AGENDA

SITING BOARD

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

JULY 25, 2000

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Item 1 Minutes

Submittal of the Minutes of the April 25, 2000 Cabinet Meeting.

(see Attachment 1, pages 1-2)

RECOMMEND ACCEPTANCE

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Item 2 Gulf Power Company Final Order

REQUEST: Consideration of an Order, to be executed by the Siting Board, adopting the Administrative Law Judge’s Recommended Order recommending the Siting Board grant full and final certification to Gulf Power Company, under section 403, Part II, F.S., for the location, construction and operation of Smith Unit 3, pursuant to subsections 403.509(1), and 403.511(1), F.S.

APPLICANT: Gulf Power Company

COUNTY: Bay

STAFF REMARKS: Gulf Power Company’s proposed Unit 3 project consists of two combustion turbines and a single steam turbine operating as a combined cycle unit, with a total summer peak generating capacity of 574 megawatts. The new Unit 3 will be fired only with natural gas. The Lansing Smith Unit 3 site is an approximately 50-acre parcel within the existing, approximately 1384-acre, Gulf Power Company-owned, Lansing Smith Power Plant site. Gulf Power Company currently operates three electrical generating units at the Smith site. These units are directly south of the proposed Unit 3 site. Unit 3 will utilize some of the existing Smith facilities such as transmission lines, wastewater treatment facilities, and cooling water system. The Florida Public Service Commission issued an affirmative need determination on August 2, 1999.

In addition to the combined cycle unit, the Unit 3 site will also contain a new electrical switchyard and a natural gas conditioning and meter station. A new cooling tower will be constructed, along with water treatment and storage facilities. The site will also contain a new administration building and stormwater ponds. Gulf Power Company will be "reconductoring" three of the transmission lines that leave the Lansing Smith site and proceed south and east into Lynn Haven, Panama City, and Cedar Grove. No new transmission structures or replacement of existing such structures will be required as part of this activity. Gulf Power Company will mitigate for 15.2 acres of jurisdictional wetlands by enhancing 130 acres of wet pine plantation within a neighboring 232-acre parcel that is contiguous to a large cypress swamp and by placing the mitigation area under a conservation easement.

On December 30, 1999, the Administrative Law Judge issued a Recommended Order finding the site to be in compliance with the local land use plans and zoning ordinances. This Siting Board adopted that Order on February 22, 2000.

On June 19, 2000, the Administrative Law Judge issued his Recommended Order recommending the Siting Board grant full and final certification to Gulf Power Company, under section 403, Part II, F.S., for the location, construction and operation of Smith Unit 3 subject to the Conditions of Certification.

Siting Board

Department of Environmental Protection

Agenda - July 25, 2000 Page Two

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Item 2, cont.

(See Attachment 2, Pages 1-110)

RECOMMEND APPROVAL

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