Environmental Impact Assessment Of Biofuels Growth and Production

1. Environmental Impact Assessment Of Biofuels Growth and Production Geo 325 Land Use and Environmental Planning Service Learning Project, Spring 2010

2. Project Outline

3. Biofuels

5. goals • Purpose statement

6. methods • Transportation/harvest/storage

8. ANDERSON BATH BOURBON BOYLE BRACKEN BREATHITT CASEY CLARK CLAY ELLIOTT ESTILL FAYETTE FLEMING FRANKLIN GARRARD GRANT HARRISON HENRY JACKSON JESSAMINE LAUREL • LEE • LEWIS • LINCOLN • MADISON • MASON • MENIFEE • MERCER • MONTGOMERY • MORGAN • NICHOLAS • OWEN • OWSLEY • PENDLETON • POWELL • PULASKI • ROBERTSON • ROCKCASTLE • ROWAN • SCOTT • SHELBY • WASHINGTON • WOLFE • WOODFORD • Target Counties Within 50 mi. Radius of Winchester

9. Policy

10. Background EPA Policy Act of 2005 Changed U.S. energy policy by providing tax incentives and loan guarantees for alternative energy productionThe Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 Created a more aggressive Renewable Fuel Standard

11. What is going to effect our progress? • Federal Legislation • 25x25 in Kentucky: renewable energy initiative backed by businesses, organizations and individuals united by a common interest in making America’s energy future more secure, affordable and environmentally sustainable. • Includes: 2008 Farm Bill • Positives? • Incentives for farmers to produce/convert crops into biomass. • Negatives? • Current farmland is used for cattle production. Is switchgrass economically feasible? • Recovery Act of 2009: an unprecedented effort to jumpstart our economy, create or save millions of jobs, and focus on addressing long- neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the twenty-first century. • Positives?  • Potential for a ‘green, clean’ environment, less dependence on foreign nations for our livelihood. • Potential holes? • Current research suggests only 30-40 jobs will be created through a switchgrass  plant. “Millions” might be a stretch…

12. Methods • Policy Analysis • Trends in Past Legislation • Enacted or failed Legislation • Is it a compelling need? • Sponsorship of Legislation • Effective Counties in a 50 mile radius • TDR Law in Clark County • Urban Service Boundary in Fayette County • Who can we get to sponsor this bill? • Strategic Alignment • Does policy align with cultural/wants needs of Kentucky/counties?

13. Stakeholders

14. Stakeholders: Business / Industry • Other • Trucking • Public Transportation • Contractors • Developers • Coal Industry • Feed Producers • Vehicle Inspection / Repair • Agriculture • Farmers • Wildlife Conservation • Soil Conservation • Landowners • Fuels Market • Stock Holders • Fuel Producers • Gas Companies • Owners • Other Bio-fuel Producers

15. Stakeholders: Government Agencies • Counties: 44 Counties Including: • Madison • Fayette • Clark • Rockcastle • Woodford • Garrard • Local • County Officials • County Extension • Planning • Zoning • Commissions • Economic Development • Transportation Cabinet • State / Federal Agencies • State Parks • Transportation • Energy • EPA

16. Madison County Statistics • Population Size: • 54,090

17. Clark County Statistics

18. Stakeholders: Communities • Healthcare Services • Emergency Services • Urban Growth • Population Growth • Labor Forces • Recreation • Non-Profits • Residents • Landowners

19. Stakeholders: Non-Profit / Environment • Environmental • Environmental Lobbyist • Environmental Groups • Kentuckians for the Commonwealth • Sierra Club • Watershed Watch • Pollution • Air • Water • Land • H20 • Weather Hazards

20. Wildlife

21. Goals And Objectives • Determine likely environmental harms • Determine ways to harvest the land to benefit the wildlife. • Determine ways to produce bio fuels without harming land/water/air quality. • Determine the effects that would occur with the change from corn, or agricultural animals to the production of switch grass • Take into affect, the endangered animals that surround the farmland that could be effected by the production of switch grass

22. Impacts on Grasslands • Provides important habitat for a variety of birds (ground dwelling birds) • Switch grass contains nutrients that enhance soil. • Determine the migratory patterns, with relation to switch grass harvest. • Determine the best times during the season to harvest the switch grass so it does not interfere with the mating times for the birds that inhabit the land. • Some animals that would be effected from the production of switch grass would be widely distributed. Animals such as small mammals, and many varieties of song birds, and game birds. • According to Iowa State Universities Department of Agronomy, Single harvest of switch grass that taken four to six weeks or more after its above-ground growth, is killed by frost, and removes less nutrients and reduces fertility needs.

23. Grasslands

24. Impacts to water • Determine waterways, creeks, and rivers that would be effected • Determine the impact on different species that inhabit the local water ways. • As animals graze forages, they alter the vegetative cover and soil physical properties of pastureland. These alterations may decrease infiltrationof water through the soil which, in turn, increases the amount of surface runoff.

25. References • The figure on slide 3 of this presentation was attributed by the Chariton Valley Biomass Project, under farm-related local environmental benefits. http://www.iowaswitchgrass.com/benefits~onfarmbenefits.html • The figure found on slide 4 was found on the “Highlights of Agricultural Research; (Runoff, Erosion, And Water Quality Detriment Evaluated In Grazing Studies. www.ag.auburn.edu/.../fall97/runoff.htm