[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 30 (Tuesday, February 17, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7458-7459]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-3324]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2009-0093]


Announcement of Public Meeting Regarding the Ambassador Bridge 
Enhancement Project, Detroit River, Detroit, MI and Windsor, ON, Canada

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard (USCG), as lead federal agency 
under the National Environmental Policy Act, will hold a public meeting 
for citizens to provide oral comments relating to the Ambassador Bridge 
Enhancement Project (ABEP) across the Detroit River between Detroit, MI 
and Windsor, ON, Canada. The project entails construction of a 
companion bridge adjacent to the existing Ambassador Bridge. This 
meeting will serve to update the public on the USCG coordination 
efforts with other expert agencies that have occurred since the ABEP 
draft Environmental Assessment was published for comment in May 2007. 
The meeting will be open to the public.

DATES: The meeting will be held on March 17, 2009, from 6 p.m. to 8 
p.m. If you would like to submit written materials as part of the 
meeting record or request to make an oral presentation at the meeting 
please provide your information to the Docket Management Facility no 
later than March 12, 2009. All comments you wish to incorporate as part 
of the meeting record must be received by March 23, 2009.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at the Earhart Middle School 
located at 1000 Scotten Street, Detroit, Michigan 48209.
    You may send written material, comments and requests to make oral 
presentation and all other comments and materials, under the Coast 
Guard docket number USCG-2009-0093, to the Docket Management Facility 
at the U.S. Department of Transportation using any one of the following 
methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (4) Hand delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
Our online docket for this meeting is available on the Internet at 
http://www.regulations.gov under docket number USCG-2009-0093.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions regarding this 
notice call Ms. Hala Elgaaly, Administrator, Bridge Program, 202-372-
1511. If you have questions on viewing or submitting material to the 
docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program Manager, Docket Operations, 
telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    On July 13, 2006, the Detroit International Bridge Company 
submitted a bridge permit application to the USCG for construction of a 
new companion bridge adjacent to the existing Ambassador Bridge between 
Detroit, MI and Windsor, ON, Canada. The new bridge will provide six 
lanes of travel, three in each direction. One lane in each direction 
will be dedicated to low-risk commercial traffic and the other lanes 
will be open to general automobile and commercial traffic. The existing 
bridge, which is approximately 80 years old, will be closed to general 
traffic and used in the event of an emergency that results in the new 
bridge becoming unavailable, as well as for official government 
vehicles, bridge company vehicles, and special occasions. A draft 
Environmental Assessment was issued by the USCG for this project in May 
2007. Since May 2007, substantial coordination has taken place with 
other expert agencies including, but not limited to, the Environmental 
Protection Agency, the Federal Highway Administration, the Advisory 
Council on Historic Preservation, Transport Canada, the Canadian 
Environmental Assessment Agency, representatives from the Michigan 
State Legislature, Michigan State Historic Preservation Office, the 
Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, and the Michigan Department 
of Transportation. As a result of this coordination, a Memorandum of 
Agreement pursuant to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act has been executed and a Final Environmental Assessment/Draft 
Finding of No Significant Impact has been prepared.
    The meeting is being held at the request of Congressman John 
Dingell, Michigan's 15th District Representative, to update the public 
on the proposed project, the environmental document and the USCG bridge 
permitting process.
    You may view all written material and comments submitted for the 
meeting record in our online docket by going to http://www.regulations.gov. Once there, select the Advanced Docket Search 
option on the right side of the screen, insert USCG-2009-0093 in the 
Docket ID box, press Enter, and then click on the item in the Docket ID 
column. If you do not have access to the internet, you may view the 
docket online by visiting the Docket Management Facility in Room W12-
140 on the ground floor of the Department of Transportation West 
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 
a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. We 
have an agreement with the Department of Transportation to use the 
Docket Management Facility.
    We encourage you to participate in this meeting by submitting oral 
or written comments and any related materials. All comments received 
will be posted without change to http://www.regulations.gov and will 
include

[[Page 7459]]

any personal information you have provided.
    Anyone can search the electronic form of comments received into any 
of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review a Privacy Act notice 
regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008 issue of the 
Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Procedural

    The meeting is open to the public. Attendees at the meeting, who 
wish to present testimony and have not previously made a request to do 
so, will follow those having submitted a request, as time permits. All 
oral presentations will be limited to three minutes. The public meeting 
may end early if all present wishing to speak have done so. A 
stenographer will be present to record this meeting. We will provide a 
copy of the meeting transcript and any additional relevant material 
obtained at the meeting to the docket.

Information on Services for Individuals With Disabilities

    For information on facilities or services for individuals with 
disabilities or to request special assistance at the meeting, contact 
the individual listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section as 
soon as possible.

    Dated: February 11, 2009.
Hala Elgaaly,
Administrator, Bridge Program, U.S. Coast Guard, By direction of the 
Commandant.
 [FR Doc. E9-3324 Filed 2-13-09; 8:45 am]
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