[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 237 (Friday, December 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71868-71869]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-26921]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement; Garfield, 
Eagle, Summit, Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties, CO

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, the FHWA, in cooperation with the Colorado Department of 
Transportation (CDOT), have prepared a Draft Programmatic Environmental 
Impact Statement (PEIS)--a Draft Tier 1 EIS--for proposed 
transportation improvements to Interstate 70 (I-70) between Glenwood 
Springs and C-470, traversing five counties in north-central Colorado: 
Garfield, Eagle, Summit, Clear Creek and Jefferson from approximately 
mileposts 116 to 260. The Draft PEIS identifies 20 Build Alternatives 
and the No-Action Alternative, and evaluates their associated 
environmental impacts. Interested citizens are invited to review the 
Draft PEIS and submit comments. Copies of the Draft PEIS may be 
obtained by telephoning or writing either of the contact persons listed 
below under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Public reading copies of 
the Draft PEIS are available at the locations listed under 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

DATES: A 90-calendar-day public review period will begin on December 
10, 2004, and conclude on March 10, 2005. Written comments on the Draft 
PEIS to be considered must be received by CDOT by March 10, 2005. A 
series of ten public hearings to receive oral and written comments on 
the Draft PEIS will be held across the corridor at the locations listed 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request information or copies of 
the Draft PEIS, and to submit written comments on the Draft PEIS, 
contact Cecelia Joy, Project Manager, Colorado Department of 
Transportation, Region 1, 18500 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, CO 80011, 
telephone (303) 757-9112; or Jean Wallace, Senior Operations Engineer, 
Federal Highway Administration, 12300 West Dakota Avenue, Suite 180, 
Lakewood, CO 80228, telephone (720) 963-3015. Written comments may also 
be submitted via the project Web site at http://www.i70mtncorridor.com. 
Please see the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for a listing of the 
available documents, distribution policy and formats in which they may 
be obtained. The SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section also lists locations 
where copies of the Draft PEIS are available for public inspection and 
review.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Hearing Dates and Locations:
     Wednesday, January 12, 2005, Clear Creek High School, 5 
p.m. to 8 p.m., Evergreen, Colorado.
     Saturday, January 15, 2005, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Westin 
Hotel, Westminster, Colorado.
     Wednesday, January 19, 2005, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at County 
Inn of Grand Junction, Grand Junction, Colorado.
     Wednesday, January 26, 2005, Avon Municipal Building, 4 
p.m. to 7 p.m., Avon, Colorado.
     Wednesday, February 2, 2005, Marriott Denver South at Park 
Meadows, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Littleton, Colorado.
     Wednesday, February 9, 2005, Rocky Mountain Village/Easter 
Seals Handicamp, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Empire, Colorado.
     Saturday, February 12, 2005, Hotel Colorado, 1 p.m. to 4 
p.m., Glenwood Springs, Colorado.
     Wednesday, February 16, 2005, Jefferson County 
Fairgrounds, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Golden, Colorado.
     Wednesday, February 23, 2005, Four Points Sheraton, 4 p.m. 
to 7 p.m., Silverthorne, Colorado.
     Saturday, February 26, 2005, The Vintage Hotel, 1 p.m. to 
4 p.m., Winter Park, Colorado.
    Copies of the Draft PEIS are available in hard copy format for 
public inspection at:
     CDOT Headquarters, Public Information Office, 4201 E. 
Arkansas Ave., Denver, CO 80222; (303) 757-9228.
     CDOT Region 1, 18500 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora, CO 80011; 
(303) 757-9371.
     Irving Street Library, 7392 Irving Street, Westminster, CO 
80030; (303) 430-2400, ext. 2303.
     Aurora Central Library, Recreation & Cultural Services, 
14949 E. Alameda

[[Page 71869]]

Parkway, Aurora, CO 80012; (303) 739-6600.
     Denver Public Library, Central Branch, 10 W. Fourteenth 
Ave. Parkway, Denver, CO 80204; (720) 865-1733.
     Auraria Campus Library, 1100 Lawrence St., Denver, CO 
80204; (303) 556-3532.
     Highlands Ranch Library, 9292 Ridgeline Blvd., Highlands 
Ranch, CO 80129, (303) 791-7703.
     Philip S. Miller Library, 100 S. Wilcox, Castle Rock, CO 
80104; (303) 688-7700.
     FHWA Offices, 12300 W. Dakota Ave., Suite 180, Lakewood, 
CO 80228; (720) 963-3000.
     USDA Forest Service, Regional Office, 740 Simms, Lakewood, 
CO, 80401; (303) 275-5427.
     Jefferson County Offices, 100 Jefferson County Parkway, 
Suite 3500, Golden, CO 80419; (303) 271-8470.
     Commissioner's Office, 405 Argentine, Georgetown, CO 
80444; (303) 679-2310.
     Tomay Memorial Library, 605 6th Street, Georgetown, CO 
80444; (303) 569-2620.
     Clear Creek County Planning Office (Library), 405 
Argentine St., Georgetown, CO 80444; (303) 679-2455.
     Gateway Visitor Center, 1491 Argentine St., Georgetown, CO 
80444; (303) 569-0289.
     Idaho Springs Heritage Museum and Visitor's Center; 2060 
Miner Street, Idaho Springs, CO 80452; (303) 567-4382.
     Idaho Springs Public Library, 219 14th Ave., Idaho 
Springs, CO 80452; (303) 567-2020.
     U.S. Forest Service, Clear Creek Ranger District, 101 
Chicago Creek Road, Idaho Springs, CO 80452; (303) 567-3000.
     Clear Creek High School (Library), 185 Beaver Brook Canyon 
Road, Evergreen, CO 80439; (303) 679-4601.
     Silver Plume Small Town Hall, 285 Main St., Silver Plume, 
CO 80476; (303) 569-2363.
     Historic Dumont School House, 150 Dumont Lane, Dumont, CO 
80436; open by appointment, (303) 771-3078.
     Fraser Valley Library, 421 Norgren Rd., Fraser, CO 80442; 
(970) 726-5689.
     Summit County Planning Office, Summit County Commons Bldg. 
1st Floor, 37 County Road 1005, Frisco, CO 80443; (970) 668-4200.
     Summit County Public Library, Main Branch, Summit County 
Commons Bldg., 37 County Road 1005, Frisco, CO 80443; (970) 668-5555.
     Summit County Public Library, North Branch, 651 Center 
Circle, Silverthorne, CO 80498; (970) 468-5887.
     USDA Forest Service, Dillon Ranger District, 680 River 
Parkway, Silverthorne, CO 80498; (970) 468-5400.
     Eagle County Engineering Office, 500 Broadway, Eagle, CO 
81631; (970) 328-3560.
     Avon Municipal Building, 400 Benchmark Rd., Avon, CO 
81620; (970) 748-4035.
     Vail Public Library, 292 W. Meadow Dr., Vail, CO 81657; 
(970) 479-2185.
     Lake County Public Library, 1115 Harrison Ave., Leadville, 
CO 80461; (719) 486-0569.
     Pitkin County Library, 120 North Mill St., Aspen, CO 
81611; (970) 925-4025.
     CDOT, Region 3, 202 Centennial St., Glenwood Springs, CO 
81601; (970) 384-3332.
     Glenwood Springs Public Library, 413 9th St., Glenwood 
Springs, CO 81601; (970) 945-5958.
     USDA Forest Service, 900 Grand Ave, Glenwood Springs, CO 
81602; (970) 945-2521.
     CDOT, Region 3, 222 S. 6th St., Grand Junction, CO 81501; 
(970) 248-7223.
     Grand Junction Public Library, 530 Grand Ave., Grand 
Junction, CO 81501; (970) 683-2429.
    In addition to the above public repositories, the policy for 
distribution will be as follows:
     A 2-volume compact disc set will be provided to each 
entity represented on the Mountain Corridor Advisory Committee (MCAC)/
Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Section 106 consulting parties, and 
the I-70 Coalition. Upon request, one hard copy of the document will be 
provided to each entity represented on the MCAC/TAC, the Section 106 
consulting parties, and the I-70 Coalition.
    The Draft PEIS will also be available for review in the following 
formats:
     Compact Disc--2 volume set--PDF format (by request).
     Executive Summary only--hard copy (by request).
     The PEIS Web site at http://www.i70mtncorridor.com.

Background

    This Draft PEIS focuses on broad approaches to address travel 
demand and performance of transportation systems within the context of 
the I-70 corridor communities and environmental setting. At this Tier 1 
level of analysis, the Draft PEIS provides an evaluation of a broad 
range of mode choices and general locations of proposed transportation 
improvements for I-70 between Glenwood Springs and C-470. The study 
area extends approximately 144 miles across Garfield, Eagle, Summit, 
Clear Creek and Jefferson Counties. This Draft PEIS includes an 
examination of the purpose and need, alternatives under consideration, 
travel demand, and consistent with a programmatic level of analysis, 
describes the affected environment, environmental consequences, and 
identifies mitigation policies for the proposed transportation systems 
under consideration. Twenty build alternatives and a No-Action 
Alternative are presented in the Draft PEIS. Of these, a group of nine 
preferred alternatives have been identified and are under consideration 
by FHWA and CDOT in the Draft PEIS. After a preferred alternative has 
been identified in the Final Programmatic EIS, and an alternative is 
selected in the Record of Decision, subsequent design, environmental 
analysis, documentation, and review will be prepared in a Tier 2 
document, which will include site-specific, project level details.
    Comments from interested parties on the Draft PEIS are encouraged 
and may be presented verbally at a public hearing or may be submitted 
in writing to the CDOT and/or the FHWA.
    The FHWA and CDOT invite interested individuals, organizations, and 
federal, state, and local agencies to comment on the evaluated 
alternatives and associated social, economic, or environmental impacts 
related to the alternatives.

    Issued on: December 3, 2004.
Douglas Bennett,
Assistant Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 
Lakewood, Colorado.
[FR Doc. 04-26921 Filed 12-9-04; 8:45 am]
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