative effects that result from the incremental impacts of 
the proposed project when added to the other past, present, and 
reasonably foreseeable future projects;
    (12) Ecological: Potential on-site and off-site impacts to 
vegetation, terrestrial wildlife, aquatic wildlife, threatened and 
endangered species, and ecologically sensitive habitats;
    (13) Connected actions: Use of heat and energy from the plant for 
the adjoining Eco-Park;
    (14) Compliance with regulatory requirements and environmental 
permitting; and
    (15) Environmental monitoring.
    Parts or all of the proposed power plant and brick manufacturing 
facility would occupy a floodplain along Sewell Creek, in Rainelle, 
West Virginia. Parts of the proposed facilities may occupy 
jurisdictional wetland areas on the floodplain. Therefore, in 
accordance with DOE regulations (10 CFR Part 1022), the final EIS will 
include a floodplain and wetlands assessment and a floodplain statement 
of findings.

Public Scoping Process

    To ensure that all issues related to this proposal are addressed, 
DOE seeks public input to define the scope of the EIS. The public 
scoping period will end on July 3, 2003. Interested agencies, 
organizations and the general public are encouraged to submit comments 
or suggestions concerning the content of the EIS, issues and impacts to 
be addressed in the EIS, and alternatives that should be considered. 
Scoping comments should clearly describe specific issues or topics that 
the EIS should address to assist DOE in identifying significant issues. 
Written, e-mailed, faxed, or telephoned comments should be communicated 
by July 3, 2003 (see ADDRESSES).
    DOE will conduct a public scoping meeting at Greenbrier West High 
School in Charmco, West Virginia on June 19, 2003 beginning at 7 p.m. 
Greenbrier West High School is located on U.S. Route 60 approximately 
10.3 miles west of I-64 Exit 156 at Sam Black Church. In addition, the 
public is invited to an informational session at this location 
beginning at 4 p.m. to learn more about the proposed action. Displays 
and other information about the proposed agency action and location 
will be available, and DOE personnel will be present to discuss the 
proposed action and the NEPA process.
    The formal scoping meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on June 19, 2003. 
Members of the public who wish to speak at this public scoping meeting 
should contact Mr. Mark L. McKoy, either by phone, fax, computer, or in 
writing (see ADDRESSES in this Notice). Those who do not arrange in 
advance to speak may register at the meeting (preferably at the 
beginning of the meeting) and may speak after previously scheduled 
speakers. Speakers who want more than five minutes should indicate the 
length of time desired in their request. Depending on the number of 
speakers, DOE may need to limit speakers to five minutes initially and 
provide additional opportunities as time permits. Speakers may also 
provide written materials to supplement their presentations. Oral and 
written comments will be given equal consideration.
    DOE will begin the meeting with an overview of the proposed Western 
Greenbrier Co-Production Demonstration Project. The meeting will not be 
conducted as an evidentiary hearing, and speakers will not be cross-
examined. However, speakers may be asked questions to help ensure that 
DOE fully understands the comments or suggestions. A presiding officer 
will establish the order of speakers and provide any additional 
procedures necessary to conduct the meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC, this 28th day of May, 2003.
Beverly A. Cook,
Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health.
[FR Doc. 03-13857 Filed 6-2-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P