[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49854-49856]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-20227]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Oregon Portion of 
the Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor (Portland to Eugene)

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA and 
the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) will jointly prepare a 
Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in compliance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to study potential 
infrastructure investments along the Oregon portion of the Pacific 
Northwest Rail Corridor (PNWRC). The objective of the Tier 1 EIS is to 
evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives and select a rail corridor 
as well as making decisions regarding the level of intercity passenger 
rail service provided in the corridor, including variations in train 
frequency, trip time, and on-time performance. Alternatives under 
consideration will include taking no action (No-Build Alternative), as 
well as multiple build alternatives between Eugene-Springfield and the 
Columbia River in Portland. The build alternatives may include 
infrastructure improvements to the existing rail corridor, the 
development of a new rail corridor, or a combination of both. FRA is 
also issuing this notice to solicit public and agency input in the 
development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the public that 
outreach activities conducted by FRA and ODOT will be considered in the 
preparation of the EIS.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS for the Oregon 
Passenger Rail Project should be provided to ODOT by October 31, 2012. 
Public scoping meetings are scheduled from September 6, 2012 through 
September 19, 2012 at the times and locations identified in the 
Addresses section below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of this study should be sent 
to Michael Holthoff, Environmental Project Manager, Major Projects 
Branch, Oregon Department of Transportation, 3210 Del Webb Avenue NE., 
Suite 110, Salem, OR 97301, or via email to 
[email protected]. Comments may also be provided 
orally or in writing at the public scoping meetings scheduled at the 
following locations:
     Salem at ODOT ``T'' Building, Gail Achterman Conference 
Room, 355 Capitol Street NE., Salem, OR 97301 on September 6, 2012 from 
5 p.m. through 7 p.m.
     Oregon City at Clackamas Community College--Gregory Forum 
Room A, 19600 Molalla Avenue, Oregon City, OR 97045 on September 11, 
2012 from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m.
     Albany at Albany Public Library, 2450 14th Avenue SE., 
Albany, OR 97322 on September 12, 2012 from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m.
     Lake Oswego at Phoenix Inn, 14905 SW. Bangy Road, Lake 
Oswego, OR 97035 on September 13, 2012 from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m.
     Portland at Metro Council Chambers, 600 NE. Grand Avenue, 
Portland, OR 97232 on September 18, 2012 from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m.
     Eugene at Atrium Building Lobby, 99 W. 10th Avenue, 
Eugene, Oregon 97401 on September 19, 2012 from 5 p.m. through 7 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jim Cox, Assistant Manager, Major 
Projects Branch, Oregon Department of Transportation, 3210 Del Webb 
Avenue NE., Suite 110, Salem, OR 97301, (telephone: (503) 986-6612); or 
Ms. Colleen Vaughn, Office of Railroad Policy and Development, Federal 
Railroad Administration (FRA), 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., MS-20/W38- 
221, Washington, DC 20590, (telephone: (202) 493-6096).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The federally designated PNWRC has been the 
subject of high-speed passenger rail planning and implementation 
strategies for more than 30 years. The 466-mile corridor serves the 
most densely populated regions of British Columbia (B.C.), Washington, 
and Oregon, linking Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, WA, and Portland and 
Eugene, OR, with growing intermediate communities, including the 
capital cities of Olympia, WA and Salem, OR. Oregon and Washington have 
planned, studied, and coordinated

[[Page 49855]]

State-sponsored passenger service on the PNWRC since 1994.
    Project Background: Oregon initiated a daily passenger rail round 
trip between Portland and Eugene in 1994. Since that time, Oregon has 
invested over $77 million in capital improvements including railroad 
infrastructure, stations, and rolling stock. A second State-sponsored 
daily round trip was added in 2000, resulting in ridership growth of 
139% between 2000 and 2008.
    Current intercity passenger rail service in Oregon includes two 
Amtrak Cascades train roundtrips per day. Additionally, Amtrak sponsors 
one daily roundtrip of the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and 
Seattle and one daily roundtrip of the Empire Builder between Portland 
and Chicago. The Cascades station stops include Eugene, Albany, Salem, 
Oregon City and Portland and continue north to Vancouver, BC. The Coast 
Starlight stops in Klamath Falls, Chemult, Eugene, Albany, Salem and 
Portland. The only stop for the Empire Builder in Oregon is in 
Portland.
    Over the next 25 years, the population of the Willamette Valley is 
expected to grow by approximately 35% with the population anticipated 
to reach 3.6 million by the year 2035. During the same period, freight 
volume in the state is expected to grow by approximately 60%. These 
increases will result in transportation demand that exceeds the 
available freight and passenger rail capacity in the Willamette Valley. 
A comprehensive approach to identifying the appropriate rail 
infrastructure is needed to provide additional passenger and freight 
rail capacity and to attain the principal service objectives of more 
reliable passenger trains, more frequent trains, and shortened travel 
times between Portland and Eugene (a distance of approximately 125 
miles).
    Environmental Review Process: FRA and ODOT will use a tiered 
process, as provided for in 40 CFR 1508.28, in the completion of the 
environmental review of the Project. ``Tiering'' is a staged 
environmental review process applied to environmental reviews for 
complex projects. The Tier 1 EIS will address broad corridor-level 
issues and alternatives. Subsequent phases or tiers will analyze, at a 
greater level of detail, narrower site-specific proposals based on the 
decisions made in Tier 1. The Tier 1 EIS and any subsequent 
environmental documents will be developed in accordance with Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR part 1500 et seq.) 
implementing NEPA, and FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental 
Impacts (64 FR 28545; May 26, 1999).
    Tier 1: The Tier 1 assessment will result in an EIS with the 
appropriate level of detail for corridor-level decisions and will 
address broad overall issues of concern, including but not limited to:
     Confirm the purpose and need for the proposed action.
     Confirm the study area appropriate to assess reasonable 
alternatives.
     Identify a comprehensive set of goals and objectives for 
the corridor in conjunction with Project stakeholders. These goals and 
objectives will be crafted to allow comprehensive evaluation of all 
aspects of the Project necessary to achieve the goals, including train 
operations, vehicles, and infrastructure.
     Identify the range of reasonable alternatives to be 
considered, consistent with the current and planned use of the corridor 
and the existing services within and adjacent to the study area, as 
well as considering a no action/no build alternative.
     Develop alternative evaluation criteria to identify 
alternatives that meet the purpose and need of the proposed action and 
those that do not.
     Identify the general alignment(s) of the reasonable build 
alternatives.
     Identify general right-of-way requirements for the 
reasonable build alternatives.
     Identify, at a corridor planning level, the infrastructure 
and equipment investment requirements for the reasonable build 
alternatives.
     Include the consideration of the No-Build Alternative 
which will be studied as the baseline for comparison with the build 
alternatives. The No-Build Alternative represents other transportation 
modes such as auto, air travel, intercity bus, and existing rail and 
the physical characteristics and capacities as they exist at the time 
of the Tier 1 EIS, with planned and funded improvements that will be in 
place at the time the Project becomes operational.
     Evaluate and describe, at a corridor planning level, the 
potential environmental consequences (benefits and impacts to the built 
and natural environment) associated with the reasonable alternative 
alignments and proposed changes in passenger rail train frequency, 
speed, and on-time performance.
     Establish the timing and sequencing of independent actions 
to maintain a state of good repair and to implement the proposed 
action.
     Identify a preferred alternative for corridor route 
alignment.
     Address subsequent component actions for Tier 2 NEPA 
documentation as described below.
    Tier 2: The second tier assessment(s) will address component 
projects to be implemented within the general corridor identified in 
the Tier 1 EIS, and will incorporate by reference the data and 
evaluations included in the Tier 1 EIS. Subsequent evaluations will 
concentrate on the issues specific to the component of the selected 
alternative identified in the Tier 1 EIS, identify the Project 
alternatives that meet the purpose and need for each component project, 
and analyze the specific environmental consequences and measures 
necessary to mitigate environmental impacts at a site-specific level of 
detail.
    Scoping and Public Involvement: FRA encourages broad participation 
in the EIS process during scoping and subsequent review of the 
resulting environmental documents. Comments and suggestions are invited 
from all interested agencies and the public at large to ensure the full 
range of issues related to the proposed action and all reasonable 
alternatives are addressed and all significant issues are identified. 
In particular, FRA is interested in determining whether there are areas 
of environmental concern where there might be the potential for 
significant impacts identifiable at a corridor level. Letters 
describing the proposed Project and soliciting comments were sent to 
appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and appropriate 
railroads. Public agencies with jurisdiction are requested to advise 
the FRA and ODOT of the applicable permit and environmental review 
requirements of each agency, and the scope and content of the 
environmental information that is germane to the agency's statutory 
responsibilities in connection with the proposed improvements.
    An iterative public involvement/information program will support 
the process. The program will involve advisory group meetings, 
newsletters, a Project Web site, public open houses, stakeholder group 
meetings, and other methods to solicit and incorporate public input 
throughout the Tier 1 EIS process. To ensure that the full range of 
issues relating to the proposed action is addressed, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments and 
questions concerning the proposed action should be directed to ODOT or 
to the FRA at the addresses provided above. Additional information can 
be obtained by visiting the Project Web site at 
www.oregonpassengerrail.org org or sending an email to 
[email protected].

[[Page 49856]]

    The buildings used for the scoping meetings are accessible to 
persons with disabilities. Any individual who requires special 
assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, to participate in the 
meetings should contact Jyll Smith at Oregon Department of 
Transportation, telephone (503) 986-3985, five days prior to the 
meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC on August 13, 2012.
Corey Hill,
Director, Rail Project Development and Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2012-20227 Filed 8-16-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P