[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 34 (Wednesday, February 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11340-11341]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03404]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Rural Utilities Service


Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC: Notice of availability of a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Rural Utilities Service (RUS), an agency within the 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), has prepared a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (FEIS) to meet its responsibilities under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), RUS's implementing regulations, 7 CFR 
part 1970, and other applicable environmental requirements related to 
providing financial assistance for Energy Answers Arecibo, LLC's 
(Energy Answers) proposed (Project) in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. RUS will 
also use the FEIS to meet its responsibilities under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act, 54 U.S.C. 300101, and its 
implementing regulations, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR 
part 800). The FEIS addresses the construction, operation, and 
maintenance of Energy Answers' proposed Project, a waste-to-energy 
generation and resource recovery facility described previously in the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). It also addresses the 
roughly 3,820 comments received during the comment periods for the 
DEIS. The overall project area encompasses parts of the Cambalache Ward 
in Arecibo, Puerto Rico.

DATES: Written comments on the FEIS will be accepted 30 days following 
the publication of the Environmental Protection Agency's environmental 
impact statement receipt notice in the Federal Register. Notices of 
Availability of the FEIS will be published in the local newspapers. 
After a 30-day public review period on the FEIS, RUS will consider 
comments and prepare a Record of Decision for its respective action. 
The environmental review process is expected to conclude in the late 
winter or spring of 2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To receive copies of the FEIS or 
request information on the proposed Project, the FEIS process, and RUS 
financing, contact Mr. Steven Polacek, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Rural Utilities Service, Water and Environmental Programs, 
1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mail Stop 1571, Washington, DC 20250, 
telephone: (202) 205-9805, fax: (202) 690-0649, or email: 
[email protected]. Copies of the FEIS will be available for 
review in the Arecibo Public Library (Nicolas Nabal Barreto), located 
at: 210 Santiago Iglesias Pantin Ave., Arecibo, Puerto Rico 00612.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Energy Answers plans to request financial 
assistance for the proposed Project from RUS. Completing the 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a precursor requirement to 
processing a loan application from Energy Answers. Upon completion of 
the EIS process, RUS would review Energy Answers' application along 
with other technical and financial considerations. 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 receive and process approximately 2,300 tons of 
municipal waste per day and generate a gross capacity of 77 megawatts 
(MW). The Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority will purchase power 
generated from the facility. The preferred location of the facility is 
the site of a former paper mill and would cover approximately 79.6 
acres of the 90-acre parcel. The proposal would include the following 
facility components: A 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 115 kilovolt (kV) transmission line approximately 0.8 
miles in length. The connected actions will be addressed in the 
proposed Project's EIS.
    In accordance with 7 CFR 1970.15(c)(2) and 40 CFR 1502.18, RUS 
incorporates as an appendix received on the environmental impact 
analyses and associated documentation prepared by the Puerto Rico 
Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO) and the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) where appropriate. PRIDCO 
served as a lead agency in preparing an EIS under the Puerto Rico 
Environmental Public Policy Act, Article 4(B)(3), Law No. 416 
(September 22, 2004). The USEPA completed air quality analyses and 
issued a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit for the 
proposed Project on June 11, 2013. As applicable, the EIS documents 
changes in the affected environment and environmental consequences that 
may have changed since issuance of the PRIDCO-EIS and USEPA PSD permit.
    Under NEPA regulations, RUS is required to identify and evaluate 
reasonable alternatives to the Project, as well as a no-action 
alternative. Reasonable alternatives are those that are ``practical or 
feasible from the technical and economic standpoint.'' In determining 
reasonable alternatives, RUS considered a number of factors including 
the proposed action's size and scope, state of the technology, economic 
considerations, legal considerations, socioeconomic concerns, 
availability of resources, and the timeframe in which the identified 
need must be fulfilled. Alternative site locations, thermal conversion 
technologies, cooling process water sources, alternative fuels and 
renewable energy technologies were also considered.
    RUS reviewed multiple needs including (1) providing a dispatchable 
electrical generation resource that adds to Puerto Rico Electric Power 
Authority's (PREPA) reserve capacity levels, (2) helping PREPA meet the 
Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard enacted by Puerto Rico and use 
cleaner and more environmentally friendly energy resources, and (3) 
decreasing Puerto Rico's dependence on imported

[[Page 11341]]

fossil fuels and contributing to the fuel diversification of the 
generation both owned and purchased by PREPA.
    Of the alternatives considered by RUS, the Arecibo Waste-to-Energy 
and Resource Recovery Project best minimizes or mitigates the potential 
impacts on the environment while meeting the proposed purpose and need 
for the project.
    RUS is authorized to make loans and loan guarantees that finance 
the construction of water lines, electrical transmission lines, Waste-
to-Energy and Resource Recovery facilities. RUS is responsible for 
completing the environmental review process prior to processing Energy 
Answers' application.
    Completion of the environmental review process allows the project 
proponents to submit an application for financing to RUS. It does not 
represent a commitment to fund the project or a determination that the 
applicant has met the agency's underwriting criteria. All loan 
applicants are required to demonstrate eligibility, financial 
feasibility and provide reasonably adequate security for any financing 
made available from RUS.The proposed Project is subject to the 
jurisdiction of, and contingent upon, compliance with all relevant 
presidential 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 1970.
    RUS has prepared the FEIS to analyze the impacts of its respective 
Federal actions and the proposed Project in accordance with NEPA, as 
amended, the Council in Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for 
Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508), and Rural Development's Environmental Policies and Procedures (7 
CFR part 1970). RUS has already prepared and published a DEIS which can 
be found on the Agency Web site at http://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/arecibo-waste-energy-generation-and-resource.
    In accordance with 7 CFR 1970.15(c)(2) and 40 CFR 1502.18, RUS 
incorporates, as an appendix, the environmental impact analyses and 
associated documentation prepared by the Puerto Rico Industrial 
Development Company (PRIDCO) and the USEPA where appropriate. PRIDCO 
served as a lead agency in preparing an EIS under the Puerto Rico 
Environmental Public Policy Act, Article 4(B)(3), Law No. 416 
(September 22, 2004). The USEPA completed air quality analyses and 
issued a Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) permit for the 
proposed Project on June 11, 2013. As applicable, the EIS documents 
changes in the affected environment and environmental consequences that 
may have changed since issuance of the PRIDCO-EIS and USEPA PSD permit.
    RUS has determined that its action regarding the proposed Project 
would be an undertaking subject to review under Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act, 16 U.S.C. 470 and its implementing 
regulations, ``Protection of Historic Properties'' (36 CFR part 800). 
As part of its broad environmental review process, RUS must take into 
account the effect of the proposed Project on historic properties in 
accordance with Section 106. 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 in its Section 106 review 
process.
    The Final EIS is available in both Spanish and English for review 
at the following Web site: http://www.rd.usda.gov/publications/environmental-studies/impact-statements/arecibo-waste-energy-generation-and-resource. The Final EIS will be available for review 30 
days after the USEPA's EIS receipt notice in the Federal Register. 
Following this review period, RUS will publish a Record of Decision 
(ROD). Notices announcing the availability of the ROD will be published 
in the Federal Register and in local newspapers.
    This Notice of Availability also serves as a notice of proposed 
floodplain and wetland action. It is anticipated that Energy Answers 
would need to fill 2.4 acres (9,793.4 square meters) of on-site 
wetlands for proposed Project. Energy Answers will be required to 
implement mitigation for the wetland conversion, as contained in their 
Section 404 permit. Additionally, excavation required for the proposed 
Project is expected to result in a small increase in base flood 
elevations along predominately undeveloped properties located east and 
west, as well as immediately upstream, of the Project site.

Christopher A. McLean,
Assistant Administrator--Electric Program, Rural Utilities Service.
[FR Doc. 2017-03404 Filed 2-21-17; 8:45 am]
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