[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 172 (Friday, September 5, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53094-53095]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21173]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for Dallas-Fort Worth Core Express 
Service

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

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is issuing this 
notice to advise the public that FRA and the Texas Department of 
Transportation (TxDOT) intend to prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA) for the impacts of constructing and operating enhanced 
intercity passenger rail services between Dallas and Fort Worth 
(Proposed Action). The EIS will evaluate route and operational 
alternatives for intercity passenger rail in the corridor that 
currently is only served by Amtrak's long distance Texas Eagle service.

DATES: FRA invites the public, governmental agencies, and all other 
interested parties to comment on the scope of the EIS. All such 
comments should be provided in writing, within ninety (90) days of the 
publication of this notice, at the address listed below. Comments may 
also be provided orally or in writing at the scoping meetings. Scoping 
meeting dates, times and locations, in addition to related information 
about the EIS for the Dallas-Fort Worth Core Express service can be 
found online at http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0214.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS may be mailed or 
emailed within ninety (90) days of the publication of this notice to 
Michael Johnsen, Lead Environmental Protection Specialist, Office of 
Program Delivery, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., MS-20, Washington, DC 20590 or [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Johnsen, Lead Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Office of Program Delivery, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., MS-20, Washington, DC 20590 
or [email protected], or Melissa Neeley, Rail Projects Manager, 
Environmental Affairs Division of the Texas Department of 
Transportation, 118 E. Riverside Drive, Austin, Texas 78704. Telephone 
(512) 416-3014, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS will be prepared in accordance with 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and the Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA and the 
FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts as set forth in 
64 FR 28545, dated May 26, 1999 (Environmental Procedures). The EIS 
will also address Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation 
Act, Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966 
(49 U.S.C. 303), Executive Order 12898 and USDOT Order 5610.2(a) on 
Environmental Justice and other applicable Federal and state laws and 
regulations. The EIS will address environmental issues of concern and 
will include:
     Describing the purpose and need for the Proposed Action.
     Describing the environment likely to be affected by the 
Proposed Action.
     Identifying the reasonable alternatives that satisfy the 
purpose and need for the Proposed Action.
     Describing the no-build or no-action alternative to serve 
as a baseline for comparison.

[[Page 53095]]

     Describing the potential environmental impacts associated 
with the reasonable alternatives and mitigation to address significant 
impacts.
    FRA, in cooperation with TxDOT, will prepare the EIS for the 
Dallas-Fort Worth Core Express service. The Proposed Action would 
provide a passenger rail connection between Dallas and Fort Worth by 
means of an as-yet undetermined rail technology and establish 
connectivity with other transportation services in Dallas and Fort 
Worth, including two planned high-speed rail systems: Dallas-Houston 
(the Central Texas High Speed Rail Project) and Oklahoma City-Dallas-
Fort Worth-Austin-San Antonio (the Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail 
Service). As a part of the EIS, the impacts of various alternatives and 
route alignments will be analyzed including shared corridors with other 
existing linear infrastructure, such as railroads, roads, and 
utilities. In addition, the EIS will analyze the potential impacts of 
stations, power facilities and maintenance facilities to support Core 
Express operations. This EIS will build upon and incorporate the 
forthcoming findings of the Texas Oklahoma Passenger Rail Service Tier 
1 EIS, and its decisions and recommendations for the Fort Worth-Dallas 
connection. FRA hosts Web sites for the related passenger rail projects 
in the region, which can be found on FRA's Web site at http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0715.
    The EIS will describe an analysis of technology-neutral 
alternatives in the study area and evaluate the specific environmental 
impacts of reasonable alternatives in sufficient detail to allow FRA to 
make decisions incorporating environmental concerns consistent with 
NEPA goals and procedures. The evaluation will be conducted using a 
combination of Geographic Information System (GIS) data, field 
investigations, site visits and sampling. The primary environmental 
resources located within the study area that may be affected are: 
Residential, commercial, and industrial properties; streams and 
floodplains; wetlands and wildlife habitat; cultural resources; 
protected lands; and open space. FRA and TxDOT will develop 
alternatives that avoid and minimize impacts to these resources. 
Minimization and mitigation measures will be identified within the EIS 
where appropriate.
    In accordance with NEPA, the FRA and TxDOT invite comments and 
suggestions regarding the scope of the EIS from all interested parties 
to ensure that all issues are addressed related to this proposal, all 
reasonable alternatives considered, and any significant impacts are 
identified. Letters describing the project's NEPA process and 
soliciting comments will be sent to appropriate federal, state, and 
local agencies, Native American tribes, and private organizations who 
might have previously expressed or who are known to have an interest in 
the Proposed Action. Federal agencies with jurisdiction by law or 
special expertise with respect to potential environmental issues will 
be requested to act as a Cooperating Agency in accordance with 40 CFR 
1501.16.
    In coordination with FRA, TxDOT will lead the outreach activities 
beginning with scoping meetings (dates to be determined). Public 
involvement initiatives including public meetings, access to a Web 
site, and outreach will continue throughout the EIS process. 
Opportunities for public participation will be announced through 
mailings, notices, advertisements, press releases and a FRA-hosted EIS 
Web page, accessible at http://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0214. One or more 
public hearings will be held after the Draft EIS is released and made 
available for public and agency review. Public notice will be given for 
the time and place of public hearings.
    Comments or questions concerning the Proposed Action and the scope 
of the EIS are invited from all interested parties and should be 
directed to the FRA at the address provided above.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 28, 2014.
Corey Hill,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2014-21173 Filed 9-4-14; 8:45 am]
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