Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2000 / Notices 4015

The U.S. Environmental Protection

Agency also will serve as a cooperating

agency. In addition, FHWA and CDOT

will coordinate closely with the U.S.

Forest Service, Federal Transit

Administration, and other federal, state,

and local agencies throughout the

preparation of the programmatic EIS.

Recognizing the need to act on

projected increases in congestion and

other mobility problems that have been

forecasted over a period of the next 20

years, CDOT commissioned the I–70

Mountain Corridor Major Investment

Study (MIS), which was completed in

late 1998. The recommended

improvements resulting from the MIS

address alternatives for increased safety

and to accommodate existing and future

traffic demand. Reference is made to

such MIS, which is available for

examination at the Colorado Department

of Transportation, Region One, 18500

East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado

80011.

As the next step and to meet

objectives in the MIS, CDOT planned to

prepare a site-specific EIS to address a

16-mile-long corridor between U.S. 40

and Floyd Hill, Clear Creek County

(Federal Register Vol. 64, No. 103,

pages 29079–29080, May 28, 1999), an

area in need of immediate

improvements, in conjunction with a

secondary and cumulative impact study

of the entire I–70 Mountain Corridor.

However, in response to public concern,

CDOT will postpone the preparation of

the site-specific EIS and begin

preparation of the programmatic EIS.

The programmatic EIS will enable

CDOT and FHWA to address the

transportation problems of the I–70

Mountain Corridor comprehensively as

part of the overall I–70 Mountain

Corridor transportation system. The

overall project termini will extend from

C470 to Glenwood Springs in order to

assess the transportation problems

within the I–70 Mountain Corridor.

While the project termini are proposed

to match the problem area, some of the

proposed solutions will extend into

other major locales or corridors (e.g.,

metropolitan Denver area). The

transportation elements identified in the

MIS include fixed guideway transit,

improved rubber tire transit, highway

improvements, aviation, and alternate

routes. These and any other reasonable

alternatives identified through public

comment during scoping will be

addressed. The programmatic EIS will

develop a 20-year transportation plan

and a 50-year vision for the I–70

Mountain Corridor with the intent to

balance competing interests and uses of

the corridor. The 20-year plan will be a

cost-constrained plan that will prioritize

improvements and establish procedures

for site-specific environmental studies.

The programmatic EIS will identify the

locations, modes of transportation,

critical environmental resources, and

general mitigation policy for the

preferred alternative.

The approach to the assessment of

environmental impacts will begin with

agency and public scoping to identify

the issues and concerns associated with

the corridor. The results of scoping will

help define the alternatives and the

scope of the environmental studies to be

conducted. Alternatives proposed in the

MIS and identified through scoping will

be evaluated and screened to narrow the

range of alternatives considered for the

I–70 Mountain Corridor programmatic

EIS. Alternatives examined will be

eliminated either through screening or

advanced to environmental analysis for

the programmatic EIS. The assessment

will focus on cumulative environmental

impacts. The studies and assessment

will be documented in the draft

programmatic EIS. After its publication,

the draft programmatic EIS will be

available for agency and public review

and comment, and public hearings will

be held. On the basis of the draft

programmatic EIS and the comments

received, a preferred alternative 20-year

plan and 50-year vision will be selected

and preparation of the final

programmatic EIS and Record of

Decision will proceed.

The Record of Decision for the

programmatic EIS will not result in the

environmental clearance of any I–70

transportation-related improvements.

However, individual projects could

proceed for I–70 improvements if they

comply with 23 CFR 771.111(f) criteria:

(1) Connect logical termini and be of

sufficient length to address

environmental issues on a broad scope,

(2) have independent utility or

independent significance, and (3) not

restrict consideration of alternatives for

other reasonably foreseeable

transportation improvements. To date,

projects that comply with 23 CFR

771.111(f) include the Eagle County

Airport Interchange, Hogback Park-nRide, Georgetown Rockslide Mitigation

Project, Colorado Intermountain Fixed

Guideway Authority Demonstration and

Testing Project, Intermountain

Connection Project, and Eisenhower

Tunnel Lighting Improvements. If any

other projects emerge during the

programmatic EIS that comply with 23

CFR 771.111(f), they will be noticed

publicly in advance. At present, it is

anticipated that the I–70 Mountain

Corridor programmatic EIS process will

be completed in late 2002.

Integral with the programmatic EIS

process, CDOT and FHWA will conduct

an extensive and broad public

involvement program to keep federal,

state, and local agencies, organizations,

and interested individuals informed and

to provide ample opportunities for such

agencies, organizations, and the public

to participate throughout the three-year

process. To ensure that the full range of

issues and alternatives related to this

proposed action are identified and

addressed, written comments,

suggestions, or questions should be

directed to the FHWA at the address

provided above or directed to:

Ms. Cecelia Joy, Planning and

Environmental Manager, Colorado

Department of Transportation-Region 1,

18500 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora,

Colorado 80011, Telephone: 303/757–

9112.

Information describing the purpose of

the project, proposed alternatives, area

to be evaluated, public involvement

program, and preliminary project

schedule will be available upon request

by contacting Cecelia Joy at the address

and telephone number noted above.

Scoping comments may be made

verbally or in writing to Ms. Joy and at

future public meetings, the locations,

dates, and times of which will be

announced through public notice

(newspaper advertisements and other

means), as contemplated by 40 CFR

1506.6 and the following CDOT public

notice procedure for comparable

actions.

(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: January 13, 2000.

Ronald A. Speral,

Program Team Leader, Colorado Division,

Federal Highway Administration, Lakewood,

Colorado.

[FR Doc. 00–1710 Filed 1–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

Environmental Impact Statement:

Merced County, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway

Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this

notice to advise the public that an

environmental impact statement will be

prepared for a proposed expressway

4016 Federal Register / Vol. 65, No. 16 / Tuesday, January 25, 2000 / Notices

1 KCSI is a publicly traded, noncarrier holding

company with both rail and nonrail assets. KCSL,

a noncarrier holding company which owns direct

and indirect interests in rail transportation

companies, is a direct wholly owned subsidiary of

KCSI. KCSR, a Class I rail carrier operating in the

States of Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri,

Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi,

Tennessee, and Alabama, is a wholly owned

subsidiary of KCSL and an indirect wholly owned

subsidiary of KCSI. KCST, a noncarrier, is a wholly

owned subsidiary of KCSL and an indirect wholly

owned subsidiary of KCSI. KCST owns all of the

stock of GWWR, a Class II rail carrier operating in

the States of Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. GWWR

owns all of the stock of GWER, a Class III rail carrier

operating in the State of Illinois.

2Upon completion of the transaction, KCSR will

indirectly control GWWR and GWER.

project in Merced County,in Merced

County, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Robert F. Tally, Team Leader, District

Operations—North, California Division,

980 9th Street, Suite 400, Sacramento,

CA 95814–2724, Telephone: (916) 498–

5020.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

FHWA, in cooperation with the

California Department of Transportation

(Caltrans) and the Merced County

Department of Public Works, will

prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) on a proposal to

construct a regional arterial, the Campus

Parkway, in Merced County. The

proposed project would involve the

construction of an alignment, between

the State Route 99/Mission Avenue

Interchange to the southwest and the

Bellevue Road to the northeast. The

project would be approximately 10.5

kilometers (6.5 miles) in length.

Construction of this corridor is

considered necessary to provide for the

locally projected future traffic demand

and conform with the regional

transportation planning for the year

2020. The proposed project would

provide access to the Merced’s eastern

industrial area, the northern area of the

city of Merced, and the University

Community Specific Use Development

Plan area near Lake Yosemite, which

encompasses the site for the campus of

the University of California at Merced.

Alternatives under consideration

include: (1) Taking no action and (2)

constructing a four-lane limited access

highway on the ultimate six-lane Rightof-Way. Incorporated into and studied

with the various build alternatives will

be design variations of grade and

alignment.

Letter describing the proposed action

and soliciting comments will be sent to

appropriate Federal, State, and Local

agencies, and to private organizations

and citizens who have previously

expressed or are known to have interest

in this proposal. Public information

meetings will be held in Merced County

between March and November 2000. In

addition, a public hearing will be held.

Public notice will be given of the time

and place of the meetings and hearing.

The draft EIS will be available for public

and agency review and comment prior

to the public hearing. No formal scoping

meeting is planned at this time.

To ensure that the full range of issues

relate to this proposed action are

addressed and all significant issues are

identified, comments and suggestions

are invited from all interested parties.

Comments or questions concerning this

proposed action and the EIS should be

directed to the FHWA at the address

provided above.

(Catalog of Federal 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)

Issued on: January 19, 2000.

Robert F. Tally,

Team Leader, District Operations—North

California Division, Federal Highway

Administration.

[FR Doc. 00–1712 Filed 1–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Surface Transportation Board

[STB Finance Docket No. 33844]

Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.,

et al.—Corporate Family Transaction

Exemption

Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc.

(KCSI), Kansas City Southern Lines, Inc.

(KCSL), The Kansas City Southern

Railway Company (KCSR), KCS

Transportation Company (KCST),

Gateway Western Railway Company

(GWWR), and Gateway Eastern Railway

Company (GWER) (collectively,

applicants),1 have filed a verified notice

of exemption. The exempt transaction

involves KCSR’s acquisition of KCST’s

rail subsidiaries, GWWR and GWER,

through acquiring KCST’s stock from

KCSL.

The applicants reported that they

intended to consummate the transaction

immediately upon the effective date of

the exemption. The earliest the

transaction could be consummated was

January 17, 2000, 7 days after the

exemption was filed.2

The purpose of the transaction is to

facilitate the planned spinoff of KCSI’s

financial subsidiaries into a corporation

separate from KCSI, and to bring all of

KCSI’s commonly controlled railroads

under the direct control of KCSR.

This is a transaction within a

corporate family of the type specifically

exempted from prior review and

approval under 49 CFR 1180.2(d)(3).

The applicants state that the transaction

will not result in adverse changes in

service levels, significant operational

changes, or a change in the competitive

balance with carriers outside the

corporate family.

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. Although applicants do not

expect any employees to be adversely

affected by this control transaction, they

have agreed to apply employee

protective conditions pursuant to 49

U.S.C. 11326(a). Therefore, any

employees adversely affected by the

control transaction will be protected by

the conditions set forth in New York

Dock Ry.—Control—Brooklyn Eastern

Dist., 360 I.C.C. 60 (1979).

If the verified notice contains false or

misleading information, the exemption

is void ab initio. Petitions to reopen the

proceeding to revoke the exemption

under 49 U.S.C. 10502(d) may be filed

at any time. The filing of a petition to

reopen will not automatically stay the

transaction.

An original and 10 copies of all

pleadings, referring to STB Finance

Docket No. 33844, must be filed with

the Surface Transportation Board, Office

of the Secretary, Case Control Unit, 1925

K Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20423–

0001. In addition, a copy of each

pleading must be served on William A.

Mullins, Esq., Troutman Sanders, LLP,

1300 I Street, N.W., Suite 500 East,

Washington, DC 20005–3314.

Board decisions and notices are

available on our website at

‘‘WWW.STB.DOT.GOV.’’

Decided: January 18, 2000.

By the Board, David M. Konschnik,

Director, Office of Proceedings.

Vernon A. Williams,

Secretary.

[FR Doc. 00–1648 Filed 1–24–00; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4915–00–P

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Customs Service

[T.D. 00–6]

Bonds; Approval To Use Authorized

Facsimile Signatures and Seals

The use of facsimile signatures and

seals on Customs bonds by the