[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 221 (Wednesday, November 16, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80710-80712]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-27507]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[Docket No. FHWA-2016-0031]


Application From the State of Utah to the Surface Transportation 
Project Delivery Program and Proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) 
Assigning Environmental Responsibilities to the State

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), U.S. Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice of proposed MOU and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces that FHWA has received and reviewed an 
application from the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) 
requesting participation in the Surface Transportation Project Delivery 
Program (Program). This Program allows for FHWA to assign, and States 
to assume, responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (NEPA), and all or part of FHWA's responsibilities for 
environmental review, consultation, or other actions required under any 
Federal environmental law with respect to one or more Federal highway 
projects within the State. The FHWA has determined the application to 
be complete and developed a draft MOU with UDOT outlining how the State 
would implement the program with FHWA oversight. The FHWA invites the 
public to comment on UDOT's request, including its application and the 
proposed MOU, which includes the proposed assignments and assumptions 
of environmental review, consultation, and other activities.

DATES: Please submit comments by December 16, 2016.

ADDRESSES: To ensure that you do not duplicate your docket submissions, 
please submit them by only one of the following means:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for submitting 
comments.
     Facsimile (Fax): 1-202-493-2251.
     Mail: Docket Management Facility; U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., West Building

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Ground Floor Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
     Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Ave. SE., Washington, DC 20590 between 9:00 a.m. and 
5:00 p.m. e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Instructions: You must include the agency name and docket number at 
the beginning of your comments. All comments received will be posted 
without change to http://www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    Edward Woolford, Right of Way and Environmental Manager, Federal 
Highway Administration Utah Division, 2520 West 4700 South, Suite 9A, 
Salt Lake City, UT 84129, 7:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (MT), (801) 955-3524, 
[email protected].
    Brandon Weston, Director, Environmental Services, Utah Department 
of Transportation, 4501 South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake 
City, UT 84114, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. (MT), (801) 965-4603, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this notice may be downloaded from the 
Federal Register's home page at http://www.archives.gov. An electronic 
version of the application materials and proposed MOU may be downloaded 
by accessing the DOT DMS docket, as described above, at http://www.regulations.gov/.

Background

    Section 327 of title 23, United States Code (23 U.S.C. 327), allows 
the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (Secretary) to 
assign, and a State to assume, responsibility for all or part of FHWA's 
responsibilities for environmental review, consultation, or other 
actions required under any Federal environmental law with respect to 
one or more Federal-aid highway projects within the State pursuant to 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
The FHWA is authorized to act on behalf of the Secretary with respect 
to these matters.
    Under the proposed MOU, FHWA would assign to the State, through 
UDOT, the responsibility for making decisions on the following types of 
highway projects:
    1. Highway projects within the State of Utah that are proposed to 
be funded with title 23 funds or otherwise require FHWA approval, and 
that require preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) or 
environmental assessment (EA) with the exception of the following EIS 
project: West Davis Corridor EIS--This project is in UDOT Region 1 in 
western Davis and Weber Counties.
    2. Highway projects qualifying for categorical exclusions (CE) 
within the State of Utah that are proposed to be funded with title 23 
funds or that otherwise require FHWA approvals, and that do not qualify 
for assignment of responsibilities pursuant to the MOU for 
environmental review assignment for projects qualifying for CEs (23 
U.S.C. 326 MOU) executed on June 30, 2014.
    3. Projects funded by other Federal agencies (or projects without 
any Federal funding) that also require FHWA approvals. For these 
projects, UDOT would not assume the NEPA responsibilities of other 
Federal agencies. However, UDOT may use or adopt other Federal 
agencies' NEPA analyses consistent with 40 CFR parts 1500-1508, and DOT 
and FHWA regulations, policies, and guidance.
    4. Excluded from assignment are highway projects authorized under 
23 U.S.C. 202, 203, and 204 unless the project will be designed and/or 
constructed by UDOT, projects that cross State boundaries, and projects 
that cross or are adjacent to international boundaries.
    The assignment also would give the State the responsibility to 
conduct the following environmental review, consultation, and other 
related activities for project delivery:

Air Quality

 Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q, with the exception 
of any conformity determinations

Noise

 Noise Control Act of 1972, 42 U.S.C. 4901-4918
 Compliance with the noise regulations in 23 CFR part 772

Wildlife

 Endangered Species Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. 1531-1544
 Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 16 U.S.C. 661-667d
 Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C. 703-712

Hazardous Materials Management

 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and 
Liability Act (CERCLA), 42 U.S.C. 9601-9675
 Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), 42 U.S.C. 
9671-9675
 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. 6901-
6992k

Historic and Cultural Resources

 National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 54 
U.S.C. 306101, et seq.
 Archeological and Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as 
amended, 16 U.S.C. 470aa-479mm
 Title 54, Chapter 3125--Preservation of Historical and 
Archeological Data, 54 U.S.C. 312501-312508
 Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act 
(NAGPRA), 25 U.S.C. 3001-3013; 18 U.S.C. 1170

Social and Economic Impacts

 American Indian Religious Freedom Act, 42 U.S.C. 1996
 Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA), 7 U.S.C. 4201-4209

Water Resources and Wetlands

 Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1251-1387 (Section 401, 402, 404, 
408, and Section 319)
 Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), 42 U.S.C. 300f-300j-26
 Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899, 33 U.S.C. 401, 403-04, and 406
 Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, 16 U.S.C. 1271-1287
 Emergency Wetlands Resources Act, 16 U.S.C. 3921
 Wetlands Mitigation, 23 U.S.C. 119(g), 133(b)(14)
 Flood Disaster Protection Act, 42 U.S.C. 4001-4130
 General Bridge Act of 1946, 33 U.S.C. 525-533
 FHWA wetland and natural habitat mitigation regulations, 23 
CFR part 777

Parklands and Other Special Land Uses

 23 U.S.C. 138 and 49 U.S.C. 303 (Section 4(f)) and 
implementing regulations at 23 CFR part 774
 Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act, 54 U.S.C. 200302-
200310

FHWA-Specific

 Planning and Environmental Linkages, 23 U.S.C. 168, with the 
exception of those FHWA responsibilities associated with 23 U.S.C. 134 
and 135
 Programmatic Mitigation Plans, 23 U.S.C. 169 with the 
exception of those FHWA responsibilities associated with 23 U.S.C. 134 
and 135

Executive Orders Relating to Highway Projects

 E.O. 11990, Protection of Wetlands
 E.O. 11988, Floodplain Management (except approving design 
standards

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and determinations that a significant encroachment is the only 
practicable alternative under 23 CFR 650.113 and 650.115)
 E.O. 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice 
in Minority Populations and Low Income Populations
 E.O. 13112, Invasive Species.

    The MOU would allow UDOT to act in the place of FHWA in carrying 
out the environmental review-related functions described above, except 
with respect to government-to-government consultations with federally 
recognized Indian tribes. The FHWA will retain responsibility for 
conducting formal government-to-government consultation with federally 
recognized Indian tribes, which is required under some of the listed 
laws and executive orders. The UDOT will continue to handle routine 
consultations with the tribes and understands that a tribe has the 
right to direct consultation with the FHWA upon request. The UDOT also 
may assist FHWA with formal consultations, with consent of a tribe, but 
FHWA remains responsible for the consultation.
    The UDOT also will not assume FHWA's responsibilities for 
conformity determinations required under Section 176 of the CAA (42 
U.S.C. 7506), or any responsibility under 23 U.S.C. 134 or 135, or 
under 49 U.S.C. 5303 or 5304.
    A copy of the proposed MOU may be viewed on the DOT DMS Docket, as 
described above, or may be obtained by contacting FHWA or the State at 
the addresses provided above. A copy also may be viewed on UDOT's Web 
site at: https://www.udot.utah.gov/go/nepaassignment.
    The FHWA Utah Division, in consultation with FHWA Headquarters, 
will consider the comments submitted when making its decision on the 
proposed MOU revision. Any final MOU approved by FHWA may include 
changes based on comments and consultations relating to the proposed 
MOU and will be made publicly available.

(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.)

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 327; 42 U.S.C. 4331, 4332; 23 CFR 771.101-
139; 23 CFR 773.109; and 40 CFR 1507.3.

    Issued on: November 9, 2016.
Gregory G. Nadeau,
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-27507 Filed 11-15-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P