[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 213 (Monday, November 5, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62513-62514]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-21669]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: City of Council Bluffs, 
Pottawattamie County, IA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Iowa Department of 
Transportation (Iowa DOT), City of Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie 
County.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA and the Iowa DOT are issuing this notice to advise 
the public that an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be 
prepared for a proposed transportation project in Council Bluffs, 
Pottawattamie County, Iowa.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael LaPietra, Environment and 
Realty Manager, FHWA Iowa Division Office, 105 Sixth Street, Ames, IA 
50010, Phone 515-233-7302; or James

[[Page 62514]]

P. Rost, Director, Office of Location and Environment, Iowa Department 
of Transportation, 800 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50010, Phone 515-239-1225.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document is available for free download 
from the Federal Bulletin Board (FBB). The FBB is a free electronic 
bulletin board service of the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. 
Government Printing Office (GPO).
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recommended for file transfers.
    For Internet access a user needs Internet connectivity. Users can 
telnet or FTP to: http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov">fedbbs.access.gpo.gov. Users can access the FBB via 
the World Wide Web at http://fedbbs.access.gpo.gov.
    User assistance for the FBB is available from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., 
Eastern Standard Time (EST), Monday through Friday (except federal 
holidays) by calling the GPO Office of Electronic Information 
Dissemination Services at 202-512-1530, toll-free at 888-293-6498; 
sending an e-mail to [email protected]; or sending a fax to 202-512-
1262.
    Access to this notice is also available to Internet users through 
the Federal Register's home page at http://www.nara.gov/fedreg.

Project Background

    The FHWA, in cooperation with the Iowa Department of Transportation 
(Iowa DOT), the City of Council Bluffs, and Pottawattamie County, will 
be preparing an EIS for the proposed East Beltway. The proposed project 
includes roadway improvements between US 6/225th Street and IA 92/
Orchard Road, and improvements on the connecting roadways of Steven 
Lane and Greenview Road.
    Council Bluffs and Pottawattamie County have developed a joint plan 
(``Two Mile Limit Study'') for development and infrastructure needs 
east of Council Bluffs to accommodate projected development growth in 
the metropolitan area. From the Two Mile Limit Study, the East Beltway 
was identified as an infrastructure need for the development area. The 
proposed East Beltway will provide a north/south route east of I-80 and 
provide access to existing and future development within the Little 
Pony Creek drainage basin and parts of unincorporated Pottawattamie 
County. The proposed project would also provide system continuity for 
the Council Bluffs/Omaha area by providing a connection between US 6 
and IA 92. The proposed East Beltway would relieve congestion on I-80 
and the southeast I-29/I-80 systems interchange.
    Potential alternatives and combinations thereof will include but 
are not limited to: (1) Taking no action, i.e., the No-Build 
Alternative; (2) strategies to better manage transportation demand; (3) 
improving existing roadways, pedestrian walkways, and bikeways; and (4) 
constructing a new roadway connection.
    The build alternative will include consideration of various 
alignments and grades in order to minimize potential environmental 
impacts. 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 have previously expressed or are 
known to have interest in the proposed project.
    The EIS will be initiated with a scoping process. The scoping 
process will include a program of public outreach and agency 
coordination that will be conducted over the next several months in 
order to elicit input on the project purpose and need, potential 
alternatives, significant and insignificant issues, and collaborative 
methods for analyzing transportation alternatives and environmental 
impacts.
    As part of the scoping process, several public meetings will be 
held in Council Bluffs or unincorporated Pottawattamie County, to meet 
with federal, state, and local agencies, as well as private individuals 
and organizations concerned with the project. In addition, a public 
hearing will be held in connection with the circulation of the draft 
EIS (DEIS). Public notice will be given concerning the date and 
location of the public meeting(s) and public hearing.
    The information gained during the scoping process will be widely 
disseminated and used to guide the development of the EIS. All comments 
and input received during the scoping and subsequent steps of the EIS 
process will be considered and documented. Beginning with scoping, 
continuous and regularly public involvement and agency coordination 
will continue throughout the preparation of the EIS.
    To ensure that a full range of issues are addressed in relation to 
the proposed action and that all significant issues are identified, all 
interested parties are invited to submit comments and suggestions. 
Comments or questions concerning the proposed action and the EIS should 
be directed to the FHWA or Iowa Department of Transportation at the 
address provided on page one in the section titled FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

(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.)

(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48)

    Dated: October 29, 2007.
Philip E. Barnes,
Division Administrator, FHWA, Iowa Division.
[FR Doc. E7-21669 Filed 11-2-07; 8:45 am]
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