[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 86 (Friday, May 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26004-26005]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10662]


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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY


Notice of Availability; Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
the FutureGen 2.0 Project

AGENCY: U. S. Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of availability and public hearing.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability 
of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the FutureGen 2.0 
Project (DOE/EIS-0460D) for public review and comment, as well as the 
date, location, and time for a public hearing. The draft environmental 
impact statement (EIS) analyzes the potential impacts associated with 
the FutureGen 2.0 Project (FutureGen 2.0), which would be designed, 
constructed, operated, and partially funded by the FutureGen Industrial 
Alliance, Inc. (Alliance). In addition to Alliance funding, FutureGen 
2.0 may receive approximately $1 billion in federal financial 
assistance under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
    DOE prepared this 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 regulations that implement the 
procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), DOE's 
procedures implementing NEPA (10 CFR part 1021), and DOE's procedures 
for compliance with floodplain and wetland review requirements (10 CFR 
part 1022).

DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on the draft EIS during the 
public comment period, which ends June 17, 2013. DOE will consider all 
comments postmarked or received during the public comment period when 
preparing the final EIS and will consider late comments to the extent 
practicable.
    DOE will hold a public hearing on May 21, 2013, at Jacksonville 
High School, 1211 N. Diamond Street, Jacksonville, Illinois. An 
informational session will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., 
preceding the formal presentations and comment period from 6:00 p.m. to 
approximately 8:00 p.m. See the PUBLIC HEARING section for details on 
the hearing process.

ADDRESSES: Requests for information about this draft EIS or for a paper 
copy should be directed to: Mr. Cliff Whyte, M/S: I07, National Energy 
Technology Laboratory, 3610 Collins Ferry Road, P.O. Box 880, 
Morgantown, WV 26507-0880.
    Additional information about the draft EIS may also be requested by 
electronic mail at [email protected], by telephone at (304) 285-
2098, or by toll-free telephone at 1-800-432-8330, extension 2098. The 
draft EIS will be available at http://energy.gov/nepa. Copies of the 
draft EIS are also available for review at the locations listed in the 
AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT EIS section of this notice.
    Written comments on the draft EIS can be mailed or sent 
electronically to Mr. Whyte at the addresses noted above. Written 
comments may also be submitted by fax to (304) 285-4403. Oral comments 
on the draft EIS will be accepted during the public hearing scheduled 
for the date and location provided in the DATES section of this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the 
proposed project or the draft EIS, please contact: Mr. Cliff Whyte (see 
ADDRESSES). For general information regarding DOE's NEPA process, 
please contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy 
and Compliance (GC-54), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence 
Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585; Telephone: (202) 586-4600; Fax: (202) 
586-7031. You may also call Ms. Borgstrom at (800) 472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE proposes to provide financial assistance 
(approximately $1 billion), through two cooperative agreements, to the 
Alliance for its proposed FutureGen 2.0 Project. FutureGen 2.0 is a 
public-private partnership formed for the purpose of developing and 
sharing the cost of the world's first commercial-scale oxy-combustion 
electricity generation plant integrated with carbon dioxide 
(CO2) capture and storage. Babcock & Wilcox Power Generation 
Group, Inc. and Air Liquide Process and Construction, Inc., among 
others, would participate in the project by supplying technology, major 
components, and construction services.
    The project would use oxy-combustion technology to generate 
electric power and would capture CO2 for permanent storage 
underground. The plant would generate 168 megawatts (MW) (gross) of 
electricity. The Alliance would design and construct the plant to 
capture at least 90 percent of the CO2 generated (up to 98 
percent could be captured). Captured CO2 would be 
transported through a 30-mile pipeline to a facility where it would be 
injected into the Mount Simon formation for permanent storage. This 
saline rock formation is approximately 4,000-4,500 feet below ground. 
The project would be designed to capture, transport, and inject 
approximately 1.1 million metric tons of CO2 annually, or a 
total of approximately 33 million metric tons over 30 years of 
operation. The Alliance would also construct and operate a visitor and 
research center and training facilities related to carbon capture and

[[Page 26005]]

storage in the vicinity of Jacksonville, Illinois. The DOE-funded 
demonstration period would last for 56 months, from the start of 
operations (July 2017) through February 2022, but the plant is expected 
to continue commercial operations after this date.
    The oxy-combustion plant would be built on a 263-acre existing 
power plant site in Morgan County, Illinois, approximately one mile 
south of the Village of Meredosia. Ameren Energy Resources (Ameren) has 
agreed to sell to the Alliance the assets at the Meredosia Energy 
Center that are necessary for the FutureGen 2.0 Project. These assets 
include Unit 4, which was constructed in 1975. The Unit 4 steam 
turbine, material and fuel handling facilities, process water sources, 
cooling systems, high-voltage interconnection lines, and certain other 
facilities would be used for the new plant. Ameren would continue to 
own the three other electricity generation units at the Meredosia 
Energy Center. Operation of these units has been suspended since 2011.
    The CO2 storage site would be located 30 miles east of 
the plant site, on the eastern side of Morgan County. A new 12-inch 
diameter pipeline would be sited and constructed using an 80-foot 
construction right-of-way and a 50-foot permanent right-of-way. The 
Alliance has identified two possible routes for the pipeline and has 
proposed to use the route that would minimize impacts to landowners and 
the environment. The Alliance has not identified a final location for 
the proposed injection wells, but has identified an approximately 
5,300-acre site in which the wells would be located and under which the 
CO2 would be permanently stored. Up to 25 acres of land 
would be used for the injection facilities, associated infrastructure 
and buildings, and access roads.
    The draft EIS evaluates the potential impacts of the proposed 
project, connected actions, and reasonable alternatives. Because the 
proposed project may affect wetlands, the draft EIS includes an 
assessment of impacts to wetlands in accordance with DOE's regulations 
under Compliance with Floodplains and Wetlands Environmental Review 
Requirements (10 CFR part 1022).
    DOE analyzed two alternatives in the draft EIS: the proposed action 
and the no action alternative. Under the proposed action, DOE would 
provide approximately $1 billion in cost-shared ARRA funding to the 
proposed project.
    Under the no action alternative, DOE would not provide continued 
funding. Without DOE funding, it is unlikely that the Alliance, or the 
industry in general, would undertake the utility-scale integration of 
CO2 capture and geologic storage with a coal-fueled power 
plant using oxy-combustion. Therefore, the no action alternative also 
represents a ``no-build'' alternative. Without DOE's investment in a 
utility-scale facility, the development of oxy-combustion repowered 
plants integrated with CO2 capture and geologic storage 
would occur more slowly or not at all.
    The draft EIS considers the environmental consequences that may 
result from the proposed project and describes additional mitigation 
that might be used to reduce various impacts.
    Availability of the Draft EIS: Copies of the draft EIS have been 
distributed to members of Congress; Native American tribal governments; 
federal, state, and local officials; and agencies, organizations, and 
individuals who may be interested or affected. The draft EIS will be 
available on the Internet at: http://energy.gov/nepa/nepa-documents. 
Copies of the draft EIS are available for public review at the 
following locations: M-C River Public Library District, 304 Main 
Street, Meredosia, Illinois; Jacksonville Public Library, 201 West 
College Avenue, Jacksonville, Illinois; Taylorville Public Library, 121 
West Vine Street, Taylorville, Illinois; Arcola Public Library, 407 
East Main Street, Arcola, Illinois; and Tuscola Public Library, 112 
Sale Street, Tuscola, Illinois. Additional copies also can be requested 
(see ADDRESSES).
    Public Hearing: DOE will conduct a public hearing on May 21, 2013 
at the Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville, Illinois to obtain 
comments on the draft EIS. Requests to speak at the public hearing can 
be made by calling or writing to Mr. Whyte (see ADDRESSES). Requests to 
speak not submitted prior to the hearing will be accepted in the order 
in which they are received during the hearing. Speakers are encouraged 
to provide a written version of their oral comments or supplementary 
materials for the record. Each speaker will be allowed approximately 
five minutes to present comments. Those 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 all 
speakers to five minutes initially and provide additional opportunities 
as time permits. Comments will be recorded by a court reporter and will 
become part of the public record. Oral and written comments will be 
given equal consideration.
    The public hearing will begin at 5:00 p.m. with an informational 
session. Formal presentations and a formal comment session will begin 
at approximately 6:00 p.m. DOE will begin the hearing's formal session 
with overviews of its clean coal program, proposed FutureGen 2.0 
Project, and the NEPA process, followed by oral statements by pre-
registered speakers. Speakers may be asked questions to help ensure 
that DOE fully understands their comments. A presiding officer will 
establish the order of speakers and provide any additional procedures 
necessary to conduct the hearing.
    The public hearing will be accessible to people with disabilities. 
In addition, any individual needing specific assistance, such as a sign 
language interpreter or a translator, should contact Mr. Whyte (See 
ADDRESSES) at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing so that 
arrangements can be made.

    Dated: May 1, 2013.
Mark J. Matarrese,
Director, Office of Environment, Security, Safety and Health, Office of 
Fossil Energy.
[FR Doc. 2013-10662 Filed 5-1-13; 4:15 pm]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P