[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 21 (Tuesday, February 1, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 5649]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-1876]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[Docket No. FD 30186 (Sub-No. 3)]
Tongue River Railroad Company, Inc.--Construction and Operation--
Western Alignment
ACTION: Notice of the re-opening of the Programmatic Agreement process
to update and revise the existing Programmatic Agreement.
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SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation Board's (Board's) Office of
Environmental Analysis (OEA) (formerly the Section of Environmental
Analysis or SEA) prepared a Programmatic Agreement (PA) as the final
step in the Section 106 process under the National Historic
Preservation Act for Tongue River Railroad Company's (TRRC) application
to construct and operate a rail line in southeastern Montana. A final
decision authorizing TRRC's construction and operation was issued in
October, 2007.
The PA was prepared in consultation with the Section 106 signatory
and concurring parties and was executed in November, 2005. The PA
expired on November 1, 2010, after an initial term of five years. An
Amendment to the PA has been executed by all signatory parties
extending the existing PA through September 1, 2011, to allow time to
update and revise it.
The revision would take into consideration the designation of the
Wolf Mountain Battlefield as a National Historic Landmark on October
26, 2008. Several Federally recognized Tribes have notified the Board
of their interest in being included in the consultation process. The
Tribes are concerned about impacts related to the rail line
construction and operation on Wolf Mountain Battlefield. The alignment
approved by the Board in its October 2007 decision runs through the
eastern portion of that site.
OEA has recently invited the United States Department of the
Interior (National Historic Landmarks Program) and additional Tribes
that may have an interest in the project area to participate in the PA
consultation process. With this notice, we now invite any other
interested parties to participate in the PA consultation process. The
updated PA must be executed by September 1, 2011. OEA proposes the
following timeline:
February 1, 2011--Inform the public by Federal Register notice of
the re-opening of the PA process and seek comment from the public (45-
day comment period). Transmit a Word version of the existing PA to
current and newly designated consulting parties seeking comment, with
suggested changes and edits to the existing PA to OEA within 45 days.
March 18--End of public and consulting party comment period.
March 18--April 15--OEA internal review of comments received and
revision of the PA in consultation with consulting parties, as
appropriate.
May 2--OEA transmits revised PA, which addresses concerns, to
consulting parties and members of the public that have shown an
interest, for 30-day comment period.
June 1-15--OEA internal review of comments received and revision of
the PA in consultation with consulting parties, as appropriate.
June 15--Final PA sent to consulting parties for a 15-day review
period.
July 1--Target date for execution of revised PA.
Comments: OEA welcomes at this time any general comments you may
have regarding the Board's Section 106 review process for this project,
as well as specific comments you may have regarding the revision of the
existing PA and OEA's proposed timeline. Comments may be filed
electronically via the Board's Web site, http://www.stb.dot.gov, by
clicking on the ``E-FILING'' link. Comments may also be submitted by e-
mail to Kenneth Blodgett at [email protected] or by general
delivery to:
Kenneth Blodgett, Surface Transportation Board, Office of Environmental
Analysis, 395 E St., SW., Washington, DC 20423.
Please submit all comments by March 18, 2011 and refer to Docket
No. FD 30186 (Sub-No. 3) in all correspondence addressed to the Board.
The existing PA and the Amendment to the PA can be viewed on the
Board's Web site at ``Key Cases'' under ``Environmental Matters.''
Contact Kenneth Blodgett at 202-245-0305 with any questions.
Decided: January 25, 2011.
By the Board.
Victoria Rutson,
Director, Office of Environmental Analysis.
Andrea Pope-Matheson,
Clearance Clerk.
[FR Doc. 2011-1876 Filed 1-31-11; 8:45 am]
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