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The Department of Energy is proposing to provide funding to the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) Research Foundation to construct and operate the Solar Technology Center (STC) in collaboration with the UNLV Center for Energy Research (CER). The STC, hereinafter referred to as the Proposed Action, would operate for research and development, educational training, and as a center for renewable energy and conservation information.
The potential impacts to the environment are discussed in detail within this document. This EA provides the basis for decisions on whether the effects to land, visual, water, biological, and cultural resources, as well as socioeconomic conditions, would be significant. The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is the lead Federal agency responsible for preparing the EA. Should the Proposed Action be selected, Western would be the Federal agency responsible for funding, design review, and project management; the Arizona Public Service Company (APS) would design and construct the selected alternative.
DOE/EA-1685 analyzes the rebuilding and upgrading of the existing Parker-Planet Tap 69 kV Transmission Line.
The Western Area Power Administration (Western) is the lead Federal agency responsible for preparing the EA. Based on findings and analysis in the environmental assessment (EA), Western has determined that with the resource protection measures, the Parker-Planet Tap 69-kV Transmission Line would not result in any significant environmental impacts. The EA provides the basis for decisions on whether the effects to land, visual, water, biological, and cultural resources, as well as socioeconomic conditions, would be significant.
Energy-efficiency standards for distribution transformers are expected to result in savings inelectricalenergy. Themetric used to measure the efficiency of distribution transformers is percent efficiency, which is calculated by taking into account no-load losses (which are constant) and load losses (which vary by the square of the load) at a specified design load. An increase in the percent efficiency as measured above indicates that the distribution transformer is more energy-efficient. Details on the technical analysis of increased efficiency levels are provided in the TSD that accompanies DOE’s adopted energy conservation standard standard.
Veritas DGC Land has notified the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Casper Field Office (CFO) of its intent to conduct a 3D seismic project in Natrona County, Wyoming. The proposed action, the Salt Creek 3D Seismic Project, is needed in order to acquire and evaluate data for further development of oil and gas reserves. Geophysical exploration utilizing 3D techniques is an intensive data acquisition and computer synthesis system used to analyze and three dimensionally depict subsurface geologic structures/stratigraphy. The technique is capable of locating and displaying unknown subsurface pools or pockets which potentially contain producible hydrocarbons. Data obtained through this 3D geophysical data acquisition project should enable wells to be drilled with a much greater probability of locating producible hydrocarbons than is attainable via previous methods, such as 2D seismic data and wildcat wells. The project, thus, should result in fewer “dry holes” in the future, minimizing the need for drilling and associated environmental disturbance. Additionally, the acquired subsurface 3D data may be used to improve current CO2 injection operations to more efficiently recover hydrocarbons in the Salt Creek Field.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration, is issuing this special environmental analysis (SEA) to document its assessment of impacts associated with emergency activities conducted at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos County, New Mexico, in response to major disaster conditions caused by the recent wildfire known as the Cerro Grande Fire. This wildfire burned about 7,650 acres (ac) (3,061 hectares [ha]) within the boundaries of LANL and about an additional 35,500 ac (14,200 ha) in neighboring areas. DOE’s emergency response to the threat of this fire began with certain preventative actions undertaken immediately before the wildfire entered LANL boundaries in early May 2000. DOE’s subsequent actions include those taken to suppress the fire while it burned within LANL boundaries, as well as post-fire activities taken to address the extreme potential for erosion and flood damage at LANL and properties downstream from the facility.
EA prepared for the proposed reconstruction of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) South Access Road (County Road 802) located in Eddy County, New Mexico. Through the environmental review process, the Bureau of Land Management Carlsbad Field Office (BLM CFO) determined that there would be potential environmental impacts from the proposed project that would require mitigation to assure that the impacts would not become significant. Therefore, the Department of Energy (DOE) Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) prepared this Mitigation Action Plan (MAP) to establish conditions for issuing its Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for this proposed project as required by DOE National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements specified in 10 Code of Federal Regulations 1021.322. This plan identifies mitigation measures that the DOE CBFO has committed to ensure are implemented for the Reconstruction of the South Access Road project. All of the mitigation measures were identified in the EA.
Construction and Operation of a Proposed Cellulosic Biorefinery, Mascoma Corporation, Kinross Charter Township, Michigan
On December 20, 2005, the Secretary of Energy issued an emergency order, DOE Order 202-05-03, requiring Mirant’s Potomac River Generating Station in Alexandria, Virginia, to operate under limited circumstances. On September 28, 2006, the Secretary extended the Order, including all of its terms and conditions, DOE Order 202-06-2, until December 1, 2006. This SEA includes descriptions of the DOE emergency orders; assessments of the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts resulting from the emergency orders; and descriptions of alternative actions for potential future decision-making that include mitigation. This SEA covers a period of about 24 months beginning in December 2005.