Description

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The United States Department of Energy's (DOE's) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of providing funding for the proposed Battleground Energy Recovery Project in Deer Park, Harris County, Texas. The proposed action is for DOE to provide $1.94 million in cost-shared funding to the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC) for the Battleground Energy Recovery Project. The proposed project was selected by the DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to advance research and demonstration of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The proposed project would produce 8 megawatts (MWs) of electricity from high pressure steam generated by capturing heat that is currently lost at the Clean Harbors Deer Park (CHDP) facility. The proposed project is consistent with DOE's goal of increased use of energy efficiency and renewable energy generation projects. The proposed project involves installation of a specifically designed waste heat recovery boiler on the existing kiln afterburner of an incineration unit at the CHDP facility. This boiler would use heat from the incinerator flue gases to generate high-pressure superheated steam. The adjacent Dow Chemical plant would periodically consume part of the steam for process needs, replacing natural gas firing of existing boilers. The majority of the steam, however, would be piped to a new turbine generator (TG). The TG would be installed in a new building adjacent to the existing CHDP facility. Additional waste heat steam from the neighboring Dow Chemical plant would be routed to the TG when available. A cooling tower would be installed adjacent to the new building in the northwest corner of the facility. The 8 MWs of electricity generated by the TG would be used by the CHDP facility to offset purchased power; any excess power generated would be transmitted to the electric grid. Construction and installation activities associated with the proposed project would occur entirely within private industrial property. The project would require a construction permit and a minor amendment to the facility's air emissions operating permit. Additionally, modification to the facility's hazardous waste processing and disposal permit would be necessary. However, no significant adverse impacts are anticipated to result from implementation of this proposed project.