[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78190-78193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27728]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Summit County, Utah

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (USDOT), Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the Utah Department of Transportation 
(UDOT), is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to solicit comment and 
advise the public, agencies, and stakeholders that an EIS will be 
prepared for transportation improvements in the Kimball Junction area 
which includes the I-80 and SR-224 interchange and SR-224 through the 
two at-grade intersections to the south of I-80 (Ute Boulevard and 
Olympic Parkway) in Summit County, Utah. Persons and agencies who may 
be interested in or affected by the proposed project are encouraged to 
comment on the information in this NOI and the NOI Supplemental 
Information document. All comments received in response to this NOI 
will be considered, and any information presented herein, including the 
draft purpose and need, preliminary alternatives, and identified 
impacts, may be revised in consideration of the comments.

DATES: Comments on the NOI must be received on or before January 27, 
2023.

ADDRESSES: This NOI is available in the docket referenced above at 
www.regulations.gov and on the project website 
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). Interested parties are invited to 
submit comments by any of the following methods:
    Website: For access to the documents, go to the Federal eRulemaking 
Portal located at www.regulations.gov or the project website 
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). Follow the online instructions for 
submitting comments.
    Mailing address or for hand delivery or courier: UDOT Environmental 
Services Division, 4501 South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84114-8450.
    Email address: [email protected].
    All submissions should include the agency name and the docket 
number that appears in the heading of this Notice. All comments 
received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov or 
kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov.
    The Draft EIS will include a summary of the comments received.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carissa Watanabe, Environmental 
Program Manager, UDOT Environmental Services Division, 4501 South 2700 
West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-8450; telephone: 
(503) 939-3798; email: [email protected]. Grant Farnsworth, PE, 
Kimball Junction EIS Project Manager, UDOT Region Two, 2010 South 2760 
West, Salt Lake City, UT 84104; telephone: (801) 663-9985 email: 
[email protected].
    Persons interested in receiving the project information can also 
use the project email address referenced above to be added to the 
project mailing list.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review, consultation, and 
other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for 
this project are being or have been carried out by UDOT pursuant to 23 
U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated May 26, 2022 and 
executed by FHWA and UDOT. UDOT, as the assigned National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) agency, will prepare an EIS to evaluate 
transportation solutions in the Kimball Junction area which includes 
the Interstate 80 (I-80) and State Route (SR) 224 interchange and SR-
224 through the two at-grade intersections to the south (Ute Boulevard 
and Olympic Parkway). The proposed project study area extends on I-80 
from the Jeremy Ranch interchange (I-80 milepost 142) to the US-40 
interchange (I-80 milepost 147). The EIS will be conducted in 
accordance with the requirements of NEPA, as amended (42 United States 
Code [U.S.C.] Section 4321, et seq.), 23 U.S.C. 139, Council on 
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 
1500-1508), FHWA regulations implementing NEPA (23 CFR 771.101- 
771.139), and all applicable federal, state, and local governmental 
laws and regulations.
    In 2021, UDOT, in partnership with Summit County, published the 
Kimball Junction and SR-224 Area Plan (Area Plan) that was prepared to 
identify and evaluate future transportation improvements at the 
interchange of I-80 and SR-224 and through the two at-grade 
intersections on SR-224 (Ute Boulevard and Olympic Parkway) in Summit 
County, Utah. The Area Plan was conducted using UDOT's Solutions 
Development process which is a local planning process that seeks to 
capture the unique context of an area or corridor and develop a set of 
solutions to meet its transportation needs. The Area Plan evaluated 
multimodal improvements to address congestion, mobility, safety, 
access, and travel time reliability at the Kimball Junction interchange 
and on SR-224 in the Kimball Junction area.
    Transportation problems as well as opportunities to solve the 
problems were established in the study area via input from study 
partners and the public. Other criteria were developed to balance 
transportation and environmental goals and objectives. Further input 
from the study partners and the public was incorporated to develop the 
goals. The problems and opportunities developed during the Area Plan 
process informed the draft

[[Page 78191]]

purpose and need of this EIS. The Area Plan process analyzed several 
solutions (30) and narrowed the options down to three alternatives, 
including intersection and pedestrian improvements and larger, more 
complex transportation solutions that will be evaluated in the EIS. The 
alternatives evaluation process included developing screening criteria 
based on addressing the problems and opportunities and study goals, 
developing a full range of alternatives, and documenting the 
elimination of alternatives. The 2021 Area Plan may be viewed at the 
project website (kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov).

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The purpose of this project as identified by UDOT is to improve 
operations and travel time on SR-224 from the I-80 interchange through 
Olympic Parkway; improve safety by reducing queues on I-80 off-ramps; 
improve pedestrian and bicyclist mobility and accessibility throughout 
the study area; and maintain or improve transit travel times. The need 
for the project is based on future (2050) failing conditions at the SR-
224 and the I-80, Ute Boulevard, and Olympic Parkway intersections 
create delay and unreliable travel times; off-ramp queues extending 
onto mainline I-80 resulting in unsafe travel conditions; and growing 
east-west active transportation demand across SR-224. Agencies and the 
public are invited to comment on the draft purpose and need statement 
and technical memorandum available on the project website 
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). The purpose and need statement and 
supporting documentation, including data and public input summary, will 
be available in the Draft EIS. The purpose and need statement might be 
revised based on comments received during the comment period on this 
NOI.

Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives the EIS 
Will Consider

    The currently contemplated range of alternatives proposed to be 
considered in the EIS consists of the following: (1) taking no action; 
(2) capacity improvements to I-80 and SR-224 such as adding general-
purpose or auxiliary lanes and interchange improvements; (3) modified 
accesses to and from I-80 and SR-224; (4) additional or modified road, 
bicycle and pedestrian crossings on I-80 and SR-224; (5) combinations 
of any of the above, and (6) other reasonable alternatives identified 
during the EIS process. Three alternatives identified in the Area Plan 
meet the range of alternatives listed above and include Alternative A: 
a split-diamond interchange with intersection improvements; Alternative 
B: an alternative that has grade-separated intersections with one-way 
frontage roads to the I-80 interchange; and Alternative C: an 
alternative that combines HOV-focused improvements. Additional 
information on the alternatives, as well as maps and figures 
illustrating the project location, are available for review on the 
project website noted in the ADDRESSES section. Alternatives that do 
not meet the project's purpose and need or that are otherwise not 
reasonable will not be carried forward for detailed consideration in 
the EIS. The alternatives to be retained will be finalized after UDOT 
considers the comments received during the comment period on this NOI. 
The alternatives might be revised based on UDOT's consideration of 
public comments. The concepts not retained will also be documented in 
the Draft EIS. Alternatives carried forward in the EIS process will be 
evaluated along with the No Action alternative. The No Action 
alternative assumes all transportation improvements identified in the 
current long-range transportation plan would be built except the 
interchange improvements proposed in this study.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    The EIS will evaluate the expected social, economic, and 
environmental effects resulting from the implementing the action 
alternatives and the no action alternative. The following resources are 
the most sensitive resources in the project area as identified in the 
Area Plan and will be evaluated by UDOT in the EIS:
    Water Quality and Water Resources including Wetlands and other 
Waters of the United States: Project alternatives could require placing 
fill in waters of the United States and impacts to wetlands considered 
to be jurisdictional. These impacts would require a permit from the 
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) for the discharge of dredged or 
fill material into waters of the United States, including wetlands.
    Section 4(f) Resources: Project alternatives might use section 4(f) 
recreation resources and eligible historic properties. Section 4(f) is 
in reference to the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966.
    Environmental Justice Communities: Project alternatives might 
impact communities eligible for consideration as environmental justice 
communities that are low-income and minority due to right-of-way 
requirements, increases in noise, or other environmental factors. 
Additional analysis and public involvement will be conducted during the 
NEPA process to assess if the potential action alternatives would 
result in any disproportionately high and adverse impacts on the low-
income and minority communities.
    Property Acquisitions: Project alternatives could require acquiring 
private properties and relocating the tenants or owners of the 
properties. UDOT will work closely with the impacted stakeholders and 
designers to reduce the number of acquisitions and relocations.
    The EIS will evaluate the expected impacts of and benefits to the 
known resources listed above as well as the following resources: land 
use, social and community resources, traffic, economics, pedestrian and 
bicyclist considerations, air quality, noise, wildlife resources, 
floodplains, cultural resources, hazardous material sites, and visual 
resources. The level of review of the identified resources for the EIS 
will be commensurate with the anticipated effects on each resource from 
the proposed project and will be governed by the statutory or 
regulatory requirements protecting those resources.
    The analyses and evaluations conducted for the EIS will identify 
the potential for effects; avoidance measures; whether the anticipated 
effects would be adverse; and mitigation measures for adverse effects. 
UDOT welcomes comments on the expected impacts to be analyzed in the 
Draft EIS during the NOI comment period.
    Agencies, stakeholders, and the public are invited to comment on 
the expected resources and anticipated impacts. The environmental 
impact analysis will not begin until the purpose and need, range of 
alternatives, and impact categories are finalized based on the public 
comments on this NOI. UDOT might revise the identification of impacts 
as a result of considering public comments. The studies to identify the 
impacts, as well as the analyses of impacts from the retained 
alternatives, will be presented in the Draft EIS.

Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations

    The project might require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE) under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. Additional 
state or local permits that may be required include stream alteration 
permits (PGP-10) from the Utah Division of Water Rights, Clean Water 
Act section 401 Certification from the Utah Division of Water Quality, 
Clean Water Act Section 402 Utah

[[Page 78192]]

Pollution Discharge Elimination System General Permit for Construction 
Activities from the Utah Division of Water Quality, floodplain 
development permits from local jurisdictions (cities or counties), and 
other construction related permits (such as Air Quality Approval Orders 
and Fugitive Dust Emission Control Plan from the Utah Division of Air 
Quality). A section 4(f) de minimis impact and/or section 106 affected 
properties would require concurrence from the official with 
jurisdiction.

Scoping and Public Review

Agency Coordination

    A coordination plan is being prepared to define the agency and 
public participation procedures for the environmental review process. 
The plan will establish cooperating and participating agency roles and 
a review schedule and will be posted on the project website 
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). Cooperating agencies that have been 
preliminarily identified include the USACE and the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency.

Agency and Public Review

    UDOT will initiate a scoping process in December 2022 to gather 
information and solicit input after this NOI is issued. To ensure that 
a full range of issues are addressed in the EIS and potential issues 
are identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all 
interested parties. During Scoping, UDOT requests comments and 
suggestions on the draft purpose and need, potential project 
alternatives and impacts, the draft alternatives screening methodology, 
and the identification of any relevant information, studies, or 
analyses of any kind concerning impacts to the quality of the human and 
natural environment. The purpose of this request is to bring relevant 
comments, information, and analyses to the attention of UDOT, as early 
in the process as possible, to enable the agency to make maximum use of 
this information in decision making.
    A public scoping period will be held between December 27, 2022 and 
January 27, 2023. As part of the scoping process, UDOT will provide an 
opportunity for public and agency comments on the draft purpose and 
need statement and technical memorandum, and preliminary alternatives 
screening methodology. These documents will be available on the project 
website (kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) on December 27, 2022. Final 
versions of these documents, along with a scoping summary report, will 
be available on the project website when they are completed.
    Public scoping meetings will be held in-person and virtually. An 
in-person public scoping meeting will be held on January 10, 2023 from 
5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Ecker Hill Middle School, 2465 Kilby Road, 
Park City, Utah. A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on 
January 11, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. To register for 
the virtual public meeting or to obtain information regarding the 
scoping meetings, please visit the project website.
    Public involvement is a critical component of the project 
development process and will continue throughout the development of the 
EIS. All individuals and organizations expressing interest in the 
project will be able to participate in the process through various 
public outreach opportunities, and they can sign up to receive email 
announcements and notifications on the project website 
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). These opportunities include, but 
are not limited to, public meetings and hearing(s), the project 
website, and press releases. Public notice will be given regarding the 
time and place of all public meetings and hearing(s). A public scoping 
period and 30-day public comment period is planned between December 27, 
2022 and January 27, 2023. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.9(d), during the 
scoping period, all interested parties are requested to provide 
comments on the draft purpose and need statement, the range of 
potential alternatives for the project, the preliminary alternatives 
screening methodology, and resources to be considered in the EIS, and 
to identify any relevant information, studies, or analyses relevant to 
the project. Written comments or questions should be directed to UDOT 
representatives at the mail or email addresses provided above.
    Public hearings will be held during the course of the EIS, as 
described below. Generally, the locations, dates, and times for each 
public hearing will be publicized on the project website 
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) and in newspapers with local and 
regional circulation, including The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret 
News, the Park Record, and Townlift. Materials will be available at the 
meetings in English and Spanish, and oral and written comments will be 
solicited.

Public Hearing on the Draft EIS

    Notice of availability of the Draft EIS for public and agency 
review will be published in the Federal Register and through other 
methods which will identify where interested parties can review a copy 
of the Draft EIS. A public hearing will be conducted by UDOT and 
announced a minimum of 15 days in advance of the scheduled hearing 
date. UDOT will provide information for the public hearing, including 
the location, date, and time for the meeting, through a variety of 
means including the project website (kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) 
and by newspaper advertisement.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    After this NOI is issued, UDOT will coordinate with the 
participating and cooperating agencies to develop study documentation 
and the Draft EIS.
    The Draft EIS is anticipated to be issued in Winter 2023.
    The combined Final EIS and Record of Decision is anticipated to be 
issued in the Fall of 2024, within 24 months of the publication of this 
NOI.
    Any other federal permits, if necessary, will be obtained within 90 
days after the Record of Decision is issued.

Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and 
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action

    To ensure that a full range of issues related to the project are 
addressed and all potential issues are identified, UDOT invites 
comments and suggestions from all interested parties. The project team 
requests comments and suggestions regarding potential alternatives and 
impacts and the identification of any relevant information, studies, or 
analyses of any kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the 
human environment. Any information presented in this NOI, including the 
draft purpose and need statement, preliminary range of alternatives, 
and identification of impacts, might be revised after UDOT considers 
the comments. The purpose of this request is to bring relevant 
comments, information, and analyses to UDOT's attention, as early in 
the process as possible, to enable UDOT to make maximum use of this 
information in decision making. Comments may be submitted according to 
the instructions in the ADDRESSES section of this NOI.

(h) Contact Information

    For more information, please visit the project website at 
kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. Information requests or comments can 
also be emailed to [email protected].

[[Page 78193]]

    UDOT: Carissa Watanabe, Environmental Program Manager, UDOT 
Environmental Services Division, 4501 South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-8450; telephone: (503) 939-3798; email: 
[email protected].

(Catalog of Federal and Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation on federal programs and activities apply to this 
program.)

    Dated: December 14, 2022.
Ivan Marrero,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
[FR Doc. 2022-27728 Filed 12-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P