[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 156 (Friday, August 13, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49504-49506]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19630]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2009-0097]


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Goethals Bridge Replacement Project

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard announces the availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed replacement by the Port 
Authority of New York and New Jersey of the 82-year old Goethals Bridge 
across the Arthur Kill between Staten Island, NY, and Elizabeth, NJ. 
The FEIS analyzes the potential for impact to the natural, human and 
cultural environment of the proposed Goethals Bridge Replacement 
Project.

DATES: The review period for the FEIS will close on September 13, 2010. 
Comments and related material must either be submitted to our online 
docket via http://www.regulations.gov on or before September 13, 2010 
or reach the Docket Management Facility by that date.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2009-0097 using any one of the following methods:
    (1) Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov.
    (2) Fax: 202-493-2251.
    (3) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of 
Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New 
Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    (4) Hand Delivery: Same as mail address above, between 9 a.m. and 5 
p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone 
number is 202-366-9329.
    To avoid duplication, please use only one of these four methods. 
See the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of 
the

[[Page 49505]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section below for instructions on how to 
submit comments.
    The First Coast Guard District Bridge Office located at One South 
Street, Battery Park Building, New York, NY 10004, will maintain a 
printed copy of the FEIS available for inspection or copying between 9 
a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions regarding this 
notice, call or e-mail Gary Kassof, Bridge Program Manager, First Coast 
Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 212-668-7165, e-mail 
[email protected]. If you have questions regarding viewing or 
submitting material to the docket, call Renee V. Wright, Program 
Manager, Docket Operations, telephone 202-366-9826.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Public Participation

    Submitting Comments: If you submit a comment, please include the 
docket number for this notice (USCG-2009-0097) and provide a reason for 
each suggestion or recommendation. You may submit your comments and 
material online, or by fax, mail or hand delivery, but please use only 
one of these means. We recommend that you include your name and a 
mailing address, an e-mail address, or a telephone number in the body 
of your document so that we can contact you if we have questions 
regarding your submission. All comments received will be posted, 
without change, to http://www.regulations.gov and will include any 
personal information you have provided.
    To submit your comment online, go to http://www.regulations.gov, 
click on the ``submit a comment'' box, which will then become 
highlighted in blue. In the ``Document Type'' drop down menu select 
``Notices'' and insert ``USCG-2009-0097'' in the ``Keyword'' box. Click 
``Search'' then click on the balloon shape in the ``Actions'' column. 
If you submit your comments by mail or hand delivery, submit them in an 
unbound format, no larger than 8\1/2\ by 11 inches, suitable for 
copying and electronic filing. If you submit them by mail and would 
like to know that they reached the Facility, please enclose a stamped, 
self-addressed postcard or envelope. We will consider all comments and 
material received during the comment period.
    Viewing the Comments and the FEIS: To view the comments and the 
FEIS, go to http://www.regulations.gov, click on the ``read comments'' 
box, which will then become highlighted in blue. In the ``Keyword'' box 
insert ``USCG-2009-0097'' and click ``Search.'' Click the ``Open Docket 
Folder'' in the ``Actions'' column. If you do not have access to the 
Internet, you may view the docket online by visiting the Docket 
Management Facility in Room W12-140 on the ground floor of the 
Department of Transportation West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, 
SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except Federal holidays. We have an agreement with the 
Department of Transportation to use the Docket Management Facility.
    Privacy Act: Anyone can search the electronic form of comments 
received into any of our dockets by the name of the individual 
submitting the comment (or signing the comment, if submitted on behalf 
of an association, business, labor union, etc.). You may review a 
Privacy Act, system of records notice regarding our public dockets in 
the January 17, 2008 issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

Background and Purpose

    The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (Port Authority), a 
transportation and development agency for the Port of New York and New 
Jersey, has proposed replacement of the functionally and physically 
obsolete Goethals Bridge that carries I-278 vehicular traffic between 
Staten Island, NY, and Elizabeth, NJ. On May 28, 2009 (74 FR 25572), 
the USCG made available the Draft EIS (DEIS). Two formal public 
meetings were held, on July 8 and 9, 2009, to provide an opportunity 
for submittal of oral comments to the USCG; written comments were 
accepted by the USCG through July 28, 2009.
    Following the close of the public comment period in July 2009, the 
Port Authority, the project sponsor, chose the New Alignment South as 
its proposed alignment, and the USCG, the lead Federal agency for the 
NEPA process, has identified the New Alignment South as the Preferred 
Alternative for presentation and evaluation in the FEIS. The Preferred 
Alternative comprises a new cable-stayed replacement bridge on an 
alignment south of the existing Goethals Bridge, and removal of the 
existing bridge following construction of the new bridge. The 
replacement bridge would comprise the following elements: Six 12-foot-
wide travel lanes, three on each of two roadway decks (one roadway for 
eastbound traffic and one roadway for westbound traffic); a 12-foot-
wide outer shoulder and a 5-foot-wide inner shoulder on each roadway; a 
minimum 10-foot-wide sidewalk/bikeway along the northern edge of the 
westbound roadway; and a 65-foot-wide central area to be maintained 
between the east- and westbound decks to accommodate the towers and 
support cables as well as to allow for the provision of mass transit 
service, should future conditions warrant inclusion of such service 
during the service life of the replacement bridge. Navigational 
clearance beneath the new bridge is proposed to be a minimum of 135 
feet above mean high water (MHW) at the channel margins; similar to the 
current minimum vertical clearance of the existing bridge. The main 
piers are proposed to be constructed 900 feet apart, an increase from 
the existing horizontal separation of 672 feet; thereby moving all 
bridge structure-related hazards further away from the 500-foot wide 
federally maintained navigation channel of the Arthur Kill. The 
elevation of the two bridge towers is proposed to be 272 feet above 
mean sea level (MSL), as compared to the 248 feet above MSL associated 
with the existing bridge's truss superstructure.
    As a structure over navigable waters of the United States, any 
replacement bridge requires a U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Bridge Permit 
pursuant to the General Bridge Act of 1946 (Title 33 U.S.C. 525-533). 
Additionally, the bridge permit would be the major federal action in 
this undertaking. The USCG, a component of the Department of Homeland 
Security (DHS), by virtue of its regulatory authority over bridges 
across navigable waters of the United States, is the lead Federal 
agency for review of potential effects on the human environment, 
including historic properties, of the Preferred Alternative, three 
alternative alignments for construction and operation of a replacement 
bridge, and the No Build alternative. The FEIS was prepared pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).
    This notice is issued under authority of the Administrative 
Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553(c)); the General Bridge Act of 1946 (Title 
33 U.S.C. 525-533); and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 
1969 (Section 102(2)(c)), as implemented by the Council on 
Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), Department 
of Homeland Security Directive 023-01, and Coast Guard Commandant 
Instruction M16475.1D.
    Given the Findings of Adverse Effect on three historic properties 
(including the existing Goethals Bridge) and the ongoing development of 
a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) as per Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act

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(NHPA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.), this notice also serves as 
an instrument for integration of the Section 106 Consultation into the 
NEPA process, as required under 40 CFR 1505.25(a); as well as 36 CFR 
800.2(a)(4), 800.3(b) and 800.8. An MOA for the Preferred Alternative 
will be executed in consultation with the New York and New Jersey State 
Historic Preservation Offices, and will be completed prior to the 
anticipated record of decision (ROD) at the culmination of the NEPA 
process.
    In accordance with the applicable regulations of the General 
Conformity Rule (pursuant to the Clean Air Act; 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq. 
as amended) and given the findings that the estimated annual emission 
rates of two pollutants (i.e., CO and NOX) are predicted to 
exceed the General Conformity applicability thresholds during the GBR 
Project's construction period, this notice also serves as the 
instrument to fulfill the 30-day public review requirements for the 
General Conformity Determination by the USCG.
    Absent new information coming to its attention prior to the 
conclusion of the 30-day period, the Coast Guard intends to complete 
its ROD and pursue the preferred alternative at that time. The ROD will 
identify the environmentally-preferred alternative for the proposed 
action and be announced in the Federal Register.

    Dated: August 3, 2010.
Hala Elgaaly,
Administrator, Bridge Program, United States Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2010-19630 Filed 8-12-10; 8:45 am]
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