[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 51 (Thursday, March 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10567-10568]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-5701]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Alternative Fuel
Transportation Program
AGENCY: Department of Energy.
ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department) has prepared an
Environmental Assessment (Assessment) (DOE/EA-1151) to identify and
evaluate the potential environmental impacts of the Alternative Fuel
Transportation Program. The program implements statutorily-imposed
alternative fueled vehicle acquisition requirements that apply to
certain alternative fuel providers and some State government vehicle
fleets.
Based on the analysis in DOE/EA-1151, the Department has determined
that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly
affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended.
Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not
required, and the Department is issuing this Finding of No Significant
Impact (Finding).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Katz, Program Manager,
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-33), U.S.
Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC
20585. (202) 586-6116.
For further information on the Department's general NEPA
procedures, contact: Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA
Oversight (EH-25), U.S. Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue
SW, Washington, DC 20585. (202) 586-4600 or leave a message at (800)
472-2756.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Environmental Assessment addresses the
effects of the Final Rule for the Alternative Fuel Transportation
Program on the human environment. The Department proposed a rule for
this program on February 28, 1995 (60 FR 10970), for the purpose of
fulfilling its obligation under the Act to implement statutorily-
imposed alternative fueled vehicle acquisition requirements in sections
501 and 507(o) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which apply to certain
alternative fuel providers and some State government vehicle fleets. In
proposing this rule, the Department determined that preparation of an
Environmental Assessment was appropriate to determine whether an
Environmental Impact Statement was required.
Proposed Action
The Final Rule for the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program
implements the statutorily-imposed
[[Page 10568]]
alternative fueled vehicle acquisition requirements in sections 501 and
507(o) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992, which apply to certain
alternative fuel providers and some State government vehicle fleets.
The final rule principally covers: (1) interpretations necessary for
affected entities to determine whether and to what extent the statutory
requirements apply; (2) required procedures for exemptions and
administrative remedies; and (3) a program of marketable credits to
reward those who voluntarily acquire vehicles in excess of mandated
requirements or before the requirements take effect. The purpose of DOE
action is to reduce the use of imported petroleum by promoting
alternative fuel use, infrastructure development and alternative fueled
vehicle availability. The rationale for requiring fleets to acquire
alternative fueled vehicles is that fleet demand for alternative fuels
and alternative fueled vehicles should improve their availability to
the public, increase public demand and cause a larger shift to
alternative fuels than would be achieved in absence of the program.
Environmental Impacts
An analysis (DOE/EA-1151) was performed to determine the effect on
air quality due to implementation of the final rule. Emissions were
computed for five pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon
monoxide (CO), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHC), particulate matter (PM-
10), and carbon dioxide (CO2). Five scenarios were considered
based upon differing assumptions of fuel-type market penetrations over
a 25-year period for both the alternative fuel provider and State
fleets.
The air emissions analysis shows that, in 2020, the proposed action
could reduce state and alternative fuel provider fleet emissions for
all five pollutants. The Alternative Fuel Transportation Program is
estimated to cause a less than 3% decrease in cumulative emissions from
all highway vehicles in the United States by the end of the 25-year
study period in 2020. However, the vehicles acquired due to this
program, and thus the associated emissions improvements, would be
concentrated in metropolitan areas. Because these vehicles represent
only 0.5% of all light duty vehicles and air emissions are expected to
be the principal environmental effect, other environmental effects are
not quantified.
For each of the pollutant-scenario combinations, the results show a
reduction in the emission levels. When the projected emissions in 2020
are compared with 1993 National Mobile Source Emissions, the reductions
range from 0.001% for NOX in the Gaseous Fuel Dominant Scenario to
0.15% for CO in the Gaseous Fuel Dominant with EVs Scenario and the New
Technology Dominant Scenario. When the emissions from the entire 25-
year study period are compared with 1993 National Mobile Source
Emissions, the reductions range from 0.02% for NOX in the Gaseous
Fuel Dominant Scenario to 2.53% for CO in the Gaseous Fuel Dominant
with EVs Scenario.
Although vehicle manufacturing, conversion and delivery affect the
environment, the Environmental Assessment assumes that the effects of
these activities for alternative fueled vehicles are virtually the same
as for conventional vehicles. Therefore, the assessment assumes that
there will not be incremental environmental effects from manufacturing
or converting and delivering AFVs.
The program is projected to displace 50 trillion Btu (0.34%) of
gasoline use in light duty vehicles in 2010. Similarly, petroleum
extraction, gasoline production, and gasoline delivery infrastructure
and delivery activities would be reduced not more than 0.34%. Because
this is below the level of significance, the assessment does not
quantify the incremental environmental effects of raw materials
acquisition, production, or fuel transportation for alternative fuels
or petroleum.
The program includes the resale and ultimate disposal of fleet
vehicles. Air emissions of AFVs and conventional vehicles are
quantified for the entire useful life of the vehicle, irrespective of
vehicle ownership, so resale does not affect the analysis. Disposal of
AFVs would be similar to disposal of conventional vehicles, with the
exception of electric vehicle battery disposal. Batteries from electric
vehicles are the principal waste that is different under the proposed
action, compared to conventional vehicle waste under the no action
alternative. At most, it is estimated that the electric vehicles
acquired under the program will only represent 2.2% of the total number
of electric vehicles on the road in 2010. Currently the infrastructure
for the disposal of lead-acid batteries results in 98% recycling. Other
battery materials may be used in the future, but the new battery
technologies are also expected to be recycled.
For further information on other environmental effects of the
alternative fueled vehicles that will be acquired in this program, DOE
refers interested stakeholders to the Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-
1151), which can be obtained from Docket Number EE-RM-95-110. For
further information concerning the docket: Andi Kasarsky, (202) 586-
3012.
Alternatives Considered
Actions other than the proposed action could fulfill the goals of
the Alternative Fuel Transportation Program, but DOE is required by the
Energy Policy Act to proceed with the proposed action, and therefore no
alternative actions other than the No Action alternative were
considered in the assessment.
A No Action alternative was considered and was found not to meet
the mandate of the Energy Policy Act. However, the no action
alternative serves as a baseline for evaluating the environmental
effects of the program. If no action were taken, fleets would be
expected to acquire fewer alternative fueled vehicles than if the
proposed action were taken. The incremental effects of additional
alternative fueled vehicle acquisitions, not the total effects, were
considered in the Environmental Assessment. The analysis defines a
reference, or no action, case and five different scenarios that are
used to represent possible outcomes of the proposed action. The
difference between the reference case and any of the alternative
scenarios analytically defines the incremental effects.
Determination
Based on the analysis in the Environmental Assessment, the
Department has determined that the implementation of the Alternative
Transportation Program does not constitute a major Federal action
significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within
the meaning of the NEPA. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental
Impact Statement is not required and the Department is issuing this
Finding of No Significant Impact.
Issued at Washington, D.C., this 5th day of March, 1996.
Brian T. Castelli,
Chief-of-Staff, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
[FR Doc. 96-5701 Filed 3-13-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P
