[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 143 (Tuesday, July 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44044-44046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-18318]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statements: National Summary of Rescinded 
Notices of Intent

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that 15 
States, including the District of Columbia, have rescinded Notices of 
Intent (NOIs) to prepare 20 Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for 
proposed highway projects. The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation 
with the State Departments of Transportation (State DOTs), determined 
that nine projects were no longer viable and have formally cancelled 
the projects. No further Federal resources will be expended on these 
projects; the environmental review process has been terminated. Nine 
projects have been reduced in scope and now meet the criteria for an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) or a Categorical Exclusion (CE). One 
project is now proceeding as a corridor study.

[[Page 44045]]

One project was rescinded as the FHWA is no longer the lead Federal 
agency for the project.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethaney Bacher-Gresock, Office of 
Project Development and Environmental Review, (202) 366-4196; Janet 
Myers, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-2019; Federal Highway 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by accessing 
the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov and the 
Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara.

Background

    The FHWA, as lead Federal agency under the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) and in furtherance of its oversight and stewardship 
responsibilities under the Federal-aid highway program, periodically 
requests that its Division Offices review, with the State DOTs, the 
status of all EISs and place those projects that are not actively 
progressing in a timely manner in an inactive project status. The FHWA 
maintains lists of active and inactive EIS projects on its Web site at 
http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/. The FHWA has determined that 
inactive projects that are no longer a priority or that lack financial 
resources should be rescinded with a Federal Register notice notifying 
the public that project activity has been terminated. This notice 
covers the time period since the last summary was issued on May 14, 
2009, and published in the Federal Register at 74 FR 25797 (May 29, 
2009). As always, FHWA encourages State DOTs to work with their FHWA 
Division Office to determine when it is most prudent to initiate an EIS 
in order to best balance available resources as well as the 
expectations of the public.
    The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that 15 States 
(California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, 
Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, 
Texas, and Washington) have recently rescinded previously issued NOIs 
for 20 EISs for proposed highway projects. A listing of these projects, 
general location, original NOI date of publication in the Federal 
Register, and the date that the NOI was formally rescinded by notice 
published in the Federal Register, is provided below.
    The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State DOTs, 
determined that nine of these projects were no longer viable projects 
and have formally cancelled those projects. The projects are: The 
Gaming Area (SH 119 Corridor) project in Gilpin, Clear Creek, and 
Jefferson Counties, Colorado; County Road 951 project in Lee and 
Collier Counties, Florida; Lake County Illinois Transportation 
Improvement Project; Intersection of Route 213 and Nye School Road in 
Rock County, Wisconsin to the interchange of Rockton Road and I-90 in 
Winnebago, Illinois; University of Maryland Campus Study from I-95/I-
495 and points north located in Prince George's County, Maryland; 
Jefferson County Missouri Transportation Improvements Project; Harmony 
Road, Clackamas County, Oregon; SH 35 Roadway between Bellfort Road and 
FM 1462 in Harris and Brazoria Counties, Texas; and the BNSF Railway 
Mainline Kelso-Martin's Bluff Rail Project (south of Kalama, 
Washington).
    The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State DOTs, 
determined that nine projects would be reduced in scope. In California, 
the I-805 Managed Lane South Project has been reduced in scope and now 
meets the criteria for an EA. The Klingle Road, N.W. project in the 
District of Columbia was rescoped and is now an EA focusing on 
environmental remediation and the development of a multiuse trail. In 
Maryland, the MD 4 from MD 2 to MD 235 (Thomas Johnson Memorial Bridge) 
in Calvert and St. Mary's Counties has been rescoped and now meets the 
criteria for an EA. In Minnesota, the Tier 1 EIS 33rd Street Corridor 
between TH 15 and TH 10 in Sherburne and Stearns Counties has been 
reduced in scope and now meets the criteria for an EA, other components 
could proceed at a later date. In Missouri, the U.S. Route 65 
Relocation Project in Benton County has been reduced in scope as 
relocation of U.S. Route 65 is no longer being considered. Also in 
Missouri, the Route 47 Transportation System Improvements Project in 
Warren and Franklin Counties has been reduced in scope and only covers 
the bridge replacement. In New Jersey, the proposed South Branch 
Parkway project in Hunterdon County was reduced in scope as it was 
determined that key elements of the purpose and need may be met by 
making improvements to the existing Route 31. In New York, project 
scoping indicated that few highway improvements are required for the 
Route 531 Extension project Monroe County and those that are needed 
will be progressed as CEs. In Tennessee, the State Route 91 
Improvements project in Elizabethton, Carter County, was reduced in 
scope to the transportation systems management and upgrades options to 
as new location alternatives could have significant adverse 
environmental impacts.
    In addition, one project in Polk County, Iowa, the Tiered EIS 
Northeast Beltway Study, was rescinded due to scheduling and a lack of 
project funding; it is currently proceeding as a corridor study.
    In addition, the FHWA Division Office, in consultation with the 
State DOT, rescinded one project because FHWA is no longer serving as 
the lead Federal agency. The San Ysidro Port of Entry project in San 
Diego County, California was redesigned and the General Services Agency 
is now the lead Federal agency. The FHWA is a cooperating agency.

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               State                  Project name--location            NOI date              Rescinded date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CA................................  I-805 Managed Lane South                  7/11/2007                12/8/2009
                                     Project--San Diego County.
CA................................  San Ysidro Port of Entry--                 7/2/2003               12/22/2009
                                     San Diego County.
CO................................  Gaming Area EIS (SH 119                   8/11/2000                 4/7/2010
                                     Corridor)--Gilpin, Clear
                                     Creek and Jefferson
                                     Counties.
DC................................  Klingle Road, N.W.--                      3/18/2004                 6/7/2010
                                     Washington, D.C..
FL................................  County Road 951--Lee and                  6/27/2005                3/10/2010
                                     Collier Counties.
IA................................  Tiered EIS Northeast          5/5/2006 and 6/1/2009               12/21/2009
                                     Beltway Study--Polk
                                     County.
IL................................  Lake County Transportation             9/21/2001\*\               10/23/2008
                                     Improvement Project.
IL................................  Intersection of Route 213                10/26/1995                 5/7/2010
                                     and Nye School Road in WI
                                     to the interchange of
                                     Rockton Road and I-90 in
                                     IL--Rock County, WI to
                                     Winnebago County, IL.
MD................................  University of Maryland                    6/11/2008                 6/3/2010
                                     Campus Study from I95/
                                     I495 and points north--
                                     Prince George's County.

[[Page 44046]]

 
MD................................  MD 4 from MD 2 to MD 235                 10/22/2007                 6/4/2010
                                     (Thomas Johnson Memorial
                                     Bridge)--Calvert and St.
                                     Mary's Counties.
MN................................  Tier I EIS--33rd Street                  12/26/2002                 1/7/2010
                                     Corridor between TH 15
                                     and TH 10--Sherburne and
                                     Stearns Counties.
MO................................  US Route 65 Relocation                    4/20/1994                2/27/2006
                                     Project--Benton County.
MO................................  Transportation                           12/19/2007                6/29/2009
                                     Improvements Project--
                                     Jefferson County.
MO................................  Route 47 Transportation                   4/22/2008                 6/1/2010
                                     System Improvements--
                                     Warren and Franklin
                                     Counties.
NJ................................  South Branch Parkway--                   11/24/2006                6/30/2009
                                     Hunterdon County.
NY................................  Route 531 Extension--                     1/14/2005                6/21/2010
                                     Monroe County.
OR................................  Harmony Road--Clackamas                    4/9/2007                 4/5/2010
                                     County.
TN................................  State Route 91                             2/2/2007                 6/4/2010
                                     Improvements in
                                     Elizabethton--Carter
                                     County.
TX................................  SH 35 Roadway between                    10/30/2003                 3/3/2010
                                     Bellfort Road and FM
                                     1462--Harris and Brazoria
                                     Counties.
WA................................  BNSF Railway Mainline                      4/2/2001                7/20/2009
                                     Kelso-Martin's Bluff Rail
                                     Project.
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\*\Date of Draft EIS, original NOI date unknown.

(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: July 6, 2010.
Gregory N. Nadeau,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2010-18318 Filed 7-26-10; 8:45 am]
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