by Terry Loney - Daily World Writer, 5/31/2002, The Aberdeen Daily World
Satsop - The state Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council has determined that a proposed expansion of the gas - fired electrical plant Duke Energy is building on Fuller Hill will have no significant adverse impacts on the environment.
That means Duke will not have to complete an Environmental Impact Statement on its plan to expand the plant from its originally proposed size. The council's report, a "Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance," was released recently for public review. The public has until June 7 to submit written comments.
At an undetermined date later in June, the Evaluation Council will review written public comments and officially approve the report, said Allen Fiksdal, Evaluation Council manager.
Houston - based Duke Energy North America, a subsidiary of Duke Energy of Charlotte, N.C., began construction of a 600 - megawatt plant last year. The plant is slated to come online in June of 2003, and will generate enough power to light 600,000 homes. The "combined cycle" plant will produce power from two gas - fired turbines similar to jet engines. The exhaust from those turbines will make steam to power a steam turbine.
Duke began developing plans to double the size of the plant - installing two more gas - fired turbines and one more steam turbine - as construction began.
Fiksdal said the company has identified the impacts the expansion could have and has presented a plan for mitigating them.
Duke has also requested the permit to expand the plant be expedited.
In addition to approving the report, the Evaluation Council will decide during its June meeting if it will grant Duke's request for an expedited permit process. If that request is granted, it will cut several months off the process, according to Fiksdal.
An expedited process would allow Duke to bypass adjudicated proceedings, he said. "That is a trial - like preceding where there are official parties who present expert witnesses and evidence to determine if the application will be approved."
Those proceedings would normally come before public hearings are held on the permit application. Whether it is expedited or not, public hearings will still be held on the application, Fiksdal said.
Diana Vavrek, public affairs manager for Duke, said the construction of the already approved portions of the plant are "right on schedule."
If the expedited process is approved, Vavrek said Duke anticipates "receiving approval by the end of summer" for the expansion application.
If that happens, construction would begin, "by early fall, if it is commercially feasible," she added. If approved, the expansion will increase the generating power of the plant from 600 megawatts to 1,250 megawatts, enough power for 1.2 million homes, Vavrek said.
Send comments on the mitigation determination to Allen Fiksdal, EFSEC Manager, P.O. Box 43172, Olympia, 98504 - 3172, or call (360) 956 - 2152, fax (360) 956 - 2158 or send them by e - mail to efsec@ep.cted.wa.gov.
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