Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 22, 2007 / Notices 47121 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

Kenneth Petty, (202) 366–6654, Office of 

Planning, Environment, and Realty, 

Federal Highway Administration, 

Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, 

DC 20590. Office hours are from 8 a.m. 

to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, 

except Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Title: Planning and Research Program 

Administration. 

OMB Control #: 2125–0039. 

Background: Under the provisions of 

Title 23, United States Code, section 

505, 2 percent of Federal-aid highway 

funds in certain categories that are 

apportioned to the States are set aside 

to be used only for State Planning and 

Research (SPR). At least 25 percent of 

the SPR funds apportioned annually 

must be used for research, development, 

and technology transfer activities. In 

accordance with government-wide grant 

management procedures, a grant 

application must be submitted for these 

funds. In addition, recipients must 

submit periodic progress and financial 

reports. In lieu of Standard Form 424, 

Application for Federal Assistance, the 

FHWA uses a work program as the grant 

application. This includes a scope of 

work and budget for activities to be 

undertaken with FHWA planning and 

research funds during the next 1 or 2 

year period. The information contained 

in the work program includes task 

descriptions, assignments of 

responsibility for conducting the work 

effort, and estimated costs for the tasks. 

This information is necessary to 

determine how FHWA planning and 

research funds will be utilized by the 

State Transportation Departments and if 

the proposed work is eligible for Federal 

participation. The content and 

frequency of submission of progress and 

financial reports specified in 23 CFR 

Part 420 are specified in OMB Circular 

A–102 and the companion common 

grant management regulations. 

Respondents: 52 State Transportation 

Departments, including the District of 

Columbia and Puerto Rico. 

Frequency: Annual. 

Estimated Average Annual Burden 

per Response: 560 hours per 

respondent. 

Estimated Total Annual Burden 

Hours: 29,120 hours. 

Electronic Access: Internet users may 

access all comments received by the 

U.S. DOT Dockets, by using the 

universal resource locator (URL): 

http://dms.dot.gov, 24 hours each day, 

365 days each year. Please follow the 

instructions online for more information 

and help. 

Authority: The Paperwork Reduction Act 

of 1995; 44 U.S.C. Chapter 35, as amended; 

and 49 CFR 1.48. 

Issued on: August 15, 2007. 

James R. Kabel, 

Chief, Management Programs and Analysis 

Division. 

[FR Doc. E7–16478 Filed 8–21–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Federal Railroad Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: 

High-Speed Ground Transportation 

from Atlanta, GA to Chattanooga, TN 

AGENCIES: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Federal 

Railroad Administration (FRA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an 

Environmental Impact Statement. 

SUMMARY: FRA and FHWA are issuing 

this notice to advise the public that they 

will jointly prepare a Tier I 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

with the Georgia Department of 

Transportation (GDOT) and the 

Tennessee Department of 

Transportation (TDOT) to evaluate the 

environmental and related impacts of 

constructing and operating high-speed 

ground transportation (HSGT) service 

between Atlanta, Georgia and 

Chattanooga, Tennessee. FRA and 

FHWA are also issuing this notice to 

solicit public and agency input into the 

development of the scope of the EIS and 

to advise the public that outreach 

activities conducted by GDOT and its 

representatives will be considered in the 

preparation of the EIS. 

DATES: Written comments on the scope 

of the EIS should be provided to GDOT 

by October 4, 2007. Comments may also 

be provided orally or in writing at the 

scoping meetings scheduled at the 

following locations: 

Agency Scoping Meetings—Both From 

10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern Daylight 

Time 

1. Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 

Georgia Department of Transportation, 

Office of Environment/Location, 3993 

Aviation Circle, Atlanta, Georgia. 

2. Thursday, September 20, 2007, 

Chattanooga Hamilton County 

Bicentennial Library, 1001 Broad Street, 

Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

Public Scoping Meetings—All Three 

From 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Eastern 

Daylight Time 

1. Tuesday, September 18, 2007, 

McEachern High School, 2400 New 

Macland Road, Powder Springs, 

Georgia. 

2. Wednesday, September 19, 2007, 

Rome Civic Center, 400 Civic Center 

Drive, Rome, Georgia. 

3. Thursday, September 20, 2007, 

Chattanooga Hamilton County 

Bicentennial Library, 1001 Broad Street, 

Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the 

scope should be sent to Mr. Glenn 

Bowman, P.E., State Environmental/ 

Location Engineer, Georgia Department 

of Transportation, 3993 Aviation Circle, 

Atlanta, GA 30336, telephone (404) 

699–4401. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 

David Valenstein, Environmental 

Program Manager, Federal Railroad 

Administration, 1120 Vermont Avenue, 

NW., Mail Stop 20, Washington, DC 

20590, telephone (202) 493–6368; Mr. 

Wayne Fedora, P.E., Major Projects 

Engineer, Federal Highway 

Administration, Georgia Division, 61 

Forsyth Street, Suite 17T100, Atlanta, 

GA 30303, telephone (404) 562–3651; 

Mr. George Coleman, Transportation 

Specialist, Tennessee Department of 

Transportation, 505 Deadrick Street, 

Suite 1800, Nashville, TN 37243, 

telephone (615) 741–1341; or Mr. 

Bowman of GDOT at the above address. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA and 

FHWA, in cooperation with the GDOT 

and the TDOT, will prepare a Tier I EIS 

for a HSGT system in the 110-mile 

corridor between Hartsfield 

International Airport and Atlanta, in 

Georgia, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

The EIS will evaluate environmental 

impacts of a HSGT system in the Atlanta 

to Chattanooga corridor. 

This corridor has seen significant 

growth, both in population and 

employment, during the past few 

decades. It continues to be one of the 

fastest growing areas in the country. 

Future growth is projected to result in 

increased travel demand for both goods 

and people. The existing highway, 

transit, and aviation transportation 

infrastructure that would serve this 

demand are all projected to be at or 

above capacity. GDOT and TDOT 

believe that HSGT could provide a 

transportation alternative, thereby 

reducing congestion and travel time 

within the corridor, and could provide 

safe and reliable transportation for 

passengers between Hartsfield 

International Airport, Chattanooga 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
47122 Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 162 / Wednesday, August 22, 2007 / Notices 

airport and metropolitan area, and 

points in between. 

The Tier I EIS will be carried out in 

accordance with Council on 

Environmental Quality (CEQ) 

regulations (40 CFR part 1500 et seq.) 

implementing the National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 

FRA’s Procedures for Considering 

Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545; 

May 26, 1999), and FHWA regulations 

(23 CFR part 771 et seq.). 

In addition to NEPA, the Tier I EIS 

will address other applicable statutes, 

regulations, and executive orders, 

including the 1990 Clean Air Act 

Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean 

Water Act, 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. 

The goals of the EIS are to: (1) 

Examine the regional transportation 

implications of the project concept; (2) 

evaluate the modal and technology 

alternatives available to provide HSGT 

between the two cities; (3) develop and 

evaluate location alternatives; and (4) 

determine the logical segments to be 

carried forward for detailed evaluation 

in subsequent (Tier II) environmental 

documents. 

In a Tier I EIS, alternatives will be 

evaluated at a broad level of analysis. 

Proposed alternatives include a NoBuild Alternative (used as a baseline for 

comparison of all alternatives), HSGT in 

a corridor that roughly parallels 

Interstate-75, one or more corridors 

utilizing a portion of an existing CSX 

transportation rail line, and a corridor 

that roughly parallels U.S. Route 411. 

Other possible corridor locations are 

expected to be identified during the 

alternatives development phase of the 

study. 

GDOT will contact appropriate 

federal, state, and local agencies, as well 

as other organizations and individuals 

who have previously expressed interest, 

or are known to be interested, in this 

proposal to describe the proposed scope 

and solicit comments. Formal scoping 

meetings have been scheduled as 

indicated above. 

Additional public information 

meetings and public hearings will be 

held during the development of the Tier 

I EIS. Public notice will be given of the 

times and locations of scoping meetings, 

public information meetings, and public 

hearings. The Draft Tier I EIS will be 

made available for review and comment 

prior to the public hearings. 

To ensure that the full range of issues 

related 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 Tier I EIS 

should be directed to GDOT at the 

addresses provided above. 

Issued in Washington, DC on August 16, 

2007. 

Rodney Barry, P.E., 

Division Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration, Atlanta, GA. 

Mark E. Yachmetz, 

Associate Administrator for Railroad 

Development, Federal Railroad 

Administration, Washington, DC. 

[FR Doc. 07–4109 Filed 8–21–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: New 

London County, CO 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Department of 

Transportation (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 proposed transportation 

improvements to 12.3 miles (21 km) of 

Interstate 95 (I–95) in New London 

County, Connecticut. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Bradley D. Keazer, Division 

Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration, 628–2 Hebron Avenue, 

Suite 303, Glastonbury, Connecticut 

06033, telephone (860) 659–6703, ext. 

3009; or Edgar T. Hurle, Transportation 

Planning Director, Bureau of Policy and 

Planning, Connecticut Department of 

Transportation, 2800 Berlin Turnpike, 

P.O. Box 317546, Newington, CT 

06131–7546, telephone: (860) 594–2005. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, in cooperation with the 

Connecticut Department of 

Transportation (ConnDOT), will prepare 

an environmental impact statement 

(EIS) on a proposal for transportation 

improvements to I–95 between 

interchanges 70 and 84 in the towns of 

Old Lyme, East Lyme, Waterford and 

New London, Connecticut for a distance 

of approximately 12.3 miles (21 km). 

Improvements to the I–95 corridor are 

considered necessary to improve safety 

and to provide for increases in projected 

traffic volumes. Alternatives under 

consideration include, but are not 

limited to: (1) Taking no action; and (2) 

addition of a third travel lane in each 

direction. The EIS will use data and 

findings from two major deficiency and 

needs studies entitled ‘‘Southeastern 

Connecticut Corridor Study’’ dated 

January 1999 and ‘‘I–95 Corridor 

Feasibility Study, Branford to Rhode 

Island’’ dated December 2004. Copies of 

these studies are available from 

ConnDOT’s Office of Environmental 

Planning at the address shown above. 

Letters describing the proposed action 

and soliciting comments will be sent to 

appropriate Federal, State, and local 

agencies and elected officials, and to 

private organizations and citizens who 

have previously expressed or are known 

to have an interest in this proposal. 

Public scoping meetings, public 

hearings and public informational 

meetings will be held. Public notice will 

be given of the date, time and place of 

these meetings and hearings. The draft 

EIS will be available for public and 

agency review and comment prior to the 

public hearings. An Internet Web site 

will be established to provide 

information on the project which may 

be accessed at http://www.et.gov/ 

dotinfo/. 

To ensure that the full range of issues 

related to this proposed action are 

addressed and all significant issues 

identified, comments and suggestions 

are invited from all interested parties. 

Comments or questions concerning this 

proposed action and the EIS should be 

directed to either the FHWA or 

ConnDOT at the addresses 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.) 

Authority: 23 CFR 771 

Dated: Issued on August 15, 2007. 

Bradley D. Keazer, 

Division Administrator, Hartford, 

Connecticut. 

[FR Doc. 07–4127 Filed 8–21–07; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–M 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration 

Sunshine Act Meetings; Unified Carrier 

Registration Plan Board of Directors 

AGENCY: Federal Motor Carrier Safety 

Administration (FMCSA), DOT. 

TIME AND DATE: October 4, 2007, 11 a.m. 

to 2 p.m., Eastern Daylight Time. 

PLACE: This meeting will take place 

telephonically. Any interested person 

may call Mr. Avelino Gutierrez at (505) 


jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES