Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed JEA Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor Project at Jacksonville, Florida

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed JEA

Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor Project at Jacksonville, Florida

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) announces the availability for

public review and comment of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for the JEA Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor Project (DOE/EIS-

0289), at Jacksonville, Florida. The Draft EIS was prepared pursuant to

the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA regulations

(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and the DOE NEPA regulations (10 CFR part

1021). The Draft EIS analyzes the environmental impacts that could

result from a proposal under DOE's Clean Coal Technology Program to

construct and operate a nearly 300 megawatt-electric, coal-and

petroleum coke-fired, circulating fluidized bed combustor and boiler to

repower an existing steam turbine at JEA's Northside Generating

Station. DOE's proposed action is to provide cost-shared funding of

approximately $73.1 million (about 24 percent of the estimated total

cost of $309 million) for construction of the combustor and boiler and

for a 24-month period of demonstration testing of the technology.

The proposed project would demonstrate technology that is capable

of cost-effectively reducing nitrogen oxide, sulfur dioxide, and

particulate emissions, while producing power more efficiently and at

less cost than conventional coal combustion technologies. Information

and experience developed from this project could provide the basis for

demonstrating the potential of utility scale, circulating fluidized bed

technology as a practical alternative to conventional coal-fired power

plant technologies.

DATES: DOE invites the public to comment on the Draft JEA EIS. Comments

should be submitted by October 15, 1999 (see ADDRESSES section for more

details) to ensure

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consideration. DOE will consider comments submitted after October 15,

1999, to the extent practicable. A public hearing on the Draft JEA EIS

will be held as follows: Florida Community College at Jacksonville,

North Campus, Thursday, September 16, 1999, Times: 12 pm to 3 pm

(Information Session) and 6 pm to 9 pm (Public Hearing).

The hearing will provide an opportunity for information exchange

and discussion among DOE and the public, as well as opportunities for

the public to present oral or written comments.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by mail, fax, telephone, or

electronically to: Ms. Lisa Hollingsworth, NEPA Document Manager, U.S.

Department of Energy, Federal Energy Technology Center, P.O. Box 880,

Morgantown, WV 26507-0880, Telephone: 304-285-4992; Fax 304-285-4403,

leave a message at 1-800-276-9851, [email protected].

Requests for copies of the Draft JEA EIS or other information

regarding this environmental analysis should be addressed to Ms.

Hollingsworth at the address above. The Draft EIS will be available

under the DOE NEPA Analysis link from the DOE NEPA Web Site at http://

tis.eh.doe.gov/nepa/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the

proposed project or the environmental impact statement, please contact

Ms. Hollingsworth as directed above. For general information on the

Department's NEPA process, please contact Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom,

Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Assistance, EH-42, U.S. Department

of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20585. Ms.

Borgstrom may be contacted by calling 202-586-4600 or by leaving a

message at 1-800-472-2756.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On November 13, 1997, the Department published a Notice of Intent

(62 FR 60889) to prepare an environmental impact statement for the

proposed JEA Circulating Fluidized Bed Combustor Project, in Duval

County, Jacksonville, Florida. The purpose of the Notice of Intent was

to inform the public of the proposed scope of the EIS, to solicit

public input, and to announce a public scoping meeting that was held on

December 3, 1997, in Jacksonville, FL. The Notice invited comments and

suggestions on the proposed scope of the environmental impact

statement, including environmental issues and alternatives, and invited

public participation in the NEPA process. Comments and feedback

received during the public scoping process were used in preparing the

Draft EIS. The scoping period closed on December 31, 1997.

Alternatives Considered

The Draft EIS evaluates a proposed action and a no-action

alternative. DOE's proposed action is to provide JEA with cost-shared

funding of approximately $73.1 million (24 percent of the estimated

total cost of $309 million) for the construction and operation of a

combustor and boiler to repower a steam turbine and generator that have

been out of service since 1983 at JEA's Northside Generating Station.

In analyzing the proposed action (the preferred alternative), the Draft

EIS also evaluates JEA's plans to repower a second, currently

operating, steam turbine without cost-shared funding from DOE.

In addition to analyzing the environmental impacts of the proposed

action, the Draft EIS analyzes the potential impacts of a No-Action

Alternative. Under the No-Action Alternative, the Draft EIS analyzes

three scenarios that JEA could pursue in the absence of DOE funding.

The scenarios considered are: (1) JEA would construct the proposed

project without DOE funding; (2) JEA would construct a new gas-fired

combined cycle facility at Northside Generating Station or another

location; and (3) JEA would purchase electricity from other utilities

to meet JEA's projected demand. The Draft EIS compares the

environmental impacts that could be expected to occur from repowering

the two steam turbines with new circulating fluidized bed combustors

under the proposed action with the impacts that would be likely from

each of the three scenarios under the No-Action Alternative.

The Draft EIS focuses on impacts from construction and operation of

the proposed project on: Human health, air quality, surface water,

groundwater, ecological resources, socioeconomic resources,

environmental justice, noise, and traffic. In addition, impacts on land

use, floodplains, wetlands, waste management, and cultural resources

are considered.

Availability of the Draft EIS

DOE has distributed copies of the Draft EIS to appropriate Members

of Congress, State and local government officials in Florida, Federal

agencies, and other interested parties. Copies of the document may be

obtained by contacting DOE as provided in the section of this notice

entitled, ADDRESSES. Copies of the Draft EIS are also available for

inspection at the locations identified below:

(1) U.S. Department of Energy, Freedom of Information Reading Room, 1E-

190, Forrestal Building, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC

20585.

(2) U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Technology Center, 3610

Collins Ferry Road, Morgantown, WV 26507-0880.

(3) U.S. Department of Energy, Federal Energy Technology Center, 626

Cochrans Mill Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236-0940.

(4) Highlands Branch Library, 1826 Dunn Avenue, Jacksonville, FL 32218.

After the public comment period ends on October 15, 1999, DOE will

consider all comments received, revise the Draft EIS as appropriate,

and issue a Final EIS. DOE will consider the Final EIS, along with

other information, such as economic and technical factors, in deciding

whether or not to provide funding for the construction and operation of

the proposed coal-fired, circulating fluidized bed combustor and

boiler.

Issued in Washington, DC, this 19th day of August 1999.

Robert S. Kripowicz,

Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy.

[FR Doc. 99-22007 Filed 8-24-99; 8:45 am]

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