[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 112 (Thursday, June 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32656-32657]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13166]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Suffolk County, NY

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 (EIS) will be prepared for the 
development of the Long Island Rail-Truck Intermodal Facility (LIRTIF) 
on a portion of the Pilgrim State Hospital property, located in the 
Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Robert Arnold, Division Administrator, 
Federal Highway Administration, New York Division, Leo W. O'Brien 
Federal Building, 7th Floor, Clinton Avenue and North Pearl Street, 
Albany, New York

[[Page 32657]]

12207, Telephone: 518-431-4125 or, Subimal Chakraborti, P.E., Regional 
Director, New York State Department of Transportation, Region 10, State 
Office Building, 250 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788, 
Telephone: 631-952-6632.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the New York 
State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT), will prepare an EIS that 
will study and document the proposed development of the LIRTIF (Project 
Identification Number 0339.12). An overview of the need for the project 
and the environmental process to be followed is provided below.
    Long Island is one of the nation's largest consumer markets, with 
its population of over 2.4 million expected to increase to over 3 
million in the next 25 years. Freight movement on Long Island is 
currently handled almost exclusively by truck, with roughly 1% of 
freight (by tonnage) handled by rail compared to a national average of 
over 15%. The development of the LIRTIF would improve the efficiency of 
freight service, generate economic benefit, reduce Long Island's 
dependence on truck freight and improve site access. The Pilgrim site 
was determined to be the best of the possible locations based on its 
(1) accessibility to the Long Island Expressway; (2) central location 
near the core of Long Island's main developed areas; (3) direct access 
to the Long Island Rail Road; and (4) available parcel size of roughly 
120 acres, which provides sufficient space to meet potential intermodal 
freight demand.
    The intent of the LIRTIF EIS is to develop a feasible design and 
operating plan for an intermodal freight facility at the project site, 
disclose any potentially significant adverse impacts associated with 
the project's construction or operation, and identify and assess the 
effectiveness of measures to mitigate such impacts. The EIS will 
consider all reasonable alternative designs and configurations to meet 
the need for a modern, efficient intermodal facility that will mitigate 
and reduce any adverse impacts. During the public scoping process, 
based on input from other agencies, elected officials, community and 
business groups and the general public, reasonable alternatives will be 
developed and screened for their ability to meet the project's needs 
and objectives and to determine the scope of issues to be addressed. 
The feasible alternatives will be evaluated in detail in the Draft EIS 
(DEIS).
    Options to be considered as part of the EIS are a No Build 
alternative, with no changes made at the site, and various Build 
alternatives. In defining the various Build alternatives, factors to be 
considered include various site configurations to provide the required 
bulk, intermodal and specialty shipment operations combined with 
different truck access routes from the site to the Long Island 
Expressway. Options being considered for access to the site include (a) 
the local roadways that currently allow truck traffic, (b) creating 
direct connections to the adjacent Sagtikos State Parkway, and (c) 
developing a direct connector road to the Long Island Expressway within 
the Sagtikos State Parkway right-of-way.
    Rail access to the facility is expected to be along the existing 
spur from the LIRR, with a number of alignment variations to be 
considered within the existing rail corridor directly south of the 
project site.
    The EIS will assess the potential for the proposed project 
alternatives to have a significant adverse impact in a wide range of 
socioeconomic, transportation and environmental impact areas, include 
traffic and transit operations, noise and air quality, water quality, 
terrestrial ecology and wetlands, hazardous waste and visual resources, 
land use and neighborhood character, cultural and historic resources, 
and community facilities and services, including parkland. These 
studies will focus primarily on the project site and the immediately 
surrounding communities.
    The formal scoping process will involve the following:
    1. A Public Scoping Meeting, to be held on June 30, 2004 to provide 
the public with information about the project, and to assist in 
formulating the scope of the environmental studies in the EIS. NYSDOT 
will provide information about the project and the scope of the EIS. 
Comments on the project and on the scope of the EIS will then be 
received from the public. NYSDOT personnel and project team members 
will be available at the meeting to answer questions. The public 
scoping meeting will be at:

    Date & Time: June 30, 2004, 4 p.m.-8 p.m.
    Location: Brentwood North Middle School, 350 Wicks Road, Brentwood, 
NY 11717

    This meeting will be run in an informal, open-house style and will 
allow the general public the opportunity to make comments both in 
writing and in person.
    2. Scoping discussions with other agencies, particularly those with 
a direct or indirect involvement in the proposed project, the project 
area and the rail corridor serving the project site.
    Scoping 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 may have 
interest in this project.
    The LIRTIF EIS will include an extensive public involvement process 
to maximize the opportunities for interested stakeholders to find out 
about the project, to follow its progress through the DEIS process, and 
to comment on issues of concern. A key part of the public involvement 
process will be the distribution of the DEIS for public and agency 
review and comment, including a DEIS public hearing to obtain comments 
on the project and the conclusions presented in that document. Public 
notice will be given of the time and place of that hearing.
    Throughout the scoping process, comments and suggestions are 
invited on the scope of issues to be addressed and the proposed LIRTIF 
project from any interested parties. Comments or questions concerning 
this proposed action and the EIS should be directed to NYSDOT or FHWA 
at the addresses provided above. Comments can also be faxed to Thomas 
Daley, P.E., NYSDOT, at 631-952-6569.
(Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372, which foster State and local 
government coordination and review of proposed Federal financial 
assistance and direct Federal development, apply to this program).

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.123.

    Issued on: May 25, 2004.
Douglas P. Conlan,
District Operations Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, New York 
Division, Albany, NY.
[FR Doc. 04-13166 Filed 6-9-04; 8:45 am]
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