[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 131 (Friday, July 7, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 41892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17159]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

23 Parts 771, 1420, and 1430

Federal Transit Administration

23 CFR Parts 1420 and 1430

49 CFR Parts 622 and 623

[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-5989]
FHWA RIN 2125-AE64; FTA RIN 2132-AA43


NEPA and Related Procedures for Transportation Decisionmaking, 
Protection of Public Parks, Wildlife and Waterfowl Refuges, and 
Historic Sites

AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit 
Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment 
period.

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SUMMARY: This document extends this rulemaking's comment period until 
September 23, 2000. This is in response to numerous letters received by 
the FHWA and the FTA from State Departments of Transportation, transit 
operators, and metropolitan planning organizations requesting an 
extension of the comment period from the closing date. These groups 
based their requests on the time required to assess the impact of these 
rules on the nation's highway and transit systems and provide 
meaningful comments.

DATES: Comments to the NPRM should be received no later than September 
23, 2000. Late comments will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments must refer to the docket number 
appearing at the top of this document and must be submitted to the 
Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received will be available for 
examination at the above address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t., 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To receive notification 
of receipt of comments you must include a self-addressed, stamped 
envelope or postcard.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the FHWA: Mr. Fed Skaer, (202) 
366-2058, Office of Planning and Environment, HEPE, or Mr. L. Harold 
Aikens, (202) 366-0791, Office of the Chief Counsel, HCC-31. For the 
FTA: Mr. Joseph Ossi, (202) 366-0096, Office of Planning, TPL-22, or 
Mr. Scott Biehl (202) 366-0952, Office of the Chief Counsel, TCC-30. 
Both agencies are located at 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 
20590. Office hours for the FHWA are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t., 
and for the FTA are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 25, 2000 (65 FR 33960), the FHWA and 
the FTA published an NPRM proposing to update and revise their National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 
implementing regulation for projects funded or approved by the FHWA and 
the FTA. The current regulation was issued in 1987 and experience since 
that time, as well as changes in the legislation, most recently by the 
Transportation Equity act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Pub. L. 105-
178, 112 Stat. 107), call for an updated approach to the implementation 
of NEPA for FHWA and FTA projects and actions. Under this proposed 
rulemaking, the FHWA/FTA regulation for implementing NEPA would be 
revised to further emphasize using the NEPA process to facilitate 
effective and timely decisionmaking.
    The FHWA and FTA have received requests from the American 
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American 
Public Transportation Association, the Association of Metropolitan 
Planning Organizations, and several State Departments of Transportation 
to extend the comment period. These groups voiced concerns that the 
proposed rule was extremely complex and that 90 days was insufficient 
time to assess the impact of the proposed rules and provide meaningful 
comments. We agree that more time for an in-depth analysis of the NPRM 
would be beneficial to the FHWA and the FTA in this rulemaking. For 
these reasons, the FHWA and the FTA find good cause to extend this NPRM 
comment period closing date by 30 days.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 134, 135 and 315; 42 U.S.C. 7410 et seq.; 
49 U.S.C. 5303-5309; 49 CFR 1.48 and 1.51.

    Issued on: June 30, 2000.
Kenneth R. Wykle,
Federal Highway Administrator.
Nuria I. Fernandez,
Federal Transit Deputy Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-17159 Filed 7-6-00; 8:45 am]
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