[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 223 (Friday, November 19, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67773-67774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-25673]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Clackamas 
County, OR

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
supplement to a draft environmental impact statement will be prepared 
for a proposed project in Clackamas County, Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michelle Eraut, Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, 530 Center Street, NE., 
Suite 100, Salem, Oregon 97301, Telephone (503) 587-4716.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Oregon 
Department of Transportation and the Clackamas County Department of 
Transportation and Development, will prepare a supplement to the draft 
environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposed transportation 
improvement project to the ORE 212 Corridor between I-205 and the 
junction of ORE 212 and ORE 224 at Rock Creek (4 miles). The U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers has declined to serve as a cooperating agency on 
this supplemental draft EIS. The proposed transportation improvement 
will improve capacity and safety within the ORE 212 Corridor are based 
on needs identified in the Regional Transportation Plan.
    The original Draft Sunrise Corridor EIS was approved in 1993 and 
covered the corridor between I-205 and US 26. Due to lack of funding 
and uncertainty on the planned urbanization of rural lands in the 
corridor, a final EIS was not prepared which would have documented the 
selection of a new limited access expressway as the regionally 
preferred alternative for the corridor. A recent reevaluation of the 
draft EIS concluded that the section from I-205 to Rock Creek Junction 
has an existing transportation need, has independent utility, and does 
not preclude any alternatives proposed for the section from Rock Creek 
Junction to US 26. The reevaluation also concludes that the project 
planning and regulatory context has changed sufficiently to warrant the 
preparation of a supplemental draft EIS. A Major Investment Study 
conducted in 1997 supported the build alternative concept of a new 
limited-access expressway on a new alignment between I-205 and the Rock 
Creek Junction. Public involvement and agency coordination activities 
will be used to confirm that the no-build and design variations of an 
expressway are an appropriate range of alternatives for consideration 
in the supplemental draft EIS. The adopted regional transportation plan 
has demonstrated that the capacity problems are not appropriately 
solved with transportation systems management or transit-only 
solutions.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, and to 
provide organizations

[[Page 67774]]

and citizens who have previously expressed or are known to have an 
interest in this project. A series of public meetings will be held in 
the fall and winter of 2004/2005 and spring 2005. In addition, a public 
hearing will be conducted following the issuance of the supplemental 
draft EIS in the fall of 2005. Public notice will be given of the time 
and place of the meetings and hearing. The draft of the supplemental 
EIS will be available for public and agency review and comment prior to 
the public hearing. No formal scoping meeting is planned at this time.
    To ensure the full range of issues related to this proposed action 
are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action should be directed to the 
FHWA at the address 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: November 15, 2004.
Elton Chang,
Environmental Programs Coordinator, Oregon Division.
[FR Doc. 04-25673 Filed 11-18-04; 8:45 am]
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