[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20169-20170]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-07661]


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

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Notice of Availability of an Environmental Assessment for the 
Proposed Hudson Yards Concrete Casing Project in New York, New York

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), United States Department 
of Transportation (USDOT).

ACTION: Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment for the 
Hudson Yards Concrete Casing Construction.

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

SUMMARY: This notice advises the public that the National Railroad 
Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) has prepared an Environmental Assessment 
(EA) in coordination with Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for the 
construction of an underground concrete casing to preserve a right-of-
way (ROW) (the proposed Project) for the future expansion of rail 
service between New Jersey and New York and to support Amtrak's efforts 
to improve the resiliency of the rail system in the Northeast Corridor 
(NEC) to address future disasters. Amtrak anticipates constructing the 
proposed Project using Federal funding and, as the proposed Project 
sponsor, would design and construct the underground concrete casing. In 
accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, the 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations to implement NEPA, the 
FRA's ``Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts'', the EA 
examines the potential environmental impacts of constructing an 
underground concrete casing in the Hudson Yards rail yard in New York, 
NY (Hudson Yards).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Please submit written comments on the 
EA to Michelle W. Fishburne, USDOT, Federal Railroad Administration, 
Office of Railroad Policy and Development, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
W36-428, Washington, DC 20590 or via email at 
[email protected].

DATES: Written comments on the EA will be accepted on or before April 
29, 2013.

[[Page 20170]]


ADDRESSES: The EA is available for review at the FRA Office of Railroad 
Policy and Development at the address listed above and locally at the 
New York Public Library, Fifth Avenue at 42nd Street, New York, 
NY10018-2788; Phone (212) 275-6975. The EA is also available for review 
on the FRA Web site at http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0214 .

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Amtrak proposes to construct an underground 
concrete casing to preserve a ROW underneath Hudson Yards for the 
future expansion of rail service between New Jersey and New York and to 
support Amtrak's efforts to improve the resiliency of the rail system 
to address future disasters in the NEC.
    Construction of the Project is proposed at this time because a real 
estate development corporation (Developer), through an agreement with 
the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Long Island 
Railroad (LIRR), has begun constructing a development in the area above 
Hudson Yards (referred to as the Overbuild Project). The Developer has 
all necessary local and state approvals for the Overbuild Project and 
started construction in the southern portion of Hudson Yards, south of 
the proposed Project site, in December 2012. Amtrak proposes to 
construct the underground concrete casing in conjunction with the 
Overbuild Project in order to preserve an underground ROW as a viable 
location for a future tunnel into New York's Penn Station. If the 
Developer builds the immense foundations and platform for the Overbuild 
Project, the ROW underneath the Overbuild Project would be permanently 
lost as an alignment for a new tunnel entering Penn Station from the 
west.
    In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 
Sec.  4321 et seq., (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and FRA's ``Procedures for 
Considering Environmental Impacts,'' 64 FR 28545 (May 26, 1999) and 78 
FR 2713 (Jan. 14, 2013), (FRA's Environmental Procedures), Amtrak 
prepared the EA in coordination with FRA, MTA and LIRR and analyzed the 
potential environmental impacts of the two alternatives for the 
proposed Project: ``No Action'' and ``Construct a Concrete Casing.''
    FRA is publishing this notice to solicit public comments prior to 
making a final NEPA determination on the proposed Project. The review 
period for the EA shall extend to May 1, 2013. FRA will review the 
comments in accordance with NEPA, CEQ regulations, and FRA's 
Environmental Procedures. If FRA determines the proposed Project will 
not have any foreseeable significant environmental impacts, FRA will 
issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) describing the 
agency's decision and the basis for it. Any FONSI issued by FRA will be 
consistent with 40 CFR 1508.13 and section 11 of FRA's Environmental 
Procedures (64 FR at 28551).

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 28, 2013.
Corey Hill,
Director, Office of Passenger and Freight Programs.
[FR Doc. 2013-07661 Filed 4-2-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P