[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 225 (Tuesday, November 22, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83928-83929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-28104]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration

[Docket Number: FTA-2016-0044 ]


Notice of Availability of Programmatic Assessment of Greenhouse 
Gas Emissions From Transit Projects

AGENCIES:  Federal Transit Administration (FTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability; Request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) announces the 
availability of a draft Programmatic Assessment of Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions from Transit Projects (Programmatic Assessment) and an 
accompanying Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG) Estimator Tool (Estimator 
Tool). The purpose of the draft Programmatic Assessment is to: (1) 
Report on whether certain types of proposed transit projects merit 
detailed analysis of their GHG emissions at the project-level; and (2) 
provide a source of data and analysis for FTA and its grantees to 
reference in future environmental documents for projects where 
detailed, project-level GHG analysis would provide limited information 
beyond what is collected and considered in the assessment. The draft 
Programmatic Assessment presents estimates of GHG emissions generated 
from the construction, operations, and maintenance phases of projects 
across select transit modes, as well as an estimate of personal vehicle 
emissions displaced due to transit's ``ridership effect.'' The 
associated Estimator Tool is a spreadsheet tool that allows users to 
calculate partial lifecycle GHG emissions estimates by transit mode 
based on limited data inputs. FTA's draft Programmatic Assessment or 
Estimator Tool is not a requirement; agencies and states may use other 
methods for reporting GHG emissions related to state GHG reporting 
regulations, as needed and as appropriate. Use of FTA's draft 
Programmatic Assessment or Estimator Tool is not a requirement, if 
agencies and states are utilizing other methods for reporting GHG 
emissions related to state GHG reporting regulations. The FTA requests 
public comments on the Programmatic Assessment and the Estimator Tool.

DATES: Comments must be received by January 6, 2017. Late filed 
comments will be considered to the extent practicable.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments to Docket No. FTA-2016-0044 by any 
of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov and follow 
the online instructions for submitting comments.
    Mail: Docket Management Facility: U.S. Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., West Building Ground Floor, 
Room W12-140, Washington, DC 20590-0001.
    Hand Delivery or Courier: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 
1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC, between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 
p.m. e.t., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.
    Fax: (202) 493-2251.
    Instructions: You must include the agency name (Federal Transit 
Administration) and the Docket Number of this notice at the beginning 
of your comments. Note that all comments received will be posted 
without change to www.regulations.gov, including any personal 
information provided. You may review DOT's complete Privacy Act 
Statement published in the Federal Register on April 11, 2000 (65 FR 
19477).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maya Sarna, Office of Environmental 
Programs, (202) 366-5811, or Christopher Van Wyk, Office of 
Environmental Programs, (202) 366-1733; Helen Serassio, Office of Chief 
Counsel, (202) 366-1974. FTA is located at 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., 
Washington, DC 20590. Office hours are from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET, 
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    In August 2016, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) released 
its Final Guidance for Federal Departments and Agencies on 
Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and the Effects of Climate 
Change in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Reviews. The 
guidance provides a framework for agencies to consider the effects of a 
proposed action on climate change, as indicated by its estimated GHG 
emissions. The CEQ guidance notes that an agency may decide, rather 
than analyze GHG emissions project-by-project, that it would be useful 
and efficient to provide an aggregate analysis of GHG emissions or 
climate change effects through programmatic analysis and then 
incorporate that analysis by reference into future NEPA reviews. FTA 
currently considers it practicable to assess the effects of GHG 
emissions and climate change for a variety of transit projects at a 
programmatic level.
    The purpose of the Programmatic Assessment of Greenhouse Gas 
Emissions from Transit Projects is to: (1) Report on whether certain 
types of proposed transit projects merit detailed analysis of their GHG 
emissions at the project-level; and (2) provide a source of data and 
analysis for FTA and its grantees to reference in future environmental 
documents for projects where detailed, project-level GHG analysis would 
provide only limited information beyond what is collected and 
considered in the assessment. The Programmatic Assessment presents 
results from an analysis to estimate direct and indirect GHG emissions 
generated from the construction, operations, and maintenance phases of 
projects across select transit modes. The findings provide a reference 
for FTA and its grantees to use in future NEPA documents to describe 
the potential effects of proposed transit investments on partial 
lifecycle GHG emissions. This assessment's results can inform transit 
project sponsors who are considering the implications of GHG emissions 
of future transit investments or who might independently want to 
evaluate the greenhouse gas emissions benefits and cost of such 
investments. As part of the draft Programmatic Assessment, FTA 
developed the Estimator Tool. The Estimator Tool is a spreadsheet based 
tool that allows users to calculate partial lifecycle GHG emissions 
estimates by transit mode for the construction, maintenance, and 
operations phases of transit project development, as well as an 
estimate of personal vehicle emissions displaced due to transit's 
``ridership effect.''
    FTA requests comments on the draft Programmatic Assessment and the 
accompanying Estimator Tool, which are available on the docket. 
Comments

[[Page 83929]]

can be made in the docket (FTA-2016-0044). FTA will respond to comments 
received on the draft Programmatic Assessment and Estimator Tool in a 
second Federal Register notice to be published after the comment period 
closes. That second notice will also announce the availability of a 
final Programmatic Assessment and the Estimator Tool that reflects any 
changes implemented as a result of comments received.

    Authority:  42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 CFR 1507.3; 49 CFR 
1.81(a)(5).

Lucy Garliauskas,
Associate Administrator, Office of Planning and Environment, Federal 
Transit Administration.
[FR Doc. 2016-28104 Filed 11-21-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-57-P