[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 221 (Friday, November 14, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 67491]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26970]


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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army, Corps of Engineers


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement/Section 404 Permit Application for the Southern Beltway 
Transportation Project from I-79 to the Mon/Fayette Expressway, 
Washington County, PA

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), in cooperation with 
the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency, as a Cooperating Agency, have prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)/Section 404 Permit Application 
for the Southern Beltway Transportation Project from I-79 to the Mon/
Fayette Expressway in Washington County, PA. The overall purpose of the 
project is to provide transportation mobility safety improvements, to 
relieve congestion, and to support economic development plans in 
southwestern Pennsylvania. The FEIS assesses the environmental effects 
of the various alternatives developed to address the project needs.

DATES: Comments concerning this FEIS should be submitted by December 
15, 2008.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to: Scott A. Hans, Chief, Regulatory 
Branch, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District, Moorhead 
Federal Building, 1000 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4186 or to: 
David P. Willis, Environmental Manager, Pennsylvania Turnpike 
Commission, P.O. Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the FEIS should be 
directed to: Mr. John S. Weres, Project Manager, at SAI Consulting 
Engineers, Inc., 1350 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222 (412-392-8750).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Authorization: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh 
District, Regulatory Branch is considering an application from the 
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, 700 South Eisenhower Boulevard, P.O. 
Box 67676, Harrisburg, PA 17106-7676 under Section 404 of the Clean 
Water Act to construct the proposed action. The primary Federal concern 
is the discharge of fill materials (including permanent inundation) 
within Federal jurisdictional waters of the United States, and 
potential impacts on the human environment from such activities. The 
Corps' decision will be to either issue or deny a Department of the 
Army permit for the proposed action.
    The FEIS has been prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), pursuant to 42 U.S.C. 
4332(2)(c) and Executive Order 11990, and with other appropriate 
federal laws and regulations, policies, and procedures of the Corps for 
compliance with those regulations.
    2. Scoping Process: The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has held a 
series of Public Plans Displays and Public Meetings in the project area 
during the past several years, including a series of three meetings in 
August 2005 to present the alternatives developed in detail in the 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). To initiate the public 
scoping process for the DEIS in accordance with the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) and NEPA guidelines, the Corps published a 
Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on October 23, 2007 (FR 
Doc. E7-20812).
    3. Availability of the DEIS: Notice of Availability for the DEIS 
was published in the Federal Register on December 14, 2007. The DEIS 
was available for comment until February 8, 2008. A total of 48 
comments were submitted to the Corps and the Pennsylvania Turnpike 
Commission. The Corps and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission 
considered public comments and concerns on the DEIS and incorporated 
into the FEIS as appropriate.
    4. Public Hearing: A formal public hearing to receive comments on 
the DEIS was held by the Corps and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission 
on January 24, 2008, at the Canon-McMillan Senior High School in 
Canonsburg, PA. Both an open house plans display and a formal 
presentation was conducted, and a total of 10 individuals provided 
testimony regarding the project. The Corps and the Pennsylvania 
Turnpike Commission considered public comments and concerns and 
incorporated them into the FEIS as appropriate.
    5. Availability of the FEIS: Individuals and agencies may offer 
comments on the FEIS by mailing the information to Mr. Scott A. Hans or 
to Mr. David P. Willis at the addresses provided in this notice prior 
to December 15, 2008. The Corps will finalize the Record of Decision no 
sooner than 30 days after the Notice of Availability of the FEIS. The 
FEIS and appendices are available for review and downloading from the 
Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission's project Web site at the following 
address: http://www.paturnpike.com/monfaySB/. Copies of the FEIS are 
available for public review at local municipal offices and public 
libraries in the project area. Copies of the technical support data and 
all documents referenced in the FEIS are available for public review by 
appointment at the Pittsburgh Office of SAI Consulting Engineers, Inc. 
1350 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Please contact Mr. John Weres 
at (412) 392-8750 to set up an appointment. Please note that only 
qualified individuals will be allowed to review the confidential 
cultural resources appendices. Copies of the FEIS and appendices are 
also available for public review at the locations noted below:

Scott A. Hans,
Chief, Regulatory Branch, Pittsburgh District--U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers.
 [FR Doc. E8-26970 Filed 11-13-08; 8:45 am]
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