[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 16, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1710-1711]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-409]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Availability of the Supplement to the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the Gilberton Coal-to-Clean Fuels 
and Power Project

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability 
for public comment of a Supplement to the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Gilberton Coal-to-Clean Fuels and Power Project (DOE/
EIS-0357D-S1), prepared in response to comments on the original Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) issued in December 2005. This 
Supplement corrects information regarding carbon dioxide 
(CO2) emissions from the proposed Gilberton plant, provides 
information on the feasibility of carbon sequestration for the 
CO2 emissions from the Gilberton plant, and presents 
additional information regarding CO2-related cumulative 
impacts.
    It should be noted that the Supplement contains only those sections 
affected by comments related to CO2 emissions and 
sequestration, and DOE is inviting comments only on those sections. 
Comments on the original Draft EIS need not be resubmitted.

DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on the Supplement to the Draft 
EIS during the public comment period, which ends February 27, 2007. DOE 
will consider all comments postmarked or received during the public 
comment period in preparing the Final EIS, and will consider late 
comments to the extent practicable. DOE will consider and respond to 
all comments submitted on the original Draft EIS in preparing the Final 
EIS.

ADDRESSES: Requests for information about this Supplement to the Draft 
EIS or to receive a copy of the Supplement or the Draft EIS should be 
directed to: Janice L. Bell, NEPA Document Manager, U.S. Department of 
Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, M/S 58-247A, P.O. Box 
10940, Pittsburgh, PA 15236. Additional information about the 
Supplement or the Draft EIS may also be requested by telephone at: 
(412) 386-4512, or toll-free at: 1-866-576-8240.
    The Supplement to the Draft EIS will be available at http://www.eh.doe.gov/nepa. The original Draft EIS is available at the same 
Internet address. Copies of the Supplement to the Draft EIS are also 
available for review at the locations listed in the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this Notice. Written comments on the Supplement 
to the Draft EIS can be mailed to Janice L. Bell, NEPA Document 
Manager, at the address noted above. Written comments may also be 
submitted by fax to: (412) 386-4806, or submitted electronically to: 
[email protected]. In addition, oral comments on the Supplement to the 
Draft EIS can be provided by calling the toll-free telephone number: 1-
866-576-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information regarding the 
DOE NEPA process, please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, 
Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance (GC-20), U.S. Department of 
Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585, Telephone: 
(202) 586-4600, or leave a message at: (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Department prepared this Supplement to the Draft EIS in 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations that implement the procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 
parts 1500-1508), and the DOE procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 
1021).
    In the original Draft EIS, issued in December 2005, DOE's proposed 
action (and preferred alternative) is to provide cost-shared funding to 
design, construct, and operate a new plant to demonstrate coproduction 
of 41 MW of electricity, steam, and over 5,000 barrels-per-day of 
ultra-clean liquid hydrocarbon products (primarily diesel fuel and 
naphtha). The demonstration plant would use a gasifier to convert coal 
waste to synthesis gas, which would be conveyed to Fischer-Tropsch (F-
T) liquefaction facilities for production of liquid fuels and to a 
combined-cycle power plant. The demonstration facilities, to be 
constructed in Gilberton, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, would 
process up to 4,700 tons per day of coal waste (anthracite culm). The 
potential environmental impacts of this action are evaluated in the 
Draft EIS. The Draft EIS also analyzed the No Action Alternative, under 
which DOE would not provide cost-shared funding to demonstrate the 
commercial-scale integration of coal gasification and F-T synthesis 
technology to produce electricity, steam and liquid fuels. Under the 
No-Action Alternative, it is reasonably foreseeable that no new 
activity would occur.
    Among the public comments received on the Draft EIS were those from 
the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) regarding how the Draft 
EIS addressed CO2 emissions. The NRDC comments expressed 
concern about the potential impacts on global warming and questioned 
the accuracy of the annual rate of CO2 emissions reported in 
the Draft EIS. The comments also requested DOE to enhance the analysis 
of potential CO2-related cumulative impacts, further explore 
the feasibility of CO2 sequestration, and provide a public 
comment opportunity on the revised sections of the EIS. DOE also 
received similar comments on CO2 emissions and carbon 
sequestration from other organizations and individuals: the Coalition 
of Concerned Coal Region Citizens; the Mid-Atlantic Environmental Law 
Center; the Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future; Mike Ewall; Edward and 
Helen Sluzis; and James Kotcon.
    In considering the comments received on the Draft EIS, DOE 
determined that the annual rate of CO2 emissions reported in 
the Draft EIS included only the quantity of CO2 that would 
be emitted directly. The reported quantity did not include a larger 
quantity of CO2 in a concentrated stream exiting the gas 
cleanup system. While it was previously anticipated that the 
concentrated CO2 stream would be sold as a byproduct, the 
industrial participant has informed DOE that the commercial sale of the 
CO2 would not occur in the foreseeable future. Therefore, 
all of the CO2 would be emitted to the atmosphere. DOE has 
prepared the Supplement to clarify the total emissions rate 
accordingly. DOE has also enhanced the discussion of cumulative impacts 
and the feasibility of carbon sequestration.

Availability of the Supplement to the Draft EIS

    Copies of this Supplement to the Draft EIS have been distributed to 
Members of Congress, Federal, State, and local officials, and agencies, 
organizations and individuals who may be interested or affected. To 
obtain copies of the Supplement and the original Draft EIS, see 
ADDRESSES above. The Supplement and the Draft EIS are also available in 
the public reading rooms of the following public libraries: Frackville 
Free Public Library, 56 N. Lehigh

[[Page 1711]]

Avenue, Frackville, PA 17931; Mahanoy City Public Library, 17-19 West 
Mahanoy Avenue, Mahanoy City, PA 17948; and the Pottsville Free 
Library, 215 West Market Street, Pottsville, PA 17901.
    It should be noted that the Supplement contains only those sections 
affected by comments related to CO2 emissions and 
sequestration, and DOE is inviting comments only on those sections. 
Comments on the original Draft EIS need not be resubmitted.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 9, 2007.
Mark J. Matarrese,
Director, Office of Environment, Security, Safety and Health, Office of 
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. E7-409 Filed 1-12-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P