50324 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 

Once completed, the California HST 

system will provide intercity, highspeed passenger rail service on more 

than 800 miles of tracks throughout 

California, connecting the major 

population centers of Sacramento, the 

San Francisco Bay Area, the Central 

Valley, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, 

Orange County, and San Diego. It will 

use state-of-the-art, electrically 

powered, high-speed, steel-wheel-onsteel-rail technology, including 

contemporary safety, signaling, and 

automated train-control systems, with 

trains capable of operating up to 220 

miles per hour (mph) over a fully gradeseparated, dedicated double track 

alignment. 

The FRA and Authority certified a 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS (Tier 1) for 

the California HST system in November 

2005 as the first phase of a tiered 

environmental review process for the 

California HST system. In 2008, the FRA 

and Authority certified another program 

EIR/EIS for the Bay Area to Central 

Valley portion of the HST system. The 

Fresno to Bakersfield Section Draft EIR/ 

EIS (Tier 2) analyzes the environmental 

impacts and benefits of implementing 

the high-speed train in the more 

geographically limited area between 

Fresno and Bakersfield, and is based on 

more detailed project planning and 

engineering. This Draft EIR/EIS analysis 

builds on the earlier decisions and 

program EIR/EISs, and provides more 

site-specific and detailed analysis. 

The Authority plans to complete the 

California HST System in two phases. 

Phase 1 will connect San Francisco to 

Los Angeles/Anaheim via the Pacheco 

Pass and the Central Valley with a 

mandated express travel time of 2 hours 

and 40 minutes or less. Phase 2 will 

connect the Central Valley to the state’s 

capital, Sacramento, and will extend the 

system from Los Angeles, CA to San 

Diego, CA. This Project is for one 

section in Phase 1 and is receiving 

funding from FRA for design and 

environmental review as well as for the 

construction of an initial Section in the 

Central Valley. 

The American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery 

Act), enacted February 17, 2009, 

contained $8 billion to fund high-speed 

intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) projects. 

In response to the Recovery Act 

funding, FRA developed and began 

implementation of the HSIPR Program 

to fund projects to improve existing 

intercity passenger rail service and to 

develop new high speed intercity 

passenger rail corridors. FRA’s HSIPR 

Program also received an additional 

$2.1 billion from the Transportation, 

Housing, and Urban Development and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 

2010. The California High-Speed Rail 

Authority applied for and was selected 

to receive over $3.5 billion in HSIPR 

funds from FRA to complete 

preliminary engineering and NEPA 

reviews and associated documentation 

for all eight segments comprising the 

California HST System and to construct 

an initial Central Valley Section from 

Madera County to Bakersfield (Kern 

County) California. Completion of the 

environmental review process marked 

by issuance of a Record of Decision 

(ROD) by FRA is a prerequisite for any 

construction related Federal funding or 

approvals from FRA. 

The approximately 114-mile-long 

Fresno to Bakersfield Section is a 

critical Phase 1 link connecting Merced 

to Fresno and Bay Area HST Sections to 

the north and the Bakersfield to 

Palmdale and Palmdale to Los Angeles 

HST Sections to the south. The Fresno 

to Bakersfield Section includes HST 

stations in the cities of Fresno and 

Bakersfield, with a third potential 

station located in the vicinity of 

Hanford (Kings/Tulare Regional Station) 

that would serve the Hanford, Visalia, 

and Tulare area. The Fresno and 

Bakersfield stations are this Section’s 

beginning and ending points, or project 

termini. 

This Draft EIR/EIS has been prepared 

by the FRA and the Authority consistent 

with the provisions of Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.), the Counsel of Environmental 

Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing 

NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 et seq.), FRA’s 

Procedures for Considering 

Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545 

(May 26, 1999)), the California 

Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 

(Public Resources Code § 21000–21178), 

and CEQA Guidelines (California Code 

of Regulations Title 14, Chapter 3 

§ 15000–15387). 

Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS are 

available online at FRA’s Web site: 

http://www.fra.dot.gov; the Authority’s 

Web site: http:// 

www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov; and they 

are also available for viewing at the 

following locations near the planned 

rail system: 

• Fresno County Public Library, 

Central Branch, Central Reference 

Department, 2420 Mariposa Street, 

Fresno, CA; 

• Fresno County Public Library, 

Clovis Regional Library, 1155 Fifth 

Street, Clovis, CA; 

• Fresno County Public Library, Laton 

Branch, 6313 DeWoody Street, Laton, 

CA; 

• Kern County Library, Beale 

Memorial Library, 701 Truxtun Avenue, 

Bakersfield, CA; 

• Kern County Library, Corcoran 

Branch, 1001 Chittenden Avenue, 

Corcoran, CA; 

• Kern County Library, Delano 

Branch, 925 10th Avenue, Delano, CA; 

• Kern County Library, Shafter 

Branch, 236 James Street, Shafter, CA; 

• Kern County Library, Wasco 

Branch, 1102 7th Street, Wasco, CA; 

• Kings County Library, Hanford 

Branch (Main Library), 401 N. Douty 

Street, Hanford, CA; 

• Kings County Library, Lemoore 

Branch, 457 C Street, Lemoore, CA; 

• Tulare County Library, Visalia 

Branch (Main Library), 200 West Oak 

Avenue, Visalia, CA; and 

• Tulare Public Library, 475 North M 

Street, Tulare, CA. 

Issued in Washington, DC on August 9, 

2011. 

Corey W. Hill, 

Director, Rail Project Development and 

Delivery. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20571 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Notice of Availability of a Draft 

Environmental Impact Report/ 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the California High-Speed Rail Project 

Merced to Fresno Section 

AGENCY: Federal Railroad 

Administration (FRA), United States 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to 

advise the public that a Draft 

Environmental Impact Report (EIR)/ 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

has been prepared for the California 

High-Speed Train (HST) Project Merced 

to Fresno Section (Project). FRA is the 

lead Federal agency and the California 

High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) 

is the lead state agency for the 

environmental review process. 

The Authority proposes to construct 

and operate a reliable high-speed 

electric-powered passenger train system 

along an approximately 65-mile 

corridor, from Merced, CA, to Fresno, 

CA that links those cities by delivering 

predictable and consistent travel times. 

The Project includes high-speed track 

alignments, stations in downtown 

Merced and Fresno. A heavy 

maintenance facility for assembly, 

testing, and commissioning of trains, 

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Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 50325 

train inspection and service, and train 

overhaul may be constructed in the 

Merced to Fresno Section. 

The Draft EIR/EIS presents the 

Project’s purpose and need, identifies 

all reasonable alternatives including 

track alignments, stations, and heavy 

maintenance facilities as well as the no 

action alternative, describes the affected 

environment, analyzes the potential 

environmental impacts of all the 

reasonable alternatives and the no 

action alternative, and identifies 

appropriate mitigation measures to 

minimize the potential environmental 

impacts. 

DATES: Written comments on the Draft 

EIR/EIS for the Project should be 

provided to the Authority on or before 

September 28, 2011. Public hearings are 

scheduled on September 14, 2011, 

September 15, 2011, and September 20, 

2011 in Merced, CA, Madera, CA, and 

Fresno, CA respectively at the times and 

dates listed in the Addresses Section 

below. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

Draft EIR/EIS should be sent to the 

California High-Speed Rail Authority, 

Merced to Fresno EIR/EIS Comment, 

770 L Street, Suite 800, Sacramento, CA 

95814, through the Authority’s Web site 

at http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov, or 

via e-mail with the subject line ‘‘Draft 

EIR/EIS’’ to merced_fresno@hsr.ca.gov. 

Comments may also be provided orally 

or in writing at the public hearings 

scheduled at the following locations: 

• Merced, CA, Wednesday, 

September 14, 2011, 3 to 8 p.m., Merced 

Community Senior Center, 755 West 

15th Street, Merced, CA 95340; 

• Madera, CA, Thursday, September 

15, 2011, 3 to 8 p.m., Madera City 

Council Chambers, 205 W. 4th Street, 

Madera, CA 93637; and 

• Fresno, CA, Tuesday, September 20, 

2011, 3 to 8 p.m., Fresno Convention 

Center, 848 M Street, Fresno, CA. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

David Valenstein, Chief, Environment 

and Systems Planning Division, Office 

of Railroad Policy and Development, 

Federal Railroad Administration, U.S. 

Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., MS–20, 

Washington, DC 20590 (telephone: 202– 

493–6368), or Mr. Dan Leavitt, Deputy 

Director for Environmental Review and 

Planning, California High-Speed Rail 

Authority, 770 L Street, Ste. 800, 

Sacramento, CA 95814 (telephone: 916– 

324–1541). 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Once 

completed, the California HST system 

will provide intercity, high-speed 

passenger rail service on more than 800 

miles of tracks throughout California, 

connecting the major population centers 

of Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay 

Area, the Central Valley, Los Angeles, 

the Inland Empire, Orange County, and 

San Diego. It will use state-of-the-art, 

electrically powered, high-speed, steelwheel-on-steel-rail technology, 

including contemporary safety, 

signaling, and automated train-control 

systems, with trains capable of 

operating up to 220 miles per hour 

(mph) over a fully grade-separated, 

dedicated double track alignment. 

The FRA and Authority certified a 

Statewide Program EIR/EIS (Tier 1) for 

the California HST system in November 

2005 as the first phase of a tiered 

environmental review process for the 

California HST system. In 2008, the FRA 

and Authority certified another program 

EIR/EIS for the Bay Area to Central 

Valley portion of the HST system. The 

Merced to Fresno Section Draft EIR/EIS 

(Tier 2) analyzes the environmental 

impacts and benefits of implementing 

the high-speed train in the more 

geographically limited area between 

Merced and Fresno, and is based on 

more detailed project planning and 

engineering. This Draft EIR/EIS analysis 

builds on the earlier decisions and 

program EIR/EISs, and provides more 

site-specific and detailed analysis. 

The Authority plans to complete the 

California HST System in two phases. 

Phase 1 will connect San Francisco to 

Los Angeles/Anaheim via the Pacheco 

Pass and the Central Valley with a 

mandated express travel time of 2 hours 

and 40 minutes or less. Phase 2 will 

connect the Central Valley to the state’s 

capital, Sacramento, and will extend the 

system from Los Angeles to San Diego. 

This Project is for one section in Phase 

1 and is receiving funding from FRA for 

design and environmental review as 

well as for the construction of an initial 

Section in the Central Valley. 

The American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery 

Act), enacted February 17, 2009, 

contained $8 billion to fund high-speed 

and intercity passenger rail (HSIPR) 

projects. In response to the Recovery 

Act funding, FRA developed and began 

implementation of the HSIPR Program 

to fund project to improve existing 

intercity passenger rail service and to 

develop new high speed intercity 

passenger rail corridors. FRA’s HSIPR 

Program also received an additional 

$2.1 billion from the Transportation, 

Housing, and Urban Development and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 

2010. The California High-Speed Rail 

Authority applied for and was selected 

to receive over $3.5 billion in HSIPR 

funds from FRA to complete 

preliminary engineering and NEPA 

reviews, and associated documentation 

for all eight segments comprising the 

California HST System and to construct 

an initial Central Valley Section from 

Madera County to Bakersfield (Kern 

County) California. Completion of the 

environmental review process marked 

by issuance of a Record of Decision 

(ROD) by FRA is a prerequisite for any 

construction related Federal funding or 

approvals from FRA. 

The approximately 65-mile-long 

Merced to Fresno Section is an essential 

part of the statewide HST System. The 

Merced to Fresno Section is the location 

of the connection between the Bay Area 

and Sacramento branches of the HST 

System; it will provide Merced and 

Fresno access to a new transportation 

mode and will contribute to increased 

mobility throughout California. This 

Section will connect the central San 

Joaquin Valley region to the remainder 

of the HST System via Merced County, 

Madera County, and the northern part of 

the city of Fresno. 

This Draft EIR/EIS has been prepared 

by the FRA and the Authority consistent 

with the provisions of Section 102(2)(c) 

of the National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq.), the Counsel of Environmental 

Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing 

NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500 et seq.), FRA’s 

Procedures for Considering 

Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545 

(May 26, 1999)), and in conformity with 

the California Environmental Quality 

Act (CEQA) (California Public Resources 

Code Section 21000 et. seq.), and the 

CEQA Guidelines (California Code of 

Regulations, Title 14, Section 15000 et. 

seq.). 

Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS are 

available online at FRA’s Web site: 

http://www.fra.dot.gov and the 

Authority’s Web site: http:// 

www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov; they are 

also available for viewing at the 

following locations near the planned 

rail system: 

• Fresno County Public Library, 

Central Branch, 2420 Mariposa Street, 

Fresno, CA 93721; 

• Madera County Library, 121 North 

G Street, Madera, CA 93637; 

• Chowchilla Branch Library (Madera 

County Library), 300 Kings Avenue, 

Chowchilla, CA 93610; 

• Merced Community Senior Center, 

755 West 15th Street, Merced, CA 

95340; 

• Merced County Library, 2100 O 

Street, Merced, CA 95340; 

• Galilee Missionary Baptist Church, 

22941 Fairmead Boulevard, Chowchilla, 

CA 93610; 

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50326 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 156 / Friday, August 12, 2011 / Notices 

• Le Grand Branch Libarary, 12949 Le 

Grand Road, Le Grand, CA 95333; 

• Lao Family Community, 855 W. 

15th Street, Merced, CA 95333; 

• Madera Ranchos Branch Library, 

37167 Avenue 12, Suite 4C, Madera, CA 

95636; 

• Merced County Los Banos Branch 

Library, 1312 South Seventh Street, Los 

Banos, CA 93635; and 

• Atwater Branch Library, 1600 Third 

Street, Atwater, CA 95301. 

Issued in Washington, DC, on August 9, 

2011. 

Corey W. Hill, 

Director, Rail Project Development and 

Delivery. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20582 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Surface Transportation Board 

[Docket No. FD 35541] 

Tyburn Railroad, LLC—Acquisition and 

Operation Exemption—Tyburn 

Railroad Company 

Tyburn Railroad, LLC (Tyburn), a 

noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of 

exemption under 49 CFR 1150.31 to 

acquire from Tyburn Railroad Company 

and operate approximately 0.9 miles of 

rail lines in Morrisville, Pa. 

According to Tyburn, there are no 

mileposts associated with the lines, 

which are located at ‘‘1535 S. 

Pennsylvania Avenue’’ in Morrisville. 

The lines were formerly a yard owned 

by Consolidated Rail Corporation 

(Conrail) and are located in a Conrail 

Shared Asset Area. Tyburn states that it 

will be able to interchange traffic with 

Norfolk Southern Railway Company 

(NS) and CSX Transportation, Inc. 

(CSXT), and Tyburn will enter into 

standard agreements with Conrail, NS, 

and CSXT to effect such interchange. 

This transaction is related to a 

concurrently filed verified notice of 

exemption in Docket No. FD 35542, 

Regional Rail—Continuance in Control 

Exemption—Tyburn Railroad, wherein 

Regional Rail, LLC seeks Board approval 

to continue in control of Tyburn, upon 

Tyburn’s becoming a Class III rail 

carrier. 

The transaction may not be 

consummated until August 28, 2011 (30 

days after the notice of exemption was 

filed). 

Tyburn certifies that its projected 

annual revenues as a result of this 

transaction will not result in its 

becoming a Class II or Class I rail carrier 

and will not exceed $5 million. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the 

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) 

may be filed at any time. The filing of 

a petition to revoke will not 

automatically stay the effectiveness of 

the exemption. Petitions to stay must be 

filed no later than August 19, 2011 (at 

least 7 days before the exemption 

becomes effective). 

An original and 10 copies of all 

pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 

35541, must be filed with the Surface 

Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20423–0001. In 

addition, a copy of each pleading must 

be served on Karl Morell, Suite 225, 655 

15th St., NW., Washington, DC 20005. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http:// 

www.stb.dot.gov. 

Decided: August 5, 2011. 

By the Board. 

Rachel D. Campbell, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20556 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Surface Transportation Board 

[Docket No. FD 35542] 

Regional Rail, LLC—Continuance in 

Control Exemption—Tyburn Railroad, 

LLC 

Regional Rail, LLC (Regional), a 

noncarrier, has filed a verified notice of 

exemption pursuant to 49 CFR 

1180.2(d)(2) to continue in control of 

Tyburn Railroad, LLC (Tyburn), upon 

Tyburn’s becoming a Class III rail 

carrier. 

This transaction is related to a 

concurrently filed verified notice of 

exemption in Docket No. FD 35541, 

Tyburn Railroad—Acquisition and 

Operation Exemption—Tyburn 

Railroad, wherein Tyburn seeks Board 

approval to acquire from Tyburn 

Railroad Company and operate 

approximately 0.9 miles of rail lines in 

Morrisville, Pa. 

The parties intend to consummate the 

transaction on or shortly after the 

effective date of the verified notice of 

exemption. 

Regional is a Delaware limited 

liability company that currently controls 

2 Class III railroads, East Penn Railroad, 

LLC (ESPN) and Middletown and New 

Jersey Railroad, LLC (Middletown). 

ESPN operates rail lines in 

Pennsylvania and Delaware, and 

Middletown operates rail lines in New 

York. Regional also owns 100 percent of 

the issued and outstanding shares of 

Tyburn. 

Regional represents that: (1) The rail 

lines to be operated by Tyburn do not 

connect with any other railroads in the 

corporate family; (2) the transaction is 

not part of a series of anticipated 

transactions that would connect the rail 

lines with any other railroads in the 

corporate family; and (3) the transaction 

does not involve a Class I rail carrier. 

Therefore, the transaction is exempt 

from the prior approval requirements of 

49 U.S.C. 11323. See 49 CFR 

1180.2(d)(2). 

Under 49 U.S.C. 10502(g), the Board 

may not use its exemption authority to 

relieve a rail carrier of its statutory 

obligation to protect the interests of its 

employees. Section 11326(c), however, 

does not provide for labor protection for 

transactions under § 11324 and § 11325 

that involve only Class III rail carriers. 

Accordingly, the Board may not impose 

labor protective conditions here because 

all of the carriers involved are Class III 

carriers. 

If the verified notice contains false or 

misleading information, the exemption 

is void ab initio. Petitions to revoke the 

exemption under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) 

may be filed at any time. The filing of 

a petition to revoke will not 

automatically stay the effectiveness of 

the exemption. Stay petitions must be 

filed no later than August 19, 2011 (at 

least 7 days before the exemption 

becomes effective). 

An original and 10 copies of all 

pleadings, referring to Docket No. FD 

35542, must be filed with the Surface 

Transportation Board, 395 E Street, SW., 

Washington, DC 20423–0001. In 

addition, one copy of each pleading 

must be served on Karl Morell, Suite 

225, 655 15th St., NW., Washington, DC 

20005. 

Board decisions and notices are 

available on our Web site at http:// 

www.stb.dot.gov. 

Decided: August 5, 2011. 

By the Board. 

Rachel D. Campbell, 

Director, Office of Proceedings. 

Jeffrey Herzig, 

Clearance Clerk. 

[FR Doc. 2011–20553 Filed 8–11–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4915–01–P 

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