[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 137 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 35229]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-17144]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Federal Railroad Administration


Rescission of Notice of Intent

SUMMARY: This notice rescinds the previous notice of intent issued on 
April 2, 2001 to prepare an environmental impact statement for a 
proposed rail corridor improvement project on the BNSF Railway main 
line between the City of Kelso and Martin's Bluff (south of Kalama, 
Washington).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Moberg, Area Engineer, Federal 
Highway Administration, Evergreen Plaza Building, 711 South Capitol 
Way, Suite 501, Olympia, Washington 98501, Telephone: (360) 534-9344; 
David Valenstein, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Ave., SE., MS-20, Washington, DC 20590, Telephone: (202) 493-6368; 
Scott Witt, Washington State Department of Transportation, 310 Maple 
Park Ave., Southeast, Olympia, Washington 98504, Telephone: (360) 705-
7938.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 22, 1992, the U.S. Department of 
Transportation designated the existing rail corridor from Eugene, 
Oregon through Portland, Oregon and Seattle, Washington to Vancouver, 
British Columbia, Canada as a high-speed rail corridor pursuant to 
section 1010 of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 
1991 (ISTEA). As part of phase one of the long-term plan to develop 
high-speed intercity passenger service on the corridor, the Washington 
State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) proposed to improve the 
Burlington Northern Santa Fe (now BNSF) mainline between the City of 
Kelso and Martin's Bluff (south of Kalama, Washington). FHWA and FRA 
published the notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement for the Kelso-Martin's Bluff Rail Project in the Federal 
Register on April 2, 2001. When anticipated federal funding for the 
project did not become available, the 2007 Washington State Legislature 
(Legislature) instructed the WSDOT to reduce the scope of the project 
to match state funding amounts. In 2008, the Legislature moved state 
project funds to the 2013-2017 biennia. As a result of these 
legislative actions, WSDOT is no longer proposing improvement to this 
rail corridor and FHWA and FRA are rescinding the notice of intent to 
prepare an environmental impact statement.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation of federal programs and activities apply to this 
program)

    Issued on: May 26, 2008.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
Dean Moberg,
Area Engineer, FHWA.
[FR Doc. E9-17144 Filed 7-17-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P