[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49556-49557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19897]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: U.S. Route 121,
Section II, Wise, Dickenson, and Buchanan Counties, Virginia
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration is issuing this notice to
advise the public of its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (SEIS), in cooperation with the Virginia Department of
Transportation, for Section II of the proposed U.S. Route 121
(previously known as the Coalfields Expressway) in Wise, Dickenson, and
Buchanan Counties, Virginia. The SEIS will evaluate an alternative that
was not fully evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement
that was approved by FHWA in 2001.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Simkins, Planning and Environment
Team Leader, Federal Highway Administration, Post Office Box 10249,
Richmond, Virginia 23240; email: [email protected]; telephone: (804)
775-3347.
DATES: Submit comments on or before September 22, 2014.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Description of Proposed Action and Background: The Virginia
Department of Transportation (VDOT) proposes to construct Section II of
U.S. Route 121, a limited access roadway on new location for
approximately 26 miles, which would be located to the north of and
roughly parallel to Virginia Route 83 (VA 83) between the Town of Pound
and the U.S. Route 460 Connector in Buchanan County.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in September 2001 and issued a
Record of Decision (ROD) in November 2001 for the Coalfields Expressway
Location Study, which evaluated alternative corridors for the new
roadway, now designated as U.S. Route 121. The FEIS covered the full 59
miles of the proposed roadway in Virginia from U.S. Route 23 at the
Town of Pound to VA Route 83 at the West Virginia state line. The ROD
identified Alternative F1 as the selected alternative, and it also
indicated that the project would be designed and constructed in
numerous phases.
In June 2012, FHWA approved for public availability an
Environmental Assessment (EA) for Section II of the Coalfields
Expressway/U.S. Route 121 that evaluated an alternative that was not
fully evaluated in the 2001 FEIS. The EA can be accessed at: http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/resources/Bristol/CFX_SectionII_Environmental_Assessment_June2012.pdf. In August 2012, public
hearings were held to present the findings of the environmental studies
and to receive comments on the EA. A large volume of comments were
received on the EA, some which suggested the preparation of a
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). FHWA subsequently
determined that a SEIS is necessary for Section II.
[[Page 49557]]
2. Scope of the SEIS: The scope of the SEIS will be informed by the
information in the EA and the comments received on the EA. In
accordance with 23 CFR 771.130 and FHWA's Technical Advisory T6640.8A
(available at http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/impta6640.asp),
the SEIS will address the changes or new information that are the basis
for preparing the SEIS and were not addressed in the FEIS, and will
also summarize unchanged, but still valid, portions of the FEIS. The
basis for preparing the SEIS is that the alternative that was not fully
evaluated in the FEIS is likely to cause significant impacts on the
environment; therefore, a primary focus of the SEIS will be the
evaluation of that alternative.
3. Public Review of SEIS: Notification of the availability of the
Draft SEIS for public and agency review will be made in the Federal
Register and using other methods. Those methods will identify where
interested parties can go to review a copy of the Draft SEIS. Public
meetings will be held after the approval of the Draft SEIS and a 45-day
comment period will be provided on the document. The Draft SEIS will be
available for review at least 15 days prior to the public meetings.
VDOT will provide information regarding the public meetings, including
date, time and location through a variety of means including VDOT's
Internet site (http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/publicinvolvement.asp) and by newspaper advertisement.
(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.)
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: August 15, 2014.
John Simkins,
Planning and Environment Team Leader.
[FR Doc. 2014-19897 Filed 8-20-14; 8:45 am]
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