DOE RELEASES FINAL EIS FOR FUTUREGEN

Karen Frantz
GHG Monitor
11/01/13

The Department of Energy has released its final environmental impact statement for the FutureGen 2.0 carbon capture and storage project, clearing the project to move ahead to the next stage. The final document is largely unchanged from the EIS draft, released in April 2013, which found that the project would have potential “minor adverse impacts” on nearby groundwater, geology and air quality but would likely have a “beneficial impact” on the surrounding area’s climate and greenhouse gas emissions. “The FutureGen Alliance is pleased that the Department of Energy has released the FutureGen 2.0 Final Environmental Impact Statement and appreciates the hard work the department has done to fully analyze the potential environmental impacts,” said Ken Humphreys, CEO of the FutureGen Alliance. “The final EIS, which takes into account public comment received on the Draft EIS and updated information, identifies no significant environmental impacts as a result of implementing the FutrueGen 2.0 project. With the Final EIS complete, we look forward to DOE issuing a Record of Decision, which will allow us to keep this near-zero emissions project on track.”

The DOE has allocated $1 billion in stimulus funding to FutureGen for design and construction work, as well as supporting a 56-month demonstration period. The next step is for DOE to issue a record of decision. In the final EIS, DOE released 116 comments gathered during the public comment period, including comments federal and state agencies, non-governmental groups and members of the public. The comments also include oral statements made at a public hearing DOE held in Jacksonville, Ill. in May.