[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 236 (Monday, December 10, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69726-69727]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5988]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Hawai`i County, HI

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)--Central Federal Lands 
Highway Division (CFLHD), DOT.

ACTION:  Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: FHWA-CFLHD is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
supplemental environmental impact statement will be prepared for a 
proposed highway project in Hawai`i County, Hawai`i.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ricardo Suarez, Division CFLHD 
Engineer, 12300 West Dakota Avenue, Lakewood, CO 80228 and/or Ronald F. 
Tsuzuki, State Department of Transportation, Highways Division, 
Planning Branch, 869 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in consultation with the Hawaii 
Department of Transportation (HDOT), will prepare a supplemental 
environmental impact statement (SEIS) for an ongoing project to improve 
and realign the Saddle Road (State Highway 200), an existing highway in 
Hawai`i County, Hawai`i. The purpose of the project is to provide a 
safe and efficient route for access to land uses along Saddle Road and 
for cross-island traffic between East and West Hawai`i. The ongoing and 
planned improvements to Saddle Road would also address five general 
types of needs: Roadway deficiencies, conflicts and hazards with 
military operations, capacity, safety, and social demand and economic 
development. The final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the 
project was completed August 9, 1999, and the Record of Decision (ROD) 
was signed on October 30, 1999. The project began construction in 2004 
and approximately 30% of the project has been completed or is now under 
construction. In 2006, the Department of the Army (Army) purchased a 
Parker Ranch property known as the Ke`amuku parcel. This property 
included the area planned for the selected alternative (W-3) for 
western section of the Saddle Road. On September 6, 2006, the U.S. Army 
Garrison, Hawai`i, requested that HDOT and FHWA consider relocating the 
highway about a mile southwest towards the southern boundary of 
Ke`amuku. This would allow the Army to maximize its training 
opportunities and minimize conflict with the traveling public. This 
request meets one of the original purposes of the Saddle Road EIS, 
which was to minimize conflict between civilian and military uses in 
the area, and FHWA and HDOT thus have determined that it is prudent to 
re-examine the alternatives for the western section of the EIS. 
Alternatives under consideration at this time include (1) taking no 
action; (2) using the alternative for the western section of the 
project that was recommended in the Final EIS and selected in the ROD; 
and (3) relocating this segment of the highway nearer the southern 
boundary of the Ke`amuku parcel. The SEIS will also reconfirm the 
reasons that alternatives for the western section were dropped from 
consideration in the

[[Page 69727]]

original EIS, and reconsider them, if appropriate.
    Because public scoping meetings for the Saddle Road Improvements 
project were held in Hilo, Kona and Waimea during the development of 
the original EIS, no additional scoping is required for an ongoing 
project, where an SEIS is prepared that does not involve a reassessment 
of the entire action. However, 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 this proposal. 
Public hearings will be held in both West and East Hawai`i. Public 
notice will be given of the time and place of the hearings. The draft 
SEIS will be available for public and agency review and comment prior 
to the public hearing. To ensure that the full range of issues related 
to this proposed action are addressed and that all significant issues 
are identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all 
interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this proposed 
action and the SEIS should be directed to the FHWA-CFLHD or the HDOT at 
the addresses 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 27, 2007.
Ricardo Suarez, P.E.,
Division Engineer, CFLHD.

[FR Doc. 07-5988 Filed 12-7-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M