Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 171 / Friday, September 4, 2009 / Notices 45891 

consummation with the Board to signify 

that it has exercised the authority 

granted and fully abandoned the line. If 

consummation has not been effected by 

NSR’s filing of a notice of 

consummation by September 4, 2010, 

and there are no legal or regulatory 

barriers to consummation, the authority 

to abandon will automatically expire. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http:// 

www.stb.dot.gov. 

Decided: August 31, 2009. 

By the Board, Rachel D. Campbell, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. E9–21359 Filed 9–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the California High Speed Train Project 

From Palmdale to Bakersfield, CA 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the 

public that FRA and the California 

High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) 

will jointly prepare a project 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and project Environmental Impact 

Report (EIR) for the Palmdale to 

Bakersfield section of the Authority’s 

proposed California High Speed Train 

(HST) System in compliance with 

relevant state and federal laws, in 

particular the National Environmental 

Policy Act (NEPA) and the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). 

In 2001, the Authority and FRA 

started a tiered environmental review 

process for the HST system and in 2005, 

completed the first tier California High 

Speed Train Program EIR/EIS 

(Statewide Program EIR/EIS) and 

approved the statewide HST system for 

intercity travel in California between the 

major metropolitan centers of 

Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay 

Area in the north, through the Central 

Valley, to Los Angeles and San Diego in 

the south. The approved HST system 

would be about 800-miles long, with 

electric propulsion and steel-wheel-onsteel-rail trains capable of maximum 

operating speeds of 220 miles per hour 

(mph) on a mostly dedicated system of 

fully grade-separated, access-controlled 

steel track and with state-of-the-art 

safety, signaling, communication, and 

automated train control systems. In 

approving the HST system, the 

Authority and FRA also selected 

preferred corridor alignments and 

station location options throughout 

most of the system. In 2008, the 

Authority and FRA completed a second 

program EIR/EIS to evaluate alignments 

and station locations within the broad 

corridor between and including the 

Altamont Pass and the Pacheco Pass to 

connect the Bay Area and Central Valley 

portions of the HST system. 

The preparation of the Palmdale to 

Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS will 

involve the development of preliminary 

engineering designs and the assessment 

of potential environmental effects 

associated with the construction, 

operation, and maintenance of the HST 

system, including track and ancillary 

facilities along the State Route 58/14 

corridor from Bakersfield to Palmdale. 

DATES: Written comments on the scope 

of the Palmdale to Bakersfield HST 

Project EIR/EIS should be provided to 

the Authority by 5 p.m., Monday, 

November 2, 2009. Public scoping 

meetings are scheduled from September 

15, 2009 to September 17, 2009, as 

noted below in the cities of Bakersfield, 

CA, Tehachapi, CA and Palmdale, CA. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

scope should be sent to Ms. Carrie 

Bowen, Regional Director, ATTN: 

Bakersfield to Palmdale, California High 

Speed Rail Authority, 925 L Street, 

Suite 1425, Sacramento, CA 95814, or 

via e-mail with subject line ‘‘Palmdale 

to Bakersfield HST’’ to: 

comments@hsr.ca.gov. Comments may 

also be provided orally or in writing at 

the scoping meetings scheduled at the 

following locations: 

• Red Lion Hotel, 2400 Camino Del 

Rio Court. Bakersfield, CA 93308, 3 p.m. 

to 7 p.m., September 15, 2009. 

• Stallion Springs Community Center, 

27850 Stallion Springs Drive, 

Tehachapi, CA 93561, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., 

September 16, 2009. 

• Chimbole Cultural Center, 38350 

Sierra Highway, Palmdale, CA 93550, 3 

p.m. to 7 p.m., September 17, 2009. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

David Valenstein, Environmental 

Program Manager, Office of Railroad 

Development, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue, SE., (Mail Stop 20), 

Washington, DC 20590; Telephone: 

(202) 493–6368, or Ms. Carrie Bowen, 

Telephone: (559) 221–2636 at the above 

noted address. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Authority was established in 1996 and 

is authorized and directed by statue to 

undertake the planning and 

development of a proposed statewide 

HST network that is fully coordinated 

with other public transportation 

services. The Authority adopted a Final 

Business Plan in June 2000, which 

reviewed the economic feasibility of an 

800-mile-long HST capable of speeds in 

excess of 200 miles per hour on a mostly 

dedicated, fully grade-separated state-ofthe-art track. The Authority released an 

updated Business Plan in November 

2008. 

The FRA has responsibility for 

overseeing the safety of railroad 

operations, including the safety of any 

proposed high-speed ground 

transportation system. For the proposed 

HST, it is anticipated that FRA would 

need to take certain regulatory actions 

prior to operation. 

In 2005, the Authority and FRA 

completed the Statewide Program EIR/ 

EIS for the Proposed California High 

Speed Train System, as the first phase 

of a tiered environmental review 

process. The Authority certified the 

Statewide Program EIR under CEQA and 

approved the proposed HST System. 

FRA issued a Record of Decision on the 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS as required 

under NEPA. The Statewide Program 

EIR/EIS established the purpose and 

need for the HST system, analyzed an 

HST system, and compared the 

proposed HST system with a No Project/ 

No Action Alternative and a Modal 

Alternative. In approving the Statewide 

Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and 

FRA selected the HST Alternative, 

selected certain corridors/general 

alignments and general station locations 

for further study, incorporated 

mitigation strategies and design 

practices, and specified further 

measures to guide the development of 

the HST system during the site-specific, 

project level environmental review to 

avoid and minimize potential adverse 

environmental impacts. In the Statewide 

Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and 

FRA selected the State Route 58/14 

corridor for the Palmdale to Bakersfield 

section of the HST. 

The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST 

Project EIR/EIS will tier from the 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS and the 

Final Bay Area to Central Valley HST 

Program EIR/EIS in accordance with 

Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ) regulations, (40 CFR 1508.28) and 

State CEQA Guidelines (14 C.C.R. 

15168(b)). Tiering ensures that the 

Palmdale to Bakersfield HST Project 

EIR/EIS builds upon all previous work 

prepared for, and incorporated in, the 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS and the Bay 

Area to Central Valley HST Program 

EIR/EIS. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
45892 Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 171 / Friday, September 4, 2009 / Notices 

The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST 

Project EIR/EIS will describe sitespecific environmental impacts, identify 

specific mitigation measures to address 

those impacts, and incorporate design 

practices to avoid and minimize 

potential adverse environmental 

impacts. The FRA and the Authority 

will assess the site characteristics, size, 

nature, and timing of proposed sitespecific projects to determine whether 

the impacts are potentially significant 

and whether impacts can be avoided or 

mitigated. This project EIR/EIS will 

identify and evaluate reasonable and 

feasible site-specific alignment 

alternatives, and evaluate the impacts of 

construction, operation, and 

maintenance of the HST system. 

Information and documents regarding 

this HST environmental review process 

will be made available through the 

Authority’s Internet site: http:// 

www.cahighspeedrail.gov/. 

Purpose and Need: The purpose of the 

proposed HST system is to provide a 

new mode of high-speed intercity travel 

that would link major metropolitan 

areas of the state; interface with airports, 

mass transit, and highways; and provide 

added capacity to meet increased 

intercity travel demand in California in 

a manner sensitive to and protective of 

California’s unique natural resources. 

The need for a HST system is directly 

related to the expected growth in 

population, and increases in intercity 

travel demand in California over the 

next twenty years and beyond. With the 

growth in travel demand, there will be 

an increase in travel delays arising from 

the growing congestion on California’s 

highways and airports. In addition, 

there will be negative effects on the 

economy, quality of life, and air quality 

in and around California’s metropolitan 

areas from an increasingly congested 

transportation system that will become 

less reliable as travel demand increases. 

The intercity highway system, 

commercial airports, and conventional 

passenger rail serving the intercity 

travel market are currently operating at 

or near capacity, and will require large 

public investments for maintenance and 

expansion to meet existing demand and 

future growth. The proposed HST 

system is designed to address some 

social, economic and environmental 

problems associated with transportation 

congestion in California. 

Alternatives: The Palmdale to 

Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS will 

consider a No Action or No Project 

Alternative and an HST Alternative for 

the Palmdale to Bakersfield section. 

No Action Alternative: The No Action 

Alternative (No Project or No Build) 

represents the conditions in the corridor 

as it existed in 2007, and as it would 

exist based on programmed and funded 

improvements to the intercity 

transportation system and other 

reasonably foreseeable projects through 

2035, taking into account the following 

sources of information: The State 

Transportation Improvement Program 

(STIP) and Regional Transportation 

Plans (RTPs) for all modes of travel, 

airport plans, intercity passenger rail 

plans, city and county plans. 

HST Alternative: The Authority 

proposes to construct, operate and 

maintain an electric-powered steelwheel-on-steel-rail HST system, about 

800 miles long, capable of operating 

speeds of 220 mph on mostly dedicated, 

fully graded-separated tracks, with stateof-the-art safety, signaling, and 

automated train control systems. In the 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS, the 

Authority and FRA selected the State 

Route 58/14 corridor for the Palmdale to 

Bakersfield section of the HST. 

Engineering studies undertaken as part 

of this EIR/EIS process will examine 

and refine alignments in the State Route 

58/14 corridor. The entire alignment 

would be grade separated. The options 

to be considered for the design of grade 

separated roadway crossings would 

include (1) Depressing the street to pass 

under the rail line; (2) elevating the 

street to pass over the rail line; and (3) 

leaving the street as-is and constructing 

rail line improvements to pass over or 

under the local street. In addition, 

alternative sites for right-of-way 

maintenance, train storage facilities and 

a heavy maintenance and repair facility 

will be evaluated in the Palmdale to 

Bakersfield HST project area. 

No station would be included in this 

section as this project connects the HST 

line in the Central Valley with the HST 

line from Los Angeles and stations are 

being evaluated as part of the project 

EIR/EISs associated with those HST 

sections. A station at the Palmdale 

Airport/Transportation Center is being 

evaluated in the Los Angeles to 

Palmdale HST Project EIR/EIS. The 

Truxtun station option in downtown 

Bakersfield at the other end of this 

section is being evaluated in the 

Bakersfield to Merced HST Project EIR/ 

EIS. These station locations were 

selected by the Authority and FRA in 

the Program EIR/EIS documents after 

considering the project purpose and 

need, and the program objectives. 

Probable Effects: The purpose of the 

EIR/EIS process is to explore, in a 

public setting, the effects of the 

proposed project on the physical, 

human, and natural environment. The 

FRA and Authority will continue the 

tiered evaluation of all significant 

environmental, social, and economic 

impacts of the construction and 

operation of the HST system. Impact 

areas to be addressed include 

transportation impacts; safety and 

security; land use and zoning; land 

acquisition, displacements, and 

relocations and cumulative and 

secondary impacts; agricultural land 

impacts; cultural resources impacts, 

including impacts on historical and 

archaeological resources and parklands/ 

recreation areas; neighborhood 

compatibility and environmental 

justice; natural resource impacts 

including air quality, wetlands, water 

resources, noise, vibration, energy, 

wildlife and ecosystems, including 

endangered species. Measures to avoid, 

minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts 

will be identified and evaluated. 

The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST 

Project EIR/EIS will be prepared in 

accordance with FRA’s Procedures for 

Considering Environmental Impacts (64 

FR 28545 (May 26, 1999)) and will 

address, as necessary, other applicable 

statutes, regulations, and executive 

orders, including the Clean Air Act, 

Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 

Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, Section 4(f) of 

the Department of Transportation Act, 

the Endangered Species Act, and 

Executive Order 12898 on 

Environmental Justice. 

This EIR/EIS process will also 

continue the NEPA/Clean Water Act 

Section 404 integration process 

established through the Statewide 

Program EIR/EIS process. The EIR/EIS 

will evaluate project alignment 

alternatives and station and 

maintenance facility locations to 

support a determination of the Least 

Environmentally Damaging Practicable 

Alternative (LEDPA) by the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers. 

Scoping and Comments: FRA 

encourages broad participation in the 

EIS process during scoping and review 

of the resulting environmental 

documents. Comments are invited from 

all interested agencies and the public to 

ensure the full range of issues related to 

the proposed action and reasonable 

alternatives are addressed and all 

significant issues are identified. In 

particular, FRA is interested in hearing 

from communities whether there are 

areas of environmental concern where 

there might be a potential for significant 

site-specific impacts from the highspeed transportation projects in the 

Palmdale to Bakersfield section. Public 

agencies with jurisdiction are requested 

to advise FRA and the Authority of the 

applicable permit and environmental 

review requirements of each agency, 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 74, No. 171 / Friday, September 4, 2009 / Notices 45893 

and the scope and content of the 

environmental information germane to 

the agency’s statutory responsibilities 

relevant to the proposed project. Public 

agencies are requested to advise FRA if 

they anticipate taking a major action in 

connection with the proposed project 

and if they wish to cooperate in the 

preparation of the Project EIR/EIS. 

Public scoping meetings have been 

scheduled and are an important 

component of the scoping process for 

both the State and Federal 

environmental review. The scoping 

meetings described in this Notice will 

also be the subject of additional public 

notification. 

FRA is seeking participation and 

input of all interested federal, state, and 

local agencies, Native American groups, 

and other concerned private 

organizations or individuals on the 

scope of the EIR/EIS. Implementation of 

the Palmdale to Bakersfield section of 

the HST system is a federal undertaking 

with the potential to affect historic 

properties. As such, it is subject to the 

requirements of Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act of 

1966 (16 U.S.C. 470f). In accordance 

with regulations issued by the Advisory 

Council on Historic Preservation, 36 

CFR part 800, FRA intends to coordinate 

compliance with Section 106 of this Act 

with the preparation of the EIR/EIS, 

beginning with the identification of 

consulting parties through the scoping 

process, in a manner consistent with the 

standards set out in 36 CFR 800.8. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 28, 

2009. 

Mark E. Yachmetz, 

Associate Administrator for Railroad 

Development, Federal Railroad 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. E9–21381 Filed 9–3–09; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Twelfth Joint Meeting, RTCA Special 

Committee 205/EUROCAE WG 71: 

Software Considerations in 

Aeronautical Systems 

AGENCY: Federal Aviation 

Administration (FAA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of RTCA Special 

Committee 205/EUROCAE WG 71: 

Software Considerations in Aeronautical 

Systems meeting. 

SUMMARY: The FAA is issuing this notice 

to advise the public of a meeting of 

RTCA Special Committee 205/ 

EUROCAE WG 71: Software 

Considerations in Aeronautical Systems. 

DATES: The meeting will be held 

October 26–30, 2009, from 8:30 a.m. to 

5 p.m. (variable—see daily schedule). 

Pre-registration Requirements: If you are 

planning on attending this meeting we 

would appreciate you providing preregistration information. 

ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at 

Te ́le ́com ParisTech, 46 rue Barrault 

75013 Paris, France. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: (1) 

RTCA Secretariat, 1828 L Street, NW., 

Suite 805, Washington, DC 20036; 

telephone (202) 833–9339; fax (202) 

833–9434; Web site http://www.rtca.org; 

(2) Hotel Front Desk: (602) 273–7778; 

fax (602) 275–5616; 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant 

to section 10(a)(2) of the Federal 

Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92– 

463, 5 U.S.C., Appendix 2), notice is 

hereby given for a Special Committee 

205: EUROCAE WG 71: Software 

Considerations in Aeronautical Systems 

meeting. 

The agenda will include: 

Day 1—Monday, October 26 

• 08:30 a.m.—Chair’s Introductory 

Remarks; 

• 09:00 a.m.—Review of Meeting 

Agenda and Agreement of Previous 

Minutes; 

• 09:30 a.m.—Reports of Sub-Group 

Activity; 

• 10:00 a.m.—Other Committee/Other 

Documents Interfacing Personnel 

Reports (CAST, Unmanned Aircraft 

Systems, Security, WG–63/SAE S–18); 

• 10:45 a.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions. 

New Member Introduction Session 

• 10:45 a.m.—All new committee 

members are invited to attend an 

introduction session to explain the 

operation of the committee, the various 

sub-groups and the topics they are 

dealing with and the Web site. 

• 13:15 p.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions; 

• 15:15 p.m.—Plenary Session: Text 

Acceptance (for papers posted, 

commented on and reworked prior to 

Plenary). 

Day 2—Tuesday, October 27 

• 08:30 a.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions; 

• 12:30 p.m.—Milestone: IP 

submittals due for Wednesday Plenary; 

• 13:30 p.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions; 

• 15:00 p.m.—Mandatory Paper 

Reading Session. 

Day 3—Wednesday, October 28 

• 08:30 a.m.—IP Comment Reply & 

Sub-Group Break Out Sessions (focused 

on finalizing any changes to papers 

being presented later in the morning); 

• 10:30 a.m.—Plenary Text 

Acceptance (for papers posted, 

commented on and reworked prior to 

Plenary); 

• 13:30 p.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions; 

• 14:45 p.m.—Break; 

• 15:00 p.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions. 

Day 4—Thursday, October 29 

• 08:30 a.m.—Sub-Group Break Out 

Sessions; 

• 12:30 p.m.— Milestone: IP 

submittals due for Friday Plenary; 

• 13:30 p.m.—Plenary Session; 

• 15:00 p.m.—Mandatory Paper 

Reading Session. 

Day 5—Friday, October 30 

• 08:00 a.m.—IP Comment Reply & 

Sub-Group Break Out Sessions (focused 

on finalizing any changes to papers 

being presented during the morning); 

• 10:00 a.m.—Plenary Text Approval 

(reworked and late posted papers—with 

late posted papers only being accepted 

if (a) the changes are very minor in 

nature, and (b) adequate time has been 

allowed for the review of the papers); 

• 12:00 p.m.—SG1: SCWG Document 

Integration Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:05 p.m.—SG2: Issue & Rationale 

Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:10 p.m.—SG3: Tool 

Qualification Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:15 p.m.—SG4: Model Based 

Design & Verification Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:20 p.m.—SG5: Object Oriented 

Technology Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:25 p.m.—SG6: Formal Methods 

Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:30 p.m.—SG7: Special 

Considerations Sub-Group Report; 

• 12:35 p.m.—Next Meeting 

Information; 

• 12:40 p.m.—Any Other Business, 

Closing Remarks & Meeting Adjourned; 

• 12:45 p.m.—Meeting Evaluation 

(Round Robin). 

Attendance is open to the interested 

public but limited to space availability. 

With the approval of the chairmen, 

members of the public may present oral 

statements at the meeting. Persons 

wishing to present statements or obtain 

information should contact the person 

listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT section. Members of the public 

may present a written statement to the 

committee at any time. 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES