[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 98 (Friday, May 20, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32007-32008]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-11694]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for Interstate 11 Corridor 
Between Nogales and Wickenburg, Arizona

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Arizona Department of 
Transportation (ADOT), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Tier 1 Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, as the Federal Lead Agency, and the ADOT, as the 
Local Project Sponsor, are issuing this notice to advise the public of 
our intention to prepare a Tier 1 EIS for the Interstate 11 (I-11) 
Corridor between Nogales and Wickenburg, AZ (I-11 Corridor). The Tier 1 
EIS will assess the potential social, economic, and natural 
environmental impacts of a vehicular transportation facility and 
potential multimodal facility (rail and utility) opportunities in the 
designated I-11 Corridor across a range of alternatives, including a 
``No Build'' alternative. The Tier 1 EIS will be prepared in accordance 
with regulations implementing the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA), and provisions of Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act 
(FAST) Act.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For FHWA, contact Mr. Aryan Lirange, 
Senior Urban Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 4000 North 
Central Avenue, Suite 1500, Phoenix, AZ 85012, telephone at 602-382-
8973, or via email at [email protected]. Regular office hours are 
from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays. For ADOT, contact Mr. Jay Van Echo, I-11 Corridor Project 
Manager, Arizona Department of Transportation, 206 South 17th Avenue, 
Mail Drop 310B, Phoenix, AZ 85007, telephone at 520-400-6207, or via 
email at [email protected]. Regular office hours are from 8:00 a.m. to 
5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Project 
information can be obtained from the project Web site at http://www.i11study.com/Arizona.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this notice is to: (1) Alert 
interested parties to FHWA's plan to prepare the Tier 1 EIS; (2) 
provide information on the nature of the proposed action; (3) solicit 
public and agency input regarding the scope of the Tier 1 EIS, 
including the purpose and need, alternatives to be considered, and 
impacts to be evaluated; and (4) announce that public and agency 
scoping meetings will be conducted. The FHWA intends to issue a single 
Final Tier 1 EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) document pursuant to FAST 
Act Section 1311 requirements, unless FHWA determines statutory 
criteria or practicability considerations preclude issuance of a 
combined document.
    The Tier 1 EIS will build upon the prior I-11 and Intermountain 
West Corridor Study (IWCS) completed in 2014. This Planning and 
Environmental Linkages study was a multimodal planning effort that 
included ADOT, Federal Railroad Administration, FHWA, Maricopa 
Association of Governments, Nevada Department of Transportation, 
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, and other key 
stakeholders. The I-11 and Intermountain West Corridor was identified 
as a critical piece of multimodal infrastructure that would diversify, 
support, and connect the economies of Arizona and Nevada. The I-11 and 
Intermountain West Corridor could also be connected to a larger north-
south transportation corridor, linking Mexico and Canada.
    On December 4, 2015, the President signed into law the FAST Act, 
which is a 5-year legislation to improve the Nation's surface 
transportation infrastructure. The FAST Act formally designates I-11 
throughout Arizona, reinforcing ADOT's overall concept for the Arizona 
I-11 Corridor that emerged from the IWCS study. The FHWA and ADOT 
continue to advance the I-11 Corridor in Arizona for the approximately 
280-mile section between Nogales and Wickenburg with this Tier I EIS 
study.
    The FHWA and ADOT will undertake a scoping process for the I-11 
Corridor that will allow the public and interested agencies to comment 
on the scope of the environmental review process. The FHWA and ADOT 
will invite all interested individuals, organizations, public agencies, 
and Native American Tribes to comment on the scope of the

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Tier 1 EIS, including the purpose and need, alternatives to be studied, 
impacts to be evaluated, and evaluation methods to be used. The formal 
scoping period is from the date of this notice until July 8, 2016. Six 
public scoping meetings and three interagency scoping meetings for 
Federal, State, regional and local resource and regulatory agencies 
will be held during the formal scoping period. In addition, cooperating 
and participating agency invitation letters will be sent to agencies 
that have jurisdiction or may have an interest in the I-11 Corridor.
    The buildings used for the meetings are accessible to persons with 
disabilities. Any person who requires special assistance, such as a 
language interpreter, should contact the Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study 
Team at telephone 844-544-8049 or via email at [email protected] 
at least 48 hours before the meeting.
    Written comments on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS should be mailed 
to: Interstate 11 Tier 1 EIS Study Team, c/o ADOT Communications, 1655 
West Jackson Street, Mail Drop 126F, Phoenix, AZ 85007; sent via email 
to [email protected]; or submitted on the study's Web site at 
http://www.i11study.com/Arizona.
    The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost to 
the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use 
dissemination, and disposition of information. Accordingly, unless a 
specific request for a complete hardcopy of the NEPA document is 
received before it is printed, the FHWA and ADOT will distribute only 
electronic versions of the NEPA document. A complete copy of the 
environmental document will be available for review at locations 
throughout the study area. An electronic copy of the complete 
environmental document will be available on the study's Web site at 
http://www.i11study.com/Arizona.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.123.

    Issued on: May 11, 2016.
Karla S. Petty,
Arizona Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-11694 Filed 5-19-16; 8:45 am]
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