43870 Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 140 / Monday, July 22, 2013 / Notices 

OMB Control Number: 1850–0803. 

Type of Review: Extension without 

change of an existing collection of 

information. 

Respondents/Affected Public: 

Individuals or households. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Responses: 135,000. 

Total Estimated Number of Annual 

Burden Hours: 27,000. 

Abstract: This is a request for a 3-year 

renewal of the generic clearance to 

allow the National Center for Education 

Statistics (NCES) to continue to develop, 

test, and improve its survey and 

assessment instruments and 

methodologies. The procedures utilized 

to this effect include but are not limited 

to experiments with levels of incentives 

for various types of survey operations, 

focus groups, cognitive laboratory 

activities, pilot testing, exploratory 

interviews, experiments with 

questionnaire design, and usability 

testing of electronic data collection 

instruments. 

Dated: July 17, 2013. 

Stephanie Valentine, 

Acting Director, Information Collection 

Clearance Division, Privacy, Information and 

Records Management Services, Office of 

Management. 

[FR Doc. 2013–17509 Filed 7–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4000–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Notice of Availability 

Hydrogen Energy California’s 

Integrated Gasification Combined 

Cycle Project; Preliminary Staff 

Assessment and Draft Environmental 

Impact Statement 

AGENCY: Department of Energy. 

ACTION: Notice of availability and public 

hearing. 

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of 

Energy (DOE) announces the availability 

of the Hydrogen Energy California’s 

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle 

Project Preliminary Staff Assessment/ 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(PSA/DEIS) (DOE/EIS–0431D) for public 

review and comment. This document is 

the draft environmental impact 

statement for DOE’s purpose of 

complying with the National 

Environmental Policy Act. This 

document is also the Preliminary Staff 

Assessment for the California Energy 

Commission’s (CEC) purpose of 

complying with the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

This combined document is hereafter 

referred to as the Preliminary Staff 

Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact 

Statement (PSA/DEIS). The PSA/DEIS 

analyzes the potential environmental 

impacts associated with the Hydrogen 

Energy California’s (HECA) Integrated 

Gasification Combined Cycle Project, 

which would be designed, constructed, 

and operated by HECA, LLC. HECA’s 

proposal was selected by DOE for 

financial assistance under the Clean 

Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) Program. 

The PSA/DEIS was prepared in 

accordance with the National 

Environmental Policy Act of 1969 

(NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) regulations that implement the 

procedural provisions of NEPA (40 CFR 

Parts 1500–1508), DOE’s procedures for 

compliance with floodplain and 

wetland review requirements (10 CFR 

Part 1022), and DOE’s procedures 

implementing NEPA (10 CFR Part 1021). 

DOE’s proposed action is subject to the 

Clean Air Act’s General Conformity rule 

(GCR) set forth in section 176(c) of the 

Act and 40 CFR Part 93. DOE’s Draft 

General Conformity Analysis is 

incorporated into the PSA/DEIS. DOE is 

coordinating its compliance with the 

GCR requirements for public 

participation in 40 CFR 93.156 with the 

public comment period for the PSA/ 

DEIS. 

DATES: DOE invites the public to 

comment on the PSA/DEIS during the 

public comment period, which ends 

September 3, 2013. DOE will consider 

all comments postmarked or received 

during the public comment period in 

preparing the final EIS and will 

consider late comments to the extent 

practicable. 

DOE and CEC will hold a public 

hearing(s) during the public comment 

period. The date(s), time(s), and 

location(s) of these public hearings will 

be published in The Bakersfield 

Californian at least 14 days prior to the 

hearing(s). This information will also be 

posted on CEC’s Web site at http://

www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/

hydrogen_energy/. 

ADDRESSES: Requests for a paper copy or 

information about this PSA/DEIS should 

be directed to: Mr. Fred Pozzuto, U.S. 

Department of Energy, National Energy 

Technology Laboratory, 3610 Collins 

Ferry Road, P.O. Box 880, Morgantown, 

WV 26507–0880. Additional 

information may also be requested by 

electronic mail: 

fred.pozzuto@netl.doe.gov or by 

telephone at (304) 285–5219, or toll-free 

at: 1-(800)-432–8330, extension 5219. 

The PSA/DEIS may be viewed at http:// 

www.energy.gov/nepa. Copies of the 

PSA/DEIS are also available for review 

at the locations listed in the 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of 

this Notice. 

Written comments on the PSA/DEIS 

can be mailed or sent electronically to 

Mr. Pozzuto at the addresses noted 

above. Comments may also be submitted 

by fax to: (304) 285–4403. Oral 

comments on the PSA/DEIS will be 

accepted during the public hearing(s). 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

further information on the proposed 

project, please contact Mr. Pozzuto (see 

ADDRESSES). For general information 

regarding DOE NEPA process, please 

contact: Ms. Carol M. Borgstrom, 

Director, Office of NEPA Policy and 

Compliance (GC–54), U.S. Department 

of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue 

SW., Washington, DC 20585–0103; 

telephone: (202)–586–4600. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DOE 

proposes to provide limited financial 

assistance through a cooperative 

agreement to HECA, LLC. 

Approximately $275 million would be 

provided through the American 

Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) 

and $133 million through the Clean 

Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) program for 

a total Federal share of approximately 

$408 million. Total project cost is 

estimated to be over $4 billion. 

The HECA project would demonstrate 

integrated gasification combined cycle 

(IGCC) and carbon capture technology 

on a commercial-scale in a new power 

plant. The power plant would consist of 

a single gasifier with gas cleanup 

systems, a gas combustion turbine, a 

heat recovery steam generator, a steam 

turbine, and associated facilities. 

The IGCC technology would turn a 

fuel blend consisting of 75 percent 

western sub-bituminous coal and 25 

percent petroleum coke (petcoke) into a 

synthesis gas (syngas). The facility 

would gasify the fuel blend to produce 

hydrogen-rich syngas which would be 

used to generate electricity in a 

combined cycle power block; 

manufacture nitrogen-based products in 

an integrated fertilizer manufacturing 

complex; and capture and transport 

carbon dioxide (CO2) via pipeline to a 

neighboring oil field for enhanced oil 

recovery (EOR) and sequestration. At 

full capacity, the plant is expected to 

use about 4,600 short tons of coal and 

about 1,140 short tons of petcoke per 

day. 

The combined power block consists of 

gas combustion and steam turbines that 

would have the capacity to generate 

416-megawatts (gross) of low-carbon 

electricity. This combined-cycle 

approach of using gas and steam 

turbines in tandem increases the 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 140 / Monday, July 22, 2013 / Notices 43871 

amount of electricity that can be 

generated from the feedstock. Because of 

its multiple production capabilities, the 

plant is referred to as a poly-generation 

(or polygen) plant. The project could 

generate urea, ammonia, and perhaps 

other nitrogenous compounds for sale. 

The project’s urea production unit 

would use pastillation technology, 

which converts urea melt into highquality urea pellets. 

The polygen plant would be built on 

453-acres of the 1,106-acre site in southcentral California near the 

unincorporated community of Tupman, 

located approximately 17-miles west of 

the city of Bakersfield. The site and 

surrounding areas are currently used for 

agricultural purposes, including 

cultivation of cotton, alfalfa, and onions. 

HECA would design and construct the 

plant to capture approximately 90 

percent of the CO2, equivalent to 

approximately 3.4 million tons per year. 

During the demonstration phase of the 

plant’s operations, the project would 

sequester about 2.6 million tons of CO2

per year in EOR operations. The 

compressed CO2 would be transported 

approximately 4-miles via a new 12- 

inch diameter pipeline to the existing 

Elk Hills oil field for use in EOR 

operations by a third-party buyer. The 

oil field is majority owned and operated 

by Occidental of Elk Hills which would 

be responsible for the EOR operation. 

Approximately 0.4 million tons per year 

of CO2 would be utilized in fertilizer 

production. Following the 

demonstration phase, the polygen plant 

would continue commercial operation 

for 30 to 50 years and would continue 

to capture its CO2 for EOR. 

The PSA/DEIS evaluates the potential 

impacts of the proposed project, 

connected actions (EOR, utility, rail 

spur), and reasonable alternatives. The 

PSA/DEIS includes an assessment of 

impacts to wetlands in accordance with 

DOE regulations for Compliance with 

Floodplains and Wetlands 

Environmental Review Requirements 

(10 CFR Part 1022) and the Draft 

General Conformity Analysis required 

under the Clean Air Act. 

DOE analyzed two alternatives in the 

draft PSA/DEIS: the Proposed Action 

and the No Action Alternative. Under 

the Proposed Action, DOE would 

provide approximately $408 million in 

cost-shared funding under the CCPI 

program to the proposed project. Under 

the No Action Alternative, DOE would 

not continue funding the proposed 

project. DOE assumes that the project 

would not proceed without DOE 

funding. This option would not 

contribute to the goal of the CCPI 

program, which is to accelerate 

commercial deployment of advanced 

coal technologies that provide the 

United States with clean, reliable, and 

affordable energy. As required by NEPA, 

DOE analyzes this option as the No 

Action Alternative in order to have a 

meaningful comparison between the 

impacts of DOE providing financial 

assistance and withholding that 

assistance. DOE recognizes that it is 

possible for the project to proceed 

without DOE funding. However, for 

purposes of this draft PSA/DEIS, DOE 

assumes that the project would not be 

built under the No Action Alternative. 

The PSA/DEIS considers the 

environmental consequences that may 

result from the proposed project and 

describes additional mitigation that 

might be used to reduce various 

impacts. 

Availability of the PSA/DEIS: Copies 

of the PSA/DEIS have been distributed 

to Members of Congress; Native 

American tribal governments; federal, 

state, and local officials; and agencies, 

organizations, and individuals who 

previously requested a copy. The PSA/ 

DEIS is available on the Internet at 

http://www.energy.gov/nepa or on the 

CEC electronic docket site at http://

www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/

hydrogen_energy/. Copies of the PSA/ 

DEIS are available for public review at 

the following locations: Beale Memorial 

Library, 701 Truxtun Avenue, 

Bakersfield, CA 93301; HollowayGonzales Branch Library, 506 E. 

Brundage Lane, Bakersfield, CA 93307; 

and Southwest Memorial Library, 8301 

Ming Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301. 

Additional copies can also be requested 

(see ADDRESSES). 

Public Hearing: DOE and CEC will 

hold a public hearing(s) during the 

public comment period. The date(s), 

time(s), and location(s) of these public 

hearings will be published in The 

Bakersfield Californian at least 14 days 

prior to the hearings. This information 

will also be posted on CEC’s Web site 

at http://www.energy.ca.gov/sitingcases/ 

hydrogen_energy/. 

Dated: July 17, 2013. 

Mark J. Matarrese, 

Director, Office of Environment, Security, 

Safety & Health, Office of Fossil Energy. 

[FR Doc. 2013–17507 Filed 7–19–13; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission 

[Docket No. IC13–13–000] 

Commission Information Collection 

Activities (FERC–580); Comment 

Request 

AGENCY: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission. 

ACTION: Comment request. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

requirements of the Paperwork 

Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 

3507(a)(1)(D), the Federal Energy 

Regulatory Commission (Commission or 

FERC) is submitting the information 

collection, FERC Form No. 580 

(Interrogatory on Fuel and Energy 

Purchase Practices), to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for 

review of the information collection 

requirements. Any interested person 

may file comments directly with OMB 

and should address a copy of those 

comments to the Commission as 

explained below. The Commission 

issued a Notice in the Federal Register 

(78 FR 26766, 5/8/2013) requesting 

public comments. FERC received two 

comments on the FERC–580. FERC 

addresses these comments in this notice 

and in its submittal to OMB. 

DATES: Comments on the collection of 

information are due by August 21, 2013. 

ADDRESSES: Comments filed with OMB, 

identified by the OMB Control No. 

1902–0137, should be sent via email to 

the Office of Information and Regulatory 

Affairs: oira_submission@omb.gov. 

Attention: Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission Desk Officer. The Desk 

Officer may also be reached via 

telephone at 202–395–4718. 

A copy of the comments should also 

be sent to the Federal Energy Regulatory 

Commission, identified by the Docket 

No. IC13–13–000, by either of the 

following methods: 

• eFiling at Commission’s Web site: 

http://www.ferc.gov/docs-filing/ 

efiling.asp. 

• Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier: 

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, 

Secretary of the Commission, 888 First 

Street NE., Washington, DC 20426. 

Instructions: All submissions must be 

formatted and filed in accordance with 

submission guidelines at: http:// 

www.ferc.gov/help/submissionguide.asp. For user assistance contact 

FERC Online Support by email at 

ferconlinesupport@ferc.gov, or by phone 

at: (866) 208–3676 (toll-free), or (202) 

502–8659 for TTY. 


tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES