[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Page 54944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-22306]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Chittenden County, Vermont

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice to rescind the 2010 Record of Decision.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the 
2010 Record of Decision issued for the proposed Southern Connector/
Champlain Parkway project is being rescinded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Sikora, Jr., Environmental 
Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, 87 State Street, Room 
216, Montpelier, Vermont 05602. Telephone: (802) 828-4573.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Vermont 
Agency of Transportation (VTrans), is rescinding the Record of Decision 
(ROD) for the Southern Connector/Champlain Parkway project issued on 
January 13, 2010.
    The Notice of Intent to prepare the Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS) was published in the Federal Register on 
December 31, 2003. The ROD was issued on January 13, 2010. The FHWA, in 
conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), has 
determined that the ROD shall be rescinded for the following reason: 
Although the 2005 Draft SEIS and the 2009 Final SEIS each considered 
disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income 
populations in accordance with Executive Order 12898, public outreach 
for that analysis was limited to the general public involvement 
associated with the NEPA process. Since the 2010 ROD, FHWA has become 
aware of new information about project impacts that may bear on the 
project decision.
    In order to the assess the relevance of this new information, FHWA 
and VTrans have decided to perform targeted public outreach to any 
minority and low-income populations in the project study area in order 
to determine whether the conclusions reached in the 2009 Final SEIS and 
2010 ROD remain valid. FHWA and VTrans have also determined that the 
environmental justice analysis and conclusions in the NEPA review 
should be reassessed using the latest (2010) census data, and based on 
FHWA's December 16, 2011 Guidance on Environmental Justice and NEPA.
    The reassessment of census data and public outreach will be 
performed as part of a written evaluation of the 2009 Final SEIS. The 
outcome of the written evaluation will assess all changes to the 
project as well as its setting in determining project impacts. The 
identified impacts will be compared to those disclosed in the 2009 
FSEIS. FHWA and VTrans will assess whether or not all of the project's 
environmental impacts were adequately considered, and if any of the 
impacts may rise to the level of significance. Based on the 
identification of any new impacts, and to what extent they rise to the 
level of significance, the written evaluation will recommend whether or 
not the preparation of a new Supplemental EIS would be appropriate to 
issue a new or an amended ROD for the project to move forward.
    FHWA and VTrans continue to recognize a strong need for this 
project. The written evaluation will provide a basis for determining 
the way forward to implement this project. Any future FHWA action 
within this project study area will comply with environmental review 
requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 
4321), FHWA's environmental regulations (23 CFR 771) and related 
authorities, as appropriate. Comments and questions concerning this 
action should be directed to FHWA at the address provided above.

(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 on: October 7, 2019.
Matthew R. Hake,
Division Administrator, Montpelier, Vermont.
[FR Doc. 2019-22306 Filed 10-10-19; 8:45 am]
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