[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 241 (Monday, December 16, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76189-76190]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-29836]



[[Page 76189]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Route 460 
Location Study, Prince George County to Suffolk, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the United 
States Department of the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), as joint lead 
federal agencies and in cooperation with the Virginia Department of 
Transportation (VDOT) will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement (SEIS) to evaluate the Route 460 Location Study Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and a Department of the Army 
Individual Permit (IP) Application. The purpose of this SEIS is to 
evaluate new information regarding the aquatic resource impacts to the 
preferred alternative described in the June 2008 FEIS and approved in 
the September 2008 Record of Decision (ROD). In addition, FHWA is 
evaluating proposed changes to the termini of the selected alternative 
and the proposed interchange at Route 620, and proposed changes to the 
selected alignment to avoid and minimize aquatic resource impacts. The 
USACE is preparing the document as part of its evaluation of the IP 
application submitted by U.S. Route 460 Mobility Partners (the 
Applicant) for the discharge of fill material into waters of the United 
States in conjunction with the construction of the Route 460 Corridor 
Improvements Project (Project).

DATES: Submit comments on or before January 15, 2014.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed Sundra, Federal Highway 
Administration, 400 North 8th Street, Suite 750, Richmond, VA 23219; 
email: [email protected]; (804) 775-3357. Alice Allen-Grimes, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Regulatory Branch, 803 Front Street, Norfolk, VA 
23510; email: [email protected]; (757) 201-7219.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    1. Description of the Proposed Action and Background: VDOT proposes 
to construct a limited access principle arterial tolled facility on new 
location for approximately 55 miles which would be located to the south 
and roughly parallel to the existing Route 460 corridor between 
Interstate 295 in Prince George County and Route 58 in the City of 
Suffolk, Virginia. The typical section consists of a four-lane, divided 
highway with two-twelve foot lanes in each direction, a 40-foot median, 
and paved shoulders. Seven interchanges are proposed along the project 
at the secondary roads. The Applicant has entered into a design-build 
contract with VDOT to design and construct the Project.
    Upon determining that the submitted permit application is complete, 
the USACE will issue a public notice and continue processing the permit 
application.
    An FEIS for the Route 460 Location Study was approved by FHWA in 
June 2008, and a ROD was issued in September 2008. In November 2012, 
based upon the information before them at the time, FHWA completed a 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Re-evaluation of the FEIS 
concluding that a SEIS was not needed. Based on new information bearing 
on the environmental impacts, including the aquatic impacts, it was 
later decided that an SEIS is required.
    The SEIS will review information from the Route 460 Location Study 
FEIS/ROD, incorporate new information, update the alternatives and 
impacts analyses, and assess impacts not previously evaluated in the 
FEIS/ROD. To streamline federal processes, the SEIS will also include 
the USACE's NEPA evaluation.
    2. Alternatives: Alternatives to be considered for the proposed 
project are the No-Build Alternative, the preferred alternative 
(applicant preferred alternative for the USACE); the preferred 
alternative revised to include one or more of the following proposed 
changes: Changes to the termini, the proposed interchange at Route 620, 
and alignment shifts to avoid and minimize impacts; and potentially, 
other alternatives identified during the SEIS process in coordination 
with the USACE. The SEIS will document the alternatives previously 
eliminated from consideration by FHWA. In order that the USACE may 
fulfill its required alternatives analysis responsibilities, 
consideration will also be given to the alternative from the DEIS to 
improve the existing Route 460 corridor (CBA-2), an alternative to 
provide a limited access tolled facility along the existing Route 460 
corridor (CBA-2 Tolled), and any other options along the existing 
alignment that may reduce the needed footprint and are found to be 
feasible and address the purpose and need of the project as stated in 
the draft SEIS.
    Actions available to the USACE for the proposed project are to 
issue the IP, issue the IP with special conditions, or deny the IP.
    3. Scoping and Public Review Process: Throughout the development of 
the project, a variety of scoping and public involvement opportunities 
were provided to alert the public about the project, provide 
information and updates, and solicit feedback. These opportunities 
included but were not limited to a series of public hearings in the 
corridor when the DEIS was issued in 2005 and a series of public 
meetings in 2007 under Virginia's PPTA to evaluate conceptual proposals 
received from the private sector in response to the solicitation of 
proposals. Most recently, VDOT hosted public meetings in 2012 to update 
the public on the project and respond to public input.
    To ensure that a full range of issues related to the Project are 
addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties via letter or 
email. Comments and suggestions concerning the range of issues to be 
evaluated under the SEIS should be submitted to FHWA and the Corps (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT) within 30 days of issuance of this 
notice to ensure timely consideration.
    Based on the extensive public involvement to date on the proposed 
Project, no public input on the scope of the SEIS will be requested 
beyond the solicitation by this notice for comments on the range of 
issues to be evaluated. No formal scoping meetings will be held.
    The Draft SEIS is expected to be published and circulated in the 
Spring of 2014. Notification of the availability of the draft SEIS for 
public and agency review will be made in the Federal Register and using 
other methods to be jointly determined by FHWA, USACE and VDOT. Those 
methods will identify where interested parties can go to review a copy 
of the draft SEIS.
    For the draft SEIS, public meetings will be held after the 
publication of the Draft SEIS and a 45-day comment period will be 
provided. The public meetings will be conducted by VDOT and announced a 
minimum of 15 days in advance of the meetings. VDOT will provide 
information for the public meetings, including date, time and location 
through a variety of means including their Web site (http://www.virginiadot.org/default_noflash.asp) and by newspaper 
advertisement. In addition to the draft SEIS public involvement 
opportunities, the USACE will issue a public notice for a 30-day 
comment period following receipt of a complete application.

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    4. Issues: Based on coordination between FHWA, USACE, and VDOT, the 
issues to be analyzed in the SEIS will include, but are not limited to, 
alternatives based on the updated effects to aquatic resources 
including wetland and stream impacts, threatened and endangered 
species, relocations, cultural resources, and cost.
    5. Additional Review and Consultation: The SEIS will comply with 
other Federal and State requirements including, but not limited to, the 
State water quality certification under Section 401 of the CWA; 
protection of water quality under the Virginia/National Pollutant 
Discharge Elimination System; consideration of minority and low income 
populations under Executive Oder 12898; protection of endangered and 
threatened species under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act; and 
protection of cultural resources under Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48; 33 CFR Part 325.

(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 by: December 10, 2013.
Edward Sundra,
Director of Program Development, Federal Highway Administration, 
Virginia Division.
[FR Doc. 2013-29836 Filed 12-13-13; 8:45 am]
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