[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 166 (Friday, August 27, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 52804]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-21336]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Stanislaus County, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for a 
proposed highway project in Stanislaus County, California.

DATES: Public scoping meetings to be held Wednesday, September 8, 2010 
and Monday, September 13, 2010. All written scoping comments must be 
received by September 30, 2010.

ADDRESSES: The Wednesday, September 8, 2010 meeting will occur at the 
Oakdale Community Center, 110 South Second Avenue, Oakdale, California 
95361. The Monday, September 13, 2010 meeting will occur at the Salida 
Regional Library, 4835 Sisk Road, Salida, California 95368.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Gail Miller, Senior Environmental 
Planner, Central Sierra Environmental Analysis Branch, California 
Department of Transportation, 2015 East Shields Avenue, Suite 100, 
Fresno, California 93726, (559) 243-8274 or (209) 948-3646, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, FHWA assigned, and 
Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for this project 
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans as the delegated National 
Environmental Policy Act agency, in cooperation with the North County 
Corridor Transportation Expressway Authority, will prepare an EIS on a 
proposal for the North County Corridor highway project in Stanislaus 
County, California. The North County Corridor project begins from State 
Route 99 in the vicinity of Kiernan Avenue/the Salida community, and 
extends east approximately 25 miles to State Route 108/120, east of the 
city of Oakdale. The North County Corridor project is proposed to 
relocate State Route 108 with a freeway/expressway and is considered 
necessary to accommodate anticipated traffic growth in northern 
Stanislaus County, alleviate traffic on parallel roadways, accommodate 
multi-modal travel, provide interregional connectivity, and to provide 
for economic growth. Total funding for the future 25 mile relocation of 
State Route 108 has not been identified. As a result, Caltrans is 
planning a phased approach as additional funds become available for the 
construction of the future 25 mile freeway/expressway facility with 
interchanges, grade-separated railroad crossings, at-grade 
intersections, frontage roads, and street alignments.
    Current alternatives under consideration at this time include, but 
not necessarily limited to, (1) taking no action and (2) consideration 
of at least three different alignments for the potential relocation of 
State Route 108. It is anticipated that the proposed project may 
require the following federal permits and approvals: A Biological 
Opinion from the United States Fish & Wildlife Service, approval of a 
PM10-PM2.5 Hot Spot Analysis by the Inter-Agency 
Consultation Committee, an Air Quality Conformity determination from 
the FHWA, Section 401, 402 and 404 permits under the Clean Water Act 
and a Farmland Conversion Impact Rating For Corridor Type Projects from 
the United States Soil Conservation Service. The EIS for this initial 
phase of the proposed project would authorize preservation of the 
corridor from McHenry to State Route 99 and construction and operation 
of the first constructible phase from McHenry to State Route 108/120. 
Subsequent funded project phases will require either re-evaluation and/
or subsequent environmental documentation for project-specific impacts.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, State, Participating and Cooperating 
Agencies, and local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens 
who have previously expressed or are known to have interest in this 
proposal. Letters will be sent to the following tribal groups: Tule 
River Indian Tribe, Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation, and North Valley 
Yokuts Tribe.
    The environmental scoping process begins with the publication of 
this Notice of Intent. Public scoping meetings will be held in the 
Oakdale Community Center, 110 South Second Avenue, Oakdale, California 
95361 on Wednesday, September 8, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., and in 
the Salida Regional Library, 4835 Sisk Road, Salida, California 95368 
on Monday, September 13, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to Caltrans at the address provided above. All written scoping 
comments must be received by September 30, 2010.

(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: August 23, 2010.
Cindy Vigue,
Director, State Programs Federal Highway Administration Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2010-21336 Filed 8-26-10; 8:45 am]
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