[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 130 (Thursday, July 8, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39325-39326]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-16664]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Notice of Draft Finding of No Significant Impact for the
Washington State Portion of the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor
Upgrades Tier-1 Environmental Assessment
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), United States Department
of Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of availability; Request for comments on draft Finding
of No Significant Impact.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and the FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental
Impacts (FRA Environmental Procedures) (64 F.R. 28545 (May 26, 1999)),
the FRA and the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)
prepared a Tier-1 Environmental Assessment (Tier-1 EA) that evaluates
the impacts of a corridor improvements program to the Washington State
portion of the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (PNWRC Program). Based
on the Tier-1 EA, the FRA has prepared a draft finding of no
significant impact (draft FONSI) and is inviting the public to comment
on the draft.
DATES: Written comments will be accepted on or before August 9, 2010.
Any substantive comments received before the close of the comment
period will be considered and addressed in the final FONSI. Copies of
both the Tier-1 EA and draft FONSI are available on FRA's Web site at:
http://www.fra.dot.gov/Pages/3006.shtml and WSDOT's Web site at http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Freight/publications/PassengerRailReports.htm.
ADDRESSES: Please submit written comments on the draft FONSI to
Elizabeth Phinney, Rail Environmental Manager, Washington State
Department of Transportation, State Rail and Marine Office, 310 Maple
Park Ave., SE., P.O. Box 47407, Olympia, WA 98504-7407. Comments may
also be submitted in writing to Melissa DuMond, Environmental
Protection Specialist, ATTN: PNWRC FONSI, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New
[[Page 39326]]
Jersey Ave., SE., Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information regarding the
draft FONSI please contact Melissa DuMond, Environmental Protection
Specialist, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Ave., SE.,
Stop 20, Washington, DC 20590, telephone: (202) 493-6366.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of the PNWRC Program in
Washington State is to improve intercity passenger rail service by
reducing travel times, achieving greater schedule reliability, and
creating capacity for additional trip frequencies in order to
accommodate growing intercity travel demand. To achieve these goals
WSDOT applied for federal funding through the High Speed Intercity
Passenger Rail Program (HSIPR Program) administered by the FRA and
funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Recovery Act).
WSDOT's application under the Recovery Act was split into three Service
Blocks, and identified incremental service benefits including increased
service levels, improved on-time performance and schedule reliability,
and reduced travel times. The FRA intends to provide funding under the
HSIPR Program for projects contained in two of the three service
blocks.
In June 2009, the FRA released the HSIPR Program Guidance (Interim
Guidance) that described the eligibility requirements and procedures
for obtaining funding under the HSIPR Program. (74 FR 29901 (June 23,
2009)). The Interim Guidance split the funding opportunities into four
separate tracks. The PNWRC improvements were submitted by Washington
State for consideration for Track 2 funding. The Interim Guidance
required Track 2 applicants to submit, with their application, a
``corridor-wide `service' NEPA study, such as a programmatic or Tier I
EIS.'' (Interim Guidance Section 1.6.2). The Interim Guidance went on
to define Service NEPA as an environmental document, either an
Environmental Impact Statement or an EA, that ``[a]ddresses actions at
a broad level, such as a program concept for an entire corridor.''
(Interim Guidance Section 2.2).
In order to comply with the requirements of the Interim Guidance,
WSDOT prepared a Tier-1 or ``service'' NEPA document that included the
analysis of two alternatives; the ``No Build'' and the ``Corridor
Service Expansion Alternative.'' The No Build Alternative analyzes what
would happen if there are no further improvements on the PNWRC. The
Corridor Service Expansion Alternative analyzes the effect on the human
and natural environments of the service improvements that involve 23
individual projects that build on one another and collectively meet the
goals of the PNWRC Program to expand and improve service along the
PNWRC. The Tier-1 EA was completed in September, 2009 and was made
available for comment between October 2, 2009 and October 23, 2009 on
the WSDOT Web site. Thirteen agencies submitted written comments. No
individual written comments were received.
Based on the Tier-1 EA and contingent upon successful completion of
mitigation measures detailed in the draft FONSI, FRA has determined
that the improvements will not have a significant impact on the quality
of the human or natural environment. Therefore, FRA has drafted a FONSI
for the proposed program of improvements. This FONSI based on the Tier-
1 EA has been prepared to comply with NEPA and the FRA's Environmental
Procedures. FRA has concluded that the award of Federal funds to
implement the program of improvements to the Washington State segment
of the PNWRC that are described as Service Blocks 1, 2, and 3 in the
EA, constitute a major Federal action within the meaning of Section
102(c) of NEPA (43 U.S.C. 4321). Prior to release of construction
funding for individual projects, WSDOT will successfully complete
applicable mitigation measures detailed in the draft FONSI and complete
appropriate project-level NEPA evaluations, documentation, and required
determinations for the individual project.
FRA Environmental Procedures require that a FONSI be made available
to the public for not less than 30 days when the ``nature of the
proposed action is one without precedent.'' Because this is the first
Tier-1 EA and draft FONSI that FRA will issue, this notice invites the
public to comment on the draft FONSI.
Issued in Washington, DC, on July 2, 2010.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Policy and Development.
[FR Doc. 2010-16664 Filed 7-7-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P