[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 229 (Friday, November 28, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70846-70847]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-28101]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Energy Answers Arecibo Puerto Rico Renewable Energy Project: 
Notice of Cancellation of a Supplemental Final Environmental Impact 
Statement and Notice of Public Scoping and Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of cancellation of a Supplemental Final Environmental 
Impact Statement and notice of public scoping and intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: On April 12, 2013, Rural Utilities Service (RUS) published a 
Notice of Intent (NOI) announcing its intent to prepare a Supplemental 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) in association with a 
financial assistance request for a proposal submitted to the Agency by 
Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC (Energy Answers). RUS is cancelling its NOI 
for the SFEIS. RUS intends to conduct public scoping and prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to meet its responsibilities under 
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on 
Environmental Quality's regulations for implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508), and RUS's Environmental and Policies and Procedures (7 CFR 
part 1794) in connection with potential impacts related to the Energy 
Answers proposal. The proposal consists of constructing a waste-to-
energy generation and resource recovery facility in the Cambalache Ward 
of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. RUS is providing notice of the intention to 
conduct public scoping and prepare an EIS related to the proposal 
submitted by Energy Answers.
    RUS is considering funding this application, thereby making the 
proposal an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), 16 U.S.C. 470(f), and its 
implementing regulation, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR 
part 800). Any party wishing to participate directly with RUS as a 
``consulting party'' in Section 106 review may submit a written request 
to the RUS contact provided below. Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.3(f)(3), RUS 
will consider, and provide a timely response to, any and all requests 
for consulting party status. RUS will publish a Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) in the Federal Register and in local newspapers 
to announce its review period.

DATES: Written requests to participate as a ``consulting party'' and/or 
comments concerning the public scoping or about this Notice of Intent 
must be received on or before December 29, 2014. A notice of 
availability of a Draft EIS will be published in the Federal Register 
and local newspapers announcing its review period.

ADDRESSES: Project-related information will be available at RUS's Web 
site located at: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-AreciboPuertoRico.html. 
To request ``consulting party'' status, submit comments or for further 
information, please contact: Ms. Stephanie Strength, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, USDA/RUS, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 2244-
S, Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250-1571, Telephone: (970) 403-3559, 
fax: (202) 690-0649, or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April 12, 2013, RUS published a Notice of 
Intent (NOI) to prepare a Supplemental Final Impact Statement (SFEIS) 
in the Federal Register. RUS is canceling the SFEIS published on April 
12, 2013, and is soliciting public comments on the scope of an EIS that 
it intends to prepare for Energy Answers' proposal. In accordance with 
7 CFR 1794.74 and 40 CFR 1502.21, RUS intends to incorporate by 
reference the environmental impact analyses and documentation prepared 
by the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO). PRIDCO 
served as a lead agency in preparation of an EIS prepared under the 
Puerto Rico Environmental Public Policy Act, Article 4(B)(3), (Law No. 
416, September 22, 2004). RUS has copies of this EIS and all associated 
appendices posted on this Web site: http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/UWP-AreciboPuertoRico.html. RUS also intends to incorporate by reference 
all of the environmental impact and air quality analyses and responses 
to public comments prepared by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
(USEPA) as part of its Clean Air Act, Prevention of Significant 
Deterioration (PSD) permit. USEPA issued a final PSD permit on June 11, 
2013, and information related to the PSD permit can be found on USEPA's 
Web site--see: http://www.epa.gov/region02/air/permit/energyanswers/.
    RUS is in receipt of all past public involvement activities, public 
comments, and responses to public comments from both PRIDCO and USEPA 
actions. While RUS understands the concerns expressed in the past by 
the public, the Agency strongly encourages all interested parties to 
submit scoping comments to the RUS contact listed the ADDRESSES section 
of this Notice.
    Energy Answers proposes to construct a waste-to-energy generation 
and resource recovery facility in the Cambalache Ward of Arecibo, 
Puerto Rico. The proposed facility would process approximately 2,100 
tons of municipal waste per day and generate a net capacity of 77 
megawatts (MW). The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority will purchase 
the power generated from the facility. The preferred location of the 
facility is the former site of the Global Fibers Paper Mill and would 
encompass approximately 79.6 acres of the 90-acre parcel. The proposal 
would include the following facility components: a

[[Page 70847]]

municipal solid waste receiving and processing building; processed 
refuse fuel storage building; boiler and steam turbine; emission 
control system; ash processing and storage building; and other 
associated infrastructure and buildings. Two other connected actions, 
which would be constructed by other utilities, include installation of 
an approximately 2.0-mile raw water line and construction of a 38 
kilovolt (kV) transmission line approximately 0.8 miles in length. The 
connected actions will be addressed in the EIS.
    Among the alternatives that RUS will address in the EIS is the No 
Action alternative, under which the proposal would not be undertaken. 
In the EIS, the effects of the proposal will be compared to the 
existing conditions in the proposal area. Public health and safety, 
environmental impacts, and engineering aspects of the proposal will be 
considered in the EIS.
    RUS is the lead Federal agency, as defined at 40 CFR 1501.5, for 
preparation of the EIS. With this Notice, Federal and State agencies 
and federally recognized Native American Tribes with jurisdiction or 
special expertise are invited to be cooperating agencies. Such agencies 
or tribes may make a request to RUS to be a cooperating agency by 
contacting the RUS contact provided in this Notice. Designated 
cooperating agencies have certain responsibilities to support the NEPA 
and scoping process, as specified at 40 CFR 1501.6(b).
    As part of its broad environmental review process, RUS must take 
into account the effect of the proposal on historic properties in 
accordance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act 
(Section 106) and its implementing regulation, ``Protection of Historic 
Properties'' (36 CFR part 800). Pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), RUS is 
using its procedures for public involvement under NEPA to meet its 
responsibilities to solicit and consider the views of the public during 
Section 106 review. Accordingly, comments submitted in response to this 
Notice will inform RUS decision-making during Section 106 review.
    As applicable, the EIS will document changes in the affected 
environment and environmental consequences that may have occurred since 
the PRIDCO-prepared Final EIS was published in 2010 and USEPA's PSD 
permit action. The PRIDCO-prepared Final EIS is available in both 
Spanish and English for review at the addresses provided in this 
Notice. USEPA PSD permit actions are available for review at the 
address provided in this notice. RUS's EIS will incorporate this 
documentation by reference and focus on those topics that have changed 
since PRIDCO's Final EIS was published. RUS's Draft EIS will be 
available for review and comment for 45 days. Following the 45-day 
review period, RUS will prepare a Final EIS. After a 30-day review 
period, RUS will publish a Record of Decision (ROD). Notices announcing 
the availability of the Draft EIS, Final EIS and the ROD will be 
published in the Federal Register and in local newspapers.
    Any final action by RUS related to the proposal will be subject to, 
and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant executive orders and 
federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations in 
addition to the completion of the environmental review requirements as 
prescribed in RUS's Environmental Policies and Procedures, 7 CFR part 
1794, as amended.

    Dated: November 19, 2014.
Mark S. Plank,
Director, Engineering and Environmental Staff, USDA, Rural Utilities 
Service.
[FR Doc. 2014-28101 Filed 11-26-14; 8:45 am]
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