[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 207 (Wednesday, October 27, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 57924]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-28052]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Lebanon County, PA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared for a proposed highway 
project in the City of Lebanon, Lebanon County, Pennsylvania.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
David W. Cough P.E., Director of Operations, Federal Highway 
Administration, Pennsylvania Division Office, 228 Walnut Street, Room 
536, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101-1720, Telephone: 717-221-3411,
       or
Mark Malhenzie, Project Manager, Pennsylvania Department of 
Transportation, Engineering District 8-0, 2140 Herr Street, Harrisburg, 
Pennsylvania, 17103, Telephone: 717-783-5080.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the 
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), will conduct a 
project Needs Analysis and Design Location Studies and will prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement to evaluate alternatives which provide 
grade-separated access over a railroad corridor located in the City of 
Lebanon. The study area will extend from 12th Street to Lincoln Avenue. 
The railroad corridor is an active lien recently acquired by Norfolk 
Southern.
    The railroad line is a high-density rail line with eight at-grade 
crossings through the City of Lebanon. There are no grade-separated 
crossing through the City causing long queues at the crossings which 
result in congestion and unacceptable delays for emergency service 
providers. The study offers the opportunity to provide grade-separated 
motorist, bicycle and pedestrian crossings and eliminate some at-grade 
crossings. Potential impacts to the environment include cultural 
resources and residential and business displacements.
    The initial stage of this process is for scoping, documentation of 
the project need, and development of conceptual alignment corridors. 
This stage of the study will culminate in a Needs Analysis Report.
    A range of conceptual alignment corridors will be developed and 
examined within the context of the identified project needs, 
environmental and socioeconomic constraints, and public input, as well 
as their consistency with County and municipal plans and policies. 
Alternatives to be examined will include the No-Build Alternative. This 
analysis will be used to refine the alternatives or eliminate a 
particular alternative from further consideration due to the potential 
for socio-economic, environmental, or engineering impacts. This stage 
of the study will result in a Preliminary Alternatives Analysis Report.
    Following the preliminary analysis, the alternatives which are 
recommended for further study will be developed in greater detail and 
the environmental impacts for each will be assessed and described in 
the Environmental Impact Statement.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and citizens who express an interest in the 
proposal. Agency scoping and public meetings will be initiated in Fall 
1999. Public involvement and inter-agency coordination will be 
maintained throughout the development of the study. Public notices of 
the time and place of the public meetings and any required public 
hearings will be provided.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and that all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from interested parties. Comments 
or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to the FHWA or PennDOT at the addresses provided above.

(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: October 19, 1999.
David W. Cough,
Director of Operations, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
[FR Doc. 99-28052 Filed 10-26-99; 8:45 am]
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