DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 


office of Conservation and Renewable Energy 


10 CFR Part 430 


Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products 


AGENCY: Department of Energy. 


ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) on Proposed 


~ulemaking for Energy Conservation Standards for 3 Types of Consumer 


Products. 


SUMMARY: The Energy Policy and Conservation Act (EPCA), as amended by 


the National Energy Conservation Policy Act (NECPA) and the National 


Appliance Energy Conservation Act (NAECA), prescribes energy 


conservation standards for certain major household appliances, and 


requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to administer an energy 


conservation program for these products. As a general matter, these 


Federal standards preempt State and local standards and any other 


State and local requirements with respect to energy efficiency or 


energy use of these products. Among other things, NAECA requires DOE 


to consider amending the energy conservation standards for 


refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, and freezers; to establish 


standards for small gas furnaces; and to consider establishing energy 


conservation standards for television sets. 


In accordance with NAECA, the Department has reviewed possible 


standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers, small 


gas furnaces and television sets as discussed in today's notice of 


proposed rulemaking. 

refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers and freezers, the 


tment is proposing a range of standards that includes not 


creasing the stringency of the standard level. DOE is soliciting 


comments and information from the public to be considered in 


promulgating the final rule. As discussed in the proposed rule, the 


final rule will specify a specific level for refrigerators, 


refrigerator-freezers and freezers. 


For small gas furnaces, the Department is proposing to determine 


that standards would result in a significant conservation of energy 


and be economically justified. Therefore, the Department is today 


proposing to amend 10 CFR Part 430 to add standards for this product. 


Finally, for television sets, the Department is proposing to 


determine that an energy conservation standard would result in a 


significant conservation of energy but would not be economically 


justified. Therefore, the Department is proposing to amend Part 430 


to include a determination of no standard for television sets. 


Based on an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE has determined 


that none of the proposed standards, including the "no standardn for 


television sets, are a major federal action significantly affecting 


the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the 


National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Therefore an Environmental 


Impact Statement will not be prepared. The EA is part of the 


Technical Support Document for the proposed standards and is available 


on request at the following address. 


Public availability: Hearings and Dockets Branch, Office of 


Conservation and Renewable Energy, I'.S. Department of Energy, Docket 

-RM-87-102, 1000 Independence Avenue, s.w., Room 68-025, 


gton, DC 20585 (202) 586-9320. 


FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 


Michael J. McCabe 


U.S. Department of Energy 


Office of Conservation and Renewable Energy 


Forrestal Building, Mail Station CE-132 


1000 Independence Avenue, s.W. 


Washington, D.C. 20585 


(202) 586-9127 


Donald E. Henninger 


U.S. Department of Energy 


Office of NEPA Project Assistance 


Forrestal Building, Mail station EH-25 


1000 Independence Avenue, S.W. 


Washington, DC 20585 


(202) 586-4600 


Martha S. Crosland 


U.S. Department of Energy 


Office of General Counsel 


Forrestal Building, Mail Station GC-11 


1000 Independence Avenue, S.W. 


Washington, D.C. 20585 


(202) 586-6947 


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE prepared an Environmental Assessment 


(EA) on the proposed standards pursuant to the National Environmental 


Policy Act of 1969, as amended, Pub. L. 91-190, 40 U.S.C. 4221 et seq, 


and the implementing regulations of the Council on Environmental 


Quality [40 CFR Parts 1500-18081. The EA addresses the possible 


incremental environmental effects attributable to the application of 


the proposed standards to the design of refrigerators, 


refrigerator-freezers, and freezers; and small gas furnaces. The EA 


also looked at the impact of energy conservation standards for 


television sets. As discussed in the General Findings, the "no 


standardw standard for televisions will not change the status quo and 


therefore will not result in any environmental impact. The effect of 

,,,ironment as discussed in the General Findings below. 


used in The Analysis. 

his assessment evaluates the environmental impacts resulting 

from the proposed setting of new or amended energy-efficiency 

r 

standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, freezers, and 


small gas furnaces and the proposed setting of no standards for 


television sets in accordance with the NAECA. A complete description 


of the Engineering and Economic Analysis of the proposed standards may 


be found in the Technical Support Document (TSD). 


The two main environmental concerns addressed are emissions from 


fossil fuel fired electricity generation and the chlorofluorocarbons 


used in the production of rigid insulation foam. 


Four of the fourteen scenarios for product design changes 


described in the Engineering Analysis of the TSD were chosen for study 


based on their relative importance as design measures. Values for 


energy savings that result from product design changes are also taken 


from the TSD. 


An in-depth analysis of particulate emissions is not included in 


this assessment because particulate emissions are relatively small 


compared to sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions. Current electricity 


generating methods are far cleaner than those of the past. In 1984, 


power plants contributed only 7 percent of U.S. total particulate 


emissions as compared to contributions of 83 percent and 34 percent to 


total SO2 and NO2 emissions, respectively (EPA, 1986). 

I 

Refrigerators, Refrigerator-Freezers and Freezers. 


roposed standards for refrigerators, refrigerator-freezers, 


and freezers range from retaining the federally mandated standards 


'	.,,tained in NAECA, up to three more stringent standards. The 

greatest impacts of the proposed standards, other than the minimum 

NAECA standards, are the result of generating less electricity. Power 

plants1 main environmental effects on air and water result from 

emissions of sulfur oxides (SO,), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and carbon 

dioxide (C02). All SOx and NOx emissions are expressed in the 

equivalent weights of SO2 and NO2, respectively. Carbon dioxide 

emissions are commonly expressed as tons of carbon. Additionally, 

there would be some shifting of CFC use. General findings are 

summarized below: 

A. 	 Sulfur Dioxide. 


The greatest decrease in air pollution will occur for sulfur 


dioxide. The possible reductions range from no change up to 151,000 


tons or 0.9 percent of the U.S. SO2 emissions expected to be emitted 


by power plants by the year 2010 for the most stringent standard 


B. 	 Nitrogen Dioxide. 


The possible reductions in NO2 range from no change up to 


u The upper levels are interpolated from data in Table 5.8 of the 


Technical Support Document for energy savings and Tables 1,2,5, and 6 


of the Environmental Assessment for pollutant reductions. The 


interpolation is made between standard level 1 (engineering lev21 3) 


and standard level 4 (engineering level 8). 

tons or 1.0 percent of the total NO 2 emissions expected to be 


power plants by the year 2010 for the most stringent 


rndard proposed. u 


C. 	 Carbon Dioxide. 


J 	 The possible reductions in CO 2 range from no change up to the 

equivalent of 9,180,000 tons or 0.2 percent of the worldwide C02 

emissions for the year 2010 for the most stringent standard 

D. 	 Chlorofluorocarbons. 


An additional effect of some design change scenarios is an 


increased consumption of CFC1s. CFC-11 is contained in the rigid foam 


insulation used in the appliances and CFC-12 is the heat exchange 


fluid used in refrigerators and freezers. The possible increased use 


ranges from no change to one percent of the 1985 total United States 


CFC-11 and CFC-12 consumption for the most stringent standards 


proposed. However, since CFC production has been limited, any extra 


consumption would have to come from other uses and would not result in 


a net increase in CFC production. 


None of the environmental impacts from the savings of SO2, NO2, 


or C02 from the range of proposed standards are considered to be 


significant. 


2/ 	ibid. 


ibid. 

2. Small Gas Furnaces. 


The greatest impact of the proposed standard for small gas 


~rnaces is a decrease in electricity consumption as some households 


~hift from electric heating to small gas furnaces and decreases in gas 


and oil burned in homes. General findings are summarized below: 


A. Sulfur ~ioxide. 


The reduction in SO2 would be 6800 tons or 4.2 percent of the 


emissions estimated to come from residential fuel combustion during 


2010. 


B. Nitrogen Dioxide 


The reduction in NO2 would be 5100 tons or 1.3 percent of the 


emissions estimated to come from residential fuel combustion during 


2010. 


C. Carbon Dioxide 


The reduction in C02 would be equivalent to 569,000 tons of 


carbon or .Ol percent of the worldwide C02 emissions for the year 


2010. 


None of the environmental impacts from the savings of SO2, NO2, 


or C02 from the proposed standard are considered to be significant. 


3. Television Sets. 


The proposed "no standard" standard for television sets results 


in no impact on the environment since it will not change the status 


quo. DOE is unaware of any State or local energy conservation 


standards concerning television sets that would be preempted by the 


l1no standardm standard. The only state standard for television sets 

-

r\ment of Energy 

DOE is aware is the New York State standard that bans the 


Pnt-onw Feature of tube type televisions. However, since tube 


pe television sets are no longer manufactured, such standards 


rrently have no effect. 


termination. 


Based upon the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed interim 

andards do not constitute a major federal action significantly 

fecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of 

PA. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. 

Issued in Washington, D.C. 1/17 , 1988. 

Ernest C. Bay&"d 11b7' 

&C 


Assistant se;;S/etary C 

Environment, Safety and Health 
-- 

a. Environmental Review 

DOE prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) on the proposed 

standards wursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 

as amended, Pub. L. 91-190, 40 U.S .C. 4221 et sea., and the 

implementing requlations of the Council on Environmental Quality (40 

CFR Parts 1500 through 1808) . The EA addresses the possible 

incremental environmental effects attributable to the application of 

the proposed standards to the design of three types of covered 

proi'ucts: ref riaerators, r e f r i a e r a t o r - f reezers, and freezers; small 

aas f vrnaces t and television sets. 

A Finding of No Siqnificant Impact (FONSI) is published in 

todav' s Feeera1 Rea ister . The FONS I concludes that the proposed 

standar$s would result in no siqnificant environmental impacts and 

that an environmental impact statement is not requ-ired. 

The EA is part of the Technical Support Document and is 

available at the DOE Freedom of Information Reading Room at the 

address provided at the beginning of this notice.