Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Development of Wind Energy at Plum Island Animal Disease Center

SUMMARY: The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA),

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) announces its intent to prepare an

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) pursuant to Sec. 102(2)(c) of the

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, in accordance with

the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA

(40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), USDA NEPA procedures (7 CFR Part 1b), and ARS

NEPA procedures (7 CFR Part 520). This Environmental Impact Statement

will evaluate potential impacts of alternate means of reducing energy

consumption, meeting heating and cooling energy needs, and supplying

electrical power to USDA facilities at Plum Island Animal Disease

Center (PIADC), located in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. ARS

invites other Federal agencies, states, Indian tribes, local

governments, and the general public to submit written comments or

suggestions concerning the scope of the issues to be addressed,

alternatives to be analyzed, and the environmental impacts to be

addressed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. The public is

invited to participate in scoping activities including one or more

scoping meetings through which comments and suggestions will be

received. Oral and written comments will be considered equally in

preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Those not

desiring to submit comments or suggestions at this time, but who would

like to receive a copy of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for

review when it is issued, should write to Mr. Carlos M. Santoyo at the

address below. When the Draft Environmental Impact Statement is

complete, its availability will be announced in the Federal Register

and in the local news media. A public hearing will be held, and

comments will be solicited on this document.

DATES: All comments received or postmarked by May 2, 1997, will be

considered in scoping and preparation of the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement. ARS will consider comments received or postmarked after that

date to the extent practicable. ARS will conduct public scoping

meetings in the potentially affected areas (including Southold or

Orient, New York and Old Saybrook or New London, Connecticut) to assist

in defining the appropriate scope of the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement and identifying significant environmental issues to be

addressed. The dates, times, and specific locations of the scoping

meetings/workshops will be announced in the local media at least 15

days before the meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on this EIS

and the public scoping process, contact Carlos M. Santoyo at the

address and telephone numbers listed below.

ADDRESSES: Please direct written comments or suggestions on the scope

of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, requests to speak at

public scoping meetings and workshops, or questions concerning the

project to: Carlos M. Santoyo, USDA, ARS, NAA, PIADC, P.O. Box 848,

Greenport, New York 11944-0848, (516) 323-2500, Extension 210, Fax:

(516) 323-2507, Internet address: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) is

in the Township of Southold, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York.

PIADC is located on Plum Island, which is 1.8 miles off the northeast

end of Long Island, New York. Plum Island is owned by the Federal

government and has an area of 840 acres (1.3 square miles). It is about

12 miles southwest of New London, Connecticut. The bodies of water

surrounding Plum Island include Long Island Sound on the north and

Block Island Sound on the south.

The principal mission of PIADC is to conduct research on the

prevention, control, and eradication of foreign animal diseases and to

develop and maintain diagnostic capability for foreign animal diseases

in order to protect this country's animal industries and exports

against catastrophic economic losses caused by foreign animal disease

agents introduced into the United States. PIADC is shared by two USDA

Agencies. ARS is responsible for research and Animal and Plant Health

Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for diagnosis.

This isolated location is necessary because Pub. L. 496 requires

research laboratories for the study of foot-and-mouth disease be

located on an island surrounded by navigable water entirely under

Federal control and not connected to the mainland by bridge or tunnel.

Travel to Plum Island is by government-owned marine vessels from both

Old Saybrook, Connecticut, and Orient Point, New York. Due to its

remote location, PIADC is substantially self-sufficient, having its own

potable water and wastewater treatment systems and harbor facilities;

under normal conditions, PIADC relies on Long Island Lighting Company

(LILCO) for its supply of electric power through underwater cables,

although PIADC's standby generators (fueled by No. 2 or No. 4 fuel oil)

are capable of supplying electrical energy demand as needed.

The 1992 Energy Policy Act (EPACT) (Pub. L. 102-486) and Executive

Order (E.O.) 12902 of March 8, 1994, established the energy management

goals and requirements for the Federal Government. It required each

Agency to develop and implement its energy management plan dealing with

the use of energy and water. EPACT mandated a 20 percent reduction in

energy consumption levels by the Year 2000 and E.O. 12902 increased

this goal to 30 percent by the Year 2005. In addition to energy

management goals and requirements for Federal Agencies, EPACT

established energy savings performance contracting mechanism [Sec. 155

of EPACT, amending Sec. 801 to Sec. 804 of the National Energy

Conservation Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 8287)], a Federal and private-sector

partnership whereby an energy service company (ESCO) pays the upfront

cost of purchasing and installing new energy-efficient or renewable

energy

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equipment and the Government repays the ESCO over the life of the ESPC

contract. ARS is considering the use of energy savings performance

contracting to assist ARS in meeting its compliance with EPACT and E.O.

12902 and securing its own energy supply capabilities.

PIADC's existing electrical baseload is supplied through underwater

cables from the grid by Long Island Lighting Company (LILCO).

Electrical energy use on Plum Island varies seasonally, with a winter

(February 1994) baseload of 1.1 megawatts (MW) and peak load of 1.4 MW

and a summer (July 1993) baseload of 1.4 MW and peak load of 2.3 MW. In

Fiscal Year 1996, total electrical cost was approximately $1.2 million

based on a total usage of 9850 MWhr. In addition to electricity, PIADC

annually consumes 950,000 gallons of heating oil. The heating oil is

used in the production of steam for heating and biological

decontamination and to fuel the emergency electrical generators.

To meet the requirements of EPACT and E.O. 12902 and to better meet

the energy needs of PIADC's facilities, ARS has already implemented

some energy efficiency or energy conservation measures (e.g.,

replacement of incandescent lights with energy efficient lighting,

installation of light sensors, replacement of chillers). Through the

provisions of energy savings performance contracting, ARS is

investigating additional energy conservation measures and alternate

means of utilizing renewable energy and reducing its current dependence

on fossil fuel-based energy resources.

Preliminary Identification of Alternatives

PIADC proposes to implement energy conservation measures to reduce

its consumption of energy by 20 percent by the Year 2000 and by 30

percent by the Year 2005 (in compliance with EPACT and E.O. 12902) and

to develop its own electrical and heating and cooling energy generation

capabilities to substantially meet its operating demand. Through the

provisions of energy savings performance contracting, PIADC will

examine energy conservation and supply technologies capable of meeting

these demand scenarios, with particular emphasis on technologies that

reduce its dependence on fossil fuel-based resources. Based on a

favorable preliminary analysis of the wind energy potential on Plum

Island conducted by the New York Power Authority (NYPA) in 1995, ARS

intends to assess the health and environmental impacts and other issues

associated with the use of wind energy on Plum Island. Other energy

conservation and supply technologies, as well as the no action

alternative, will be evaluated in the environmental impact statement.

At this time, PIADC intends to evaluate:

Wind energy,

Solar water heating,

Thermal storage systems (for heating and cooling),

Tidal energy,

Replacement of emergency generators,

Additional lighting retrofits,

Water conservation measures, and

No action.

Since it is possible that ARS might decide to implement a number of

these (or additional) measures, the environmental impact statement will

assess the health and environmental impact of each alternative

individually as well as in various combinations. The no action

alternative will assume that none of the energy conservation and supply

technologies will be implemented.

Preliminary Identification of Health and Environmental Issues

ARS has identified the following issues for analysis for

alternative actions in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Additional issues may be identified as a result of the scoping process:

Impact on air quality.

Impact on marine water quality and coastal resources.

Impact on land use.

Impact associated with transportation.

Impact on plants, animals, and habitat (e.g., nesting

shorebirds and ospreys, freshwater and tidal wetland impact).

Impact on aesthetic and visual resources (e.g., historic

viewsheds)

Impact on socioeconomic resources (e.g., impact on growth

and character of local communities, impact on tourism).

Noise impact (e.g., to area residents, workers, tourists,

and wildlife).

Impact on archaeological resources.

Impact on public health.

Environmental justice impact (i.e., disproportionately

high and adverse human health or environmental effects on minority and

low-income populations).

Impact on energy consumption and resource availability.

Cumulative impacts.

Preliminary Identification of Decision Criteria

In addition to the goals of EPACT and E.O. 12902, ARS will identify

and evaluate alternatives using the following supplemental criteria:

Health and environmental impact of the alternative(s).

Proven and commercially available energy conservation and

generation technologies.

Life-cycle cost (or economic viability) of the

alternative(s).

Compliance with Federal, State, and local permitting

requirements.

Compliance with PIADC's security and biological safety

requirements; and

Pollution prevention.

The Environmental Impact Statement will focus on the health and

environmental impact of alternative decisions but will also report on

these supplemental criteria.

ARS invites comments from other Federal Agencies, States, Indian

tribes, local governments, and the general public related to the scope

of the environmental impact statement including energy conservation and

supply technologies and alternatives to be evaluated, health and

environmental issues to be evaluated, and the decision criteria ARS

intends to use in making its decision.

John A. Crew,

Area Administrative Officer, North Atlantic Area.

[FR Doc. 97-3835 Filed 2-13-97; 8:45 am]

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