[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 166 (Friday, August 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 52804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21336]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Stanislaus County, CA
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public
that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for a
proposed highway project in Stanislaus County, California.
DATES: Public scoping meetings to be held Wednesday, September 8, 2010
and Monday, September 13, 2010. All written scoping comments must be
received by September 30, 2010.
ADDRESSES: The Wednesday, September 8, 2010 meeting will occur at the
Oakdale Community Center, 110 South Second Avenue, Oakdale, California
95361. The Monday, September 13, 2010 meeting will occur at the Salida
Regional Library, 4835 Sisk Road, Salida, California 95368.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gail Miller, Senior Environmental
Planner, Central Sierra Environmental Analysis Branch, California
Department of Transportation, 2015 East Shields Avenue, Suite 100,
Fresno, California 93726, (559) 243-8274 or (209) 948-3646, [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, FHWA assigned, and
Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for this project
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans as the delegated National
Environmental Policy Act agency, in cooperation with the North County
Corridor Transportation Expressway Authority, will prepare an EIS on a
proposal for the North County Corridor highway project in Stanislaus
County, California. The North County Corridor project begins from State
Route 99 in the vicinity of Kiernan Avenue/the Salida community, and
extends east approximately 25 miles to State Route 108/120, east of the
city of Oakdale. The North County Corridor project is proposed to
relocate State Route 108 with a freeway/expressway and is considered
necessary to accommodate anticipated traffic growth in northern
Stanislaus County, alleviate traffic on parallel roadways, accommodate
multi-modal travel, provide interregional connectivity, and to provide
for economic growth. Total funding for the future 25 mile relocation of
State Route 108 has not been identified. As a result, Caltrans is
planning a phased approach as additional funds become available for the
construction of the future 25 mile freeway/expressway facility with
interchanges, grade-separated railroad crossings, at-grade
intersections, frontage roads, and street alignments.
Current alternatives under consideration at this time include, but
not necessarily limited to, (1) taking no action and (2) consideration
of at least three different alignments for the potential relocation of
State Route 108. It is anticipated that the proposed project may
require the following federal permits and approvals: A Biological
Opinion from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, approval of a
PM10-PM2.5 Hot Spot Analysis by the Inter-Agency
Consultation Committee, an Air Quality Conformity determination from
the FHWA, Section 401, 402 and 404 permits under the Clean Water Act
and a Farmland Conversion Impact Rating For Corridor Type Projects from
the United States Soil Conservation Service. The EIS for this initial
phase of the proposed project would authorize preservation of the
corridor from McHenry to State Route 99 and construction and operation
of the first constructible phase from McHenry to State Route 108/120.
Subsequent funded project phases will require either re-evaluation and/
or subsequent environmental documentation for project-specific impacts.
Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, Participating and Cooperating
Agencies, and local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens
who have previously expressed or are known to have interest in this
proposal. Letters will be sent to the following tribal groups: Tule
River Indian Tribe, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, and North Valley
Yokuts Tribe.
The environmental scoping process begins with the publication of
this Notice of Intent. Public scoping meetings will be held in the
Oakdale Community Center, 110 South Second Avenue, Oakdale, California
95361 on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and in
the Salida Regional Library, 4835 Sisk Road, Salida, California 95368
on Monday, September 13, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be
directed to Caltrans at the address provided above. All written scoping
comments must be received by September 30, 2010.
(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: August 23, 2010.
Cindy Vigue,
Director, State Programs Federal Highway Administration Sacramento,
California.
[FR Doc. 2010-21336 Filed 8-26-10; 8:45 am]
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