[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 57 (Tuesday, March 25, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 14422]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-7077]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[CGD13-03-011]


Draft Environmental Impact Statement; Proposed Bridge across the 
Lake Washington Ship Canal and Duwamish River in Seattle, Washington

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Coast Guard, as the lead federal agency, and in 
cooperation with the Seattle Monorail Project, intends to prepare and 
circulate a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a proposed 
bridge across the Lake Washington Ship Canal and Duwamish River in 
Seattle, Washington. A Coast Guard bridge permit is required for 
approval of the location and plans for the bridge project before 
construction can begin. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be a 
cooperating agency.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 24, 2003.
    The public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2003 
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be mailed to Commander (oan), Thirteenth Coast 
Guard District, 915 Second Avenue, Seattle WA 98174-1067.
    The public scoping meeting will be held at the Seattle Monorail 
Project, 1904 3rd Avenue, Suite 525, Seattle WA 98101.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Austin Pratt, Bridge 
Administration, Telephone: (206) 220-7282.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of intent is published as 
required by regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality at 40 
CFR 1501.7.
    The proposed project would construct a new, fixed monorail bridge 
over the Lake Washington Ship Canal near the existing Ballard Bridge 
(15th Avenue NW) in Seattle, Washington as part of the construction 
project for a 14-mile elevated monorail line along the route approved 
and required by the City of Seattle voters in the November 5, 2002, 
general election in Seattle, Washington.
    The Seattle Monorail Project has already conducted a number of 
state scoping meetings with the public and affected federal, state, 
regional and local agencies pursuant to the Washington State 
Environmental Policy Act. The comments from that scoping process will 
be available to the Coast Guard, in addition to the comments from 
agencies and the public submitted during the Coast Guard's scoping 
process. Consultation with federal resource agencies including National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine 
Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will be 
conducted pursuant to the Endangered Species Act. Consultation with the 
Washington State Historic Preservation Officer will be conducted 
pursuant to section 106 of the National Historical Preservation Act.
    The Coast Guard intends to enter into an agreement with the Seattle 
Monorail Project to produce and issue a joint EIS document that 
satisfies the requirements of both the National Environmental Policy 
Act and the Washington State Environmental Policy Act.
    Alternatives will include no action and alternatives that comply 
with the purpose and need for the Green Line route as set out in the 
Seattle Popular Monorail Plan specified by the Seattle voters. Copies 
of the Seattle Popular Monorail Plan and additional information on the 
proposed Green Line route are available from the Seattle Monorail 
Project Web site at http://www.elevated.org.
    Significant issues to be evaluated include threatened and 
endangered species, and critical habitat, and impacts on historic 
properties and navigation.
    A public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 9, 2003 
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon at the Seattle Monorail Project, 1904 3rd 
Avenue, Suite 525, Seattle WA 98101. Interested and affected parties 
are invited to attend. Written comments are invited from all interested 
parties to assure that all significant issues are identified and that 
the full range of alternatives and impacts of the proposed project are 
addressed. A public hearing will be held after the Draft EIS is issued 
for public and agency review and comment.

    Dated: March 7, 2003.
Erroll Brown,
Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard, Commander, Thirteenth Coast Guard 
District.
[FR Doc. 03-7077 Filed 3-24-03; 8:45 am]
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