EE-RM-90-201 COMMENT OOD

(Doeln!t No. ~E-R~1] 

E~ eonSe~~ ProQr.m2 for 

Consumer Products 

AGENCY: Office ofILe:gy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy. Department of " 

Energy {DOE}.' 

AC'J!ON!.PubIicaUon of a finding of DO 

. significantimpac:1 for en~ental . assessment OOEJEA-08Ul. . 

SUWM4R'r. on Ma:n::b 4. 1994;tbe' .' 

. Department p~blished 8 Notice of 
EE-RM-90-201 COMMENT OOD

F~ R.egister I Vol ,59, .No. 65 I. Tuesday, April S. 1994 I Proposed. Rules 

:- " 

.. ~ la .Wasm~DC,.~ 1'. 191M. 

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15869 
[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 5, 1994)] 

[Unknown Section] 

[Page 0] 

From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[FR Doc No: 94-8122] 

[[Page Unknown]] 

[Federal Register: April 5, 1994] 

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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY 

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

10 CFR Part 430 

[Docket No. EE-RM-90-201] 

Energy Conservation Program for Consumer Products 

AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Department of 

Energy (DOE). 

ACTION: Publication of a finding of no significant impact for 

environmental assessment DOE/EA-0819. 

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SUMMARY: On March 4, 1994, the Department published a Notice of 

Proposed Rulemaking on Energy Efficiency Standards for eight appliance 

types (59 FR 10464). As part of the analysis supporting that Notice, 

the Department prepared an Environmental Assessment (DOE/EA-0819), 

which was printed within Volume I of the Technical Support Document 

that was prepared for that rulemaking proposal. Today's action makes 

publically available the Finding of No Significant Impact that had been 

prepared for that Environmental Assessment. It is printed in its 

entirety.

 Issued in Washington, DC, March 17, 1994. 

Frank M. Stewart, Jr., 

Chief of Staff, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. 

Finding of No Significant Impact--Energy Conservation Program for 

Consumer Products 

 The Energy Policy and Conservation Act, as amended by the National 

Energy Conservation Policy Act, the National Appliance Energy 

Conservation Act of 1987, and the National Appliance Energy 

Conservation Amendments of 1988, 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. Based on an Environmental Assessment (EA), DOE/EA

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EE-RM-90-201 COMMENT OOD
0819, DOE has determined that the proposal of any of the candidate 

amended energy efficiency standards for the eight appliances would not 

be a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the 

human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Therefore, an environmental impact statement 

(EIS) is not required, and the Department is issuing this finding of no 

significant impact (FONSI). 

 Public Availability: Copies of the EA are available from the 

Hearings and Dockets Branch, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable 

Energy, EE-43, room 6B-025, U.S. Department of Energy, Docket Number 

EE-RM-90-201, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC, 20585, 

(202) 586-9320. 

 For further program information, contact: Dr. Barry P. Berlin, 

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EE-43), U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 

20585, (202) 586-9127. 

 For further information regarding the DOE NEPA process, contact: 

Carol M. Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Oversight (EH-25), U.S. 

Department of Energy, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 

20585, (202) 586-4600 or (800) 472-2756. 

 Description of the Proposed Action: The proposed action is the 

establishment of revised energy conservation standards for room air 

conditioners, water heaters, direct heating equipment, mobile home 

furnaces, kitchen ranges and ovens, pool heaters and fluorescent lamp 

ballasts, and to consider standards for televisions. 

 Environmental Impacts: The EA evaluates the environmental impacts 

of a range of new candidate energy conservation standards for eight 

types of household appliances. The results are presented for each 

potential standard level for each of the eight appliance types. Each 

potential standard level is an alternative action, and the 

environmental impacts of each alternative are compared to what would be 

expected to happen if no new standards for each product were finalized, 

i.e., the ``no action'' alternative. 

 The main environmental concern is emissions from fossil-fueled 

electricity generation. Most of the design options for the eight 

appliances would result in decreased electricity use and, therefore, a 

reduction of power plant emissions. The proposed efficiency standards 

would generally decrease air pollution by decreasing future energy 

demand. The greatest decreases in air pollution would be for sulfur 

oxides, listed in equivalent weight of sulfur dioxide, or SO2. 

Reductions of nitrogen oxides and carbon dioxide would also occur and 

are listed by weight of NOx and CO2, respectively. Design 

options for many of the appliances (i.e., gas and oil water heaters, 

gas pool heaters, direct heating equipment, mobile home furnaces, and 

gas ranges and ovens) would also reduce in-home fuel consumption, 

resulting in lower in-home emissions from fuel-burning appliances. 

 Although the quantity of raw materials used per appliance would 

remain relatively constant, in most scenarios increased initial prices 

from standards are expected to reduce slightly the number of appliances 

sold, which would result in small decreases in the total amount of raw 

materials used. The main effect of this decreased appliance production 

would be the SO2 decreases from avoided fuel burning at power 

plants. The environmental contribution from reduced steel production is 

not included in the estimates for net SO2 decreases resulting from 

design changes in these products. 

 Although the effects on particulate emissions related to a 

standard-induced decrease in electricity generation would be minor 

compared to effects on SO2, NO2, and CO2, any reduction 

would possibly be beneficial to the quality of surface water. Since the 

total amount of particulates emitted would decrease, it is very likely 

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EE-RM-90-201 COMMENT OOD
that fewer particulates would reach the surface water. 

 Reductions in particulate emissions accompanied by drecases in 

SO2 and NO2 would have other beneficial effects on the 

environment. The resultant improvement to air quality and the decreased 

potential for acid rain formation could help improve the quality of 

wetlands and fish and wildlife as well as aid in the preservation of 

historical and archaeological sites. 

 Reduced in-home fuel consumption of gas or oil would decrease the 

impact of combustion on indoor air quality. Indoor air problems are 

usually due to a combination of factors, including a tight house 

envelope, insufficient ventilation for cooking appliances, presence of 

sources such as cigarette smokers or formaldehyde-containing products, 

and radon diffusion from soil. In comparison to the above factors, and 

because fuel-burning appliances are normally vented to the outside, the 

projected changes in home fuel-burning appliance use is expected to 

have little effect on indoor air quality. 

 Determination: Based upon the EA, DOE has determined that the 

proposal of any of the candidate amended energy-efficiency standards 

for room air conditioners, water heaters, direct heating equipment, 

mobile home furnaces, kitchen ranges and ovens, pool heaters, 

fluorescent lamp ballasts, and television sets would not consitute a 

major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human 

environment, within the meaning of NEPA. Therefore, an EIS for the 

proposed action is not required. 

 Issued in Washington, DC, this 4th day of December 1992. 

Paul L. Ziemer, 

Assistant Secretary, Environment, Safety and Health. 

[FR Doc. 94-8122 Filed 4-4-94; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 6450-01-P 

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