[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 164 (Wednesday, August 23, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Page 51401]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21428]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and Federal Railroad 
Administration (FRA), DOT


Rescission of Notice of Intent

SUMMARY: This notice rescinds the previous notice of intent issued on 
January 19, 1996, to prepare an environmental impact statement for a 
proposed high speed rail improvement program between Portland, Oregon 
and Vancouver, British Columbia.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gary S. Hughes, Federal Highway 
Administration, Evergreen Plaza Building, 711 South Capitol Way, Suite 
501, Olympia, Washington 98501, Telephone: (360) 753-9025; David 
Valenstein, Federal Railroad Administration, 1120 Vermont Avenue NW., 
MS 20, Wahsington, DC 20590, Telephone: (202) 493-6368; Mr. James 
Slakey, Washington State Department of Transportation, 310 Maple Park 
East Olympia, Washington 98504, Telephone: (360) 705-7920.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The notice of intent to prepare an 
environmental impact statement for the multi-phase program plan to 
develop high-speed intercity passenger service on the 366-mile segment 
of the rail corridor between Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British 
Columbia, was published January 19, 1996. The purpose of that EIS was 
to provide background for the decision whether or not to implement a 
comprehensive high-speed passenger rail program in the corridor, and to 
analyze the impacts of proposed improvements needed to implement Phase 
1 of the program.
    Since that date, the decision whether or not to implement a 
comprehensive high-speed rail program in the corridor has been 
deferred. An Intercity Passenger Rail Plan was developed for Washington 
State 1998-2018, which included an overview and analysis of 
environmental resources and impacts. That plan was deferred while 
several of the improvements originally proposed as Phase 1 of the rail 
plan have been incorporated into the improvement programs of other 
entities providing rail service on the corridor. Further analysis of 
the remaining four improvements proposed as part of Phase 1 has 
demonstrated that they have both logical termini and independent 
utility as stand-alone projects to improve existing services. 
Therefore, each will be developed independently with appropriate 
environmental processes to comply with the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation of federal programs and activities apply to this 
program)


    Issued on: July 27, 2000.
Gary S. Hughes,
Operations Team Leader, Federal Highway Administration, Washington 
Division.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 00-21428 Filed 8-22-00; 8:45 am]
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