[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 131 (Monday, July 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40406-40407]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16644]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statements: National Summary of Rescinded
Notices of Intent
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that 8
States have rescinded Notices of Intent (NOIs) to prepare 14
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for proposed highway projects.
The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State departments
of transportation (State DOTs), determined that six projects were no
longer viable and have formally cancelled the projects. No further
Federal resources will be expended on these projects; the environmental
review process has been terminated. Four projects have been reduced in
scope or found not to have significant impacts and now meet the
criteria for an Environmental Assessment (EA) or a Categorical
Exclusion (CE). Two projects will be constructed using solely State
funds, so EISs will not be required. One project will be divided into
two future projects and NOIs will be issued as needed. Finally, one
project is being significantly rescoped and required a new NOI, which
has already been issued.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Ostrum, Office of Project
Development and Environmental Review, (202) 366-4651; Janet Myers,
Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-2019; Federal Highway
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by accessing
the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov and the
Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara.
Background
The FHWA, as lead Federal agency under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) and in furtherance of its oversight and stewardship
responsibilities under the Federal-aid highway program, periodically
requests that its Division Offices review, with the State DOTs, the
status of all EISs and place those projects that are not actively
progressing in a timely manner in an inactive project status. The FHWA
maintains lists of active and inactive EIS projects on its Web site at
http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/. The FHWA has determined that
inactive projects that are no longer a priority or that lack financial
resources should be rescinded with a Federal Register notice notifying
the public that project activity has been terminated. This notice
covers the time period since the last summary was issued on May 23,
2011, and published in the Federal Register at 76 FR 31676 (June 1,
2011). As always, FHWA encourages State DOTs to work with their FHWA
Division Office to determine when it is most prudent to initiate an EIS
in order to best balance available resources as well as the
expectations of the public.
The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that 8 States
(California, Idaho, Mississippi, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina,
Ohio, and Texas) have recently rescinded previously issued NOIs for 14
EISs for proposed highway projects. A listing of these projects,
general location, original NOI date of publication in the Federal
Register, and the date that the NOI was formally rescinded by notice
published in the Federal Register, is provided below.
The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State DOTs,
determined that six of these projects were no longer viable projects
and have formally cancelled those projects. The projects are: State
Route 101 in
[[Page 40407]]
Mendocino County, California; State Route 603/43 in Hancock County,
Mississippi; the Elizabeth Brady Road Extension (U-3808) in Orange
County, North Carolina; the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (Project
X730.56) in Kings County, New York; Gowanus Expressway--Battery Tunnel
(Project X729.94) in Kings County, New York; and US-62 in Mahoning and
Trumbull Counties, Ohio.
Four projects are currently undergoing re-scoping and are expected
to require either an EA or CE when re-scoping is complete. These
projects include: The Bayview Transportation Improvement Project in
California; the Boise River Bridge and Travel Corridor in Ada County,
Idaho; SH-55 in Valley County, Idaho; and Highway 35 between Norfolk
and South Sioux City, Nebraska.
In addition, two projects will now be constructed using State
funding for the delivery of the project so EISs are no longer
necessary: US Highway 30, Schuyler to Fremont in Colfax and Dodge
Counties, Nebraska; and the Loop 375/C[eacute]sar Chavez Highway, in El
Paso County, Texas.
The Peace Bridge Expansion Project in Erie County, New York, will
be divided into separate projects, and new NOIs will be issued as
needed. Finally, one project, the Tappan Zee Bridge/ I-287 project in
Rockland and Westchester Counties, New York, was significantly changed
in scope. A new NOI reflecting this change was issued on 10/12/2011.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original NOI Rescinded NOI
State Project name date date
------------------------------------------------------------------------
CA................ State Route 101 9/5/2002 8/09/2011
in Mendocino
County.
CA................ Bayview 6/2/2004 9/1/2011
Transportation
Improvement
Project.
ID................ Boise River 1/13/2004 8/29/2011
Bridge and
Travel Corridor.
ID................ SH-55 in Valley 1/24/2000 3/14/2012
County.
MS................ State Route 603/ 10/26/2009 8/26/2011
43.
NC................ Elizabeth Brady 6/14/2005 1/23/2012
Road Extension
(U-3808).
NE................ Highway 35 3/4/2002 7/14/2011
between Norfolk
and South Sioux
City.
NE................ Highway 30, 8/29/2005 3/7/2012
Schuyler to
Fremont in
Colfax and
Dodge Counties.
NY................ Tappan Zee 12/23/2002 10/12/2011
Bridge/I-287.
NY................ Brooklyn-Queens 4/20/2009 11/29/2011
Expressway
(BQE),.
Interstate 278
(I-278) in
Kings County
(Project
X730.56).
NY................ Gowanus 11/1/1996 11/29/2011
Expressway--Bat
tery Tunnel in
Kings County.
NY................ Peace Bridge 10/9/2001 1/10/2012
Expansion
Project, City
of Buffalo,
Erie County.
OH................ US-62 in 11/5/2004 4/26/2012
Mahoning and
Trumbull
Counties.
TX................ Loop 375 9/1/2007 10/3/2011
C[eacute]sar
Ch[aacute]vez
Highway (Border
Highway West
Extension), El
Paso County.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing
Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)
Issued on: June 29, 2012.
Victor M. Mendez,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-16644 Filed 7-6-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P