ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR OTEC PILOT PLANTS
Logical and orderly progression of the OTEC program from conceptual designs through component testing to the goal of commercially viable OTEC plants require that the socio-legal requirements be met and the proper operating permits be obtained and maintained. This function is accomplished in a series of activities including: (1) Development and annual revision of a published OTEC Environmental Development Plan (EDP); (2) Compliance with NEPA/EPA and other regulatory requirements; and (3) Studies and research in support of the above. The Environmental Development Plan (EDP) lists the concerns, outlines the program to consider the effects and validity of such concerns on the OTEC program, and gives the time-table to meet the schedule, integrated with that of the engineering and design programs. The schedules of compliance activities and, to a lesser degree, research also are governed by the development progress of the technology. However, because of the lead time necessary to insure proper review the appropriate regulatory agencies, the environmental assessment program for the OTEC pilot plants (initially starting with the 10/40 MWe unit) is founded on the strategy of progressive improvement of previously accepted documentation. Based on experience with OTEC-1, the procedure for pilot plants will be: (1) Produce generic Environmental Assessment (EA) at the appropriate level of technology in advance of hardware contract; (2) Produce generic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) at approximately the same time as the hardware procurement; (3) Monitor production of site specific supplement to the generic EIS prepared by the hardware contractor; (4) Assist pilot plant operator in applying and obtaining permits by providing current research and modeling data; (5) Monitor environmental program as required by regulatory agency; and (6) Use new site data for refining models for future pilot plant. assessments.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Earth Sciences Division
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1022088
- Report Number(s):
- LBL-10888; TRN: US201117%%566
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Seventh Ocean Energy Conference, Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C., June 2-5, 1980
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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