Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 136 / Monday, July 16, 2018 / Notices 32947 

the NRP. This approach is intended to 

ensure that the NRP remains relevant in 

the long term, since adjustments in the 

implementation of the NRP (e.g., due to 

changes such as availability of 

stewardship funding, new trends in 

public use and input from the public) 

would be addressed through the 3–5 

Year Action Plan. 

TVA would also remove the 

‘‘measures of success’’ for each program 

from the 2011 NRP, which experience 

has shown were too specific. The 

updated NRP would identify objectives 

for each focus area to provide highlevel, overarching strategic direction for 

each area. The objectives for the focus 

areas align with the 2011 NRP resource 

area goals and would be substantially 

consistent with TVA’s Blended 

Management approach analyzed in the 

2011 EIS. Instead of ‘‘measures of 

success,’’ metrics to measure 

achievement of focus area objectives 

would be incorporated into the 3–5 Year 

Action Plan. 

Scoping Process 

The revised NRP will be considered 

as an action alternative in the 

supplemental EIS. TVA invites the 

public to review the detailed 

description of its NRP program areas 

and the revisions to the NRP that is 

available on the TVA website during the 

scoping period and to submit 

comments, questions or suggestions on 

its proposal. Additional action 

alternative(s) may be developed based 

on public input submitted to TVA 

during the scoping period. 

Public scoping is integral to the 

process for implementing NEPA and 

ensures that issues are identified early 

and properly studied; issues of little 

significance do not consume substantial 

time and effort; and analysis is thorough 

and balanced. TVA anticipates that the 

major environmental resource areas that 

will be addressed in the supplemental 

EIS will include water quality, water 

supply, aquatic and terrestrial ecology, 

endangered and threatened species, 

wetlands, prime farmlands, floodplains, 

recreation, aesthetics including visual 

resources, land use, historic and 

archaeological resources and 

socioeconomic resources. 

TVA invites members of the public as 

well as Federal, state, and local agencies 

and Native American tribes to comment 

on the scope of the supplemental EIS. 

Comments on the scope should be 

submitted no later than the date given 

under the DATES section of this notice. 

Pursuant to the regulations of the 

Advisory Council on Historic 

Preservation implementing Section 106 

of the NHPA, TVA also solicits 

comments on the potential of the 

proposed Plan to affect historic 

properties. This notice also provides an 

opportunity under Executive Orders 

11990 and 11988 for early public review 

of the potential for TVA’s proposal to 

affect wetlands and floodplains, 

respectively. Please note that any 

comments received, including names 

and addresses, will become part of the 

administrative record and will be 

available for public inspection. 

After consideration of the public’s 

input and analyzing the environmental 

consequences of alternatives, TVA will 

issue a draft EIS for public review and 

comment. TVA will notify the public of 

the draft EIS’s availability and plans to 

hold public meetings during the review 

period. TVA expects to release the draft 

EIS in mid 2019 and the final EIS and 

NRP in early 2020. 

Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7. 

David Bowling, 

Vice President, Land and River Management. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15161 Filed 7–13–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 8120–08–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: 

Lake, Cook and McHenry Counties, 

Illinois 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS). 

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this 

notice to advise the public that an 

environmental impact statement will be 

prepared for a proposed transportation 

improvement project in Lake, Cook and 

McHenry Counties in Illinois. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Catherine A. Batey, Division 

Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration, 3250 Executive Park 

Drive, Springfield, Illinois 62703, 

Phone: 217–492–4640. Paul Kovacs, 

Chief Engineer, Illinois Tollway, 2700 

Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, Illinois 

60515, Phone 630–241–6800. Anthony 

Quigley, Deputy Director of Highways, 

Region 1 Engineer, Illinois Department 

of Transportation, 201 West Center 

Court, Schaumburg, Illinois 60196, 

Phone: 847–705–4401. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

FHWA, in cooperation with the Illinois 

Tollway and the Illinois Department of 

Transportation (IDOT), will prepare an 

environmental impact statement (EIS) 

for a proposed transportation 

improvement project in Lake County, 

northern portions of Cook County, and 

eastern portions of McHenry County. 

The FHWA intends to issue a single 

Final EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) 

document pursuant to the FAST Act 

Section 1311 requirements, unless 

FHWA determines statutory criteria or 

practicability considerations preclude 

issuance of a combined document. 

Improvements in the project area are 

proposed to reduce congestion, improve 

reliability of travel, improve travel 

options connecting major origins and 

destinations, and improve local and 

regional travel efficiency. Alternatives 

under consideration to address these 

needs include (1) improvements to the 

existing roadway network; (2) 

construction on new alignment; (3) 

improvements to transit, including rail 

and bus; (3) improvements to bicycle 

and pedestrian facilities; (4) 

transportation system management/ 

transportation demand management 

strategies; and (5) taking no action. 

Federal approvals needed for this 

project may include permits under 

Clean Water Act Sections 402 and 404 

and Section 401 water quality 

certification. Section 7 consultation 

with the US Fish and Wildlife Service 

may also be required. The project will 

comply with the Clean Air Act, Title VI 

of the Civil Rights Act, Section 4(f) of 

the U.S. Department of Transportation 

Act of 1966, and Executive Order 12898 

‘‘Federal Actions to Address 

Environmental Justice in Minority 

Populations and Low-Income 

Populations,’’ and other applicable state 

and Federal laws. 

A Stakeholder Participation Group, 

consisting of community leaders, 

technical experts, and interest groups, 

has been formed as part of early 

coordination efforts to assist in the 

development of the purpose and need 

and to provide input on alternative 

evaluation. Additionally, all individuals 

and organizations expressing interest in 

the project will be able to participate in 

the process through various public 

outreach opportunities. These 

opportunities include, but are not 

limited to, the project website, public 

meetings and hearings, speakers’ bureau 

events, and press releases. 

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. 

Scoping input on the proposed project 

will be invited during a public 

informational meeting scheduled for 

July 25, 2018, and may also be 

submitted via the project website or in 

writing to the Illinois Tollway, 2700 


sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with NOTICES
32948 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 136 / Monday, July 16, 2018 / Notices 

Ogden Avenue, Downers Grove, Illinois 

60515, attention Pete Foernssler. 

Comments and questions concerning the 

proposed action and this notice should 

be directed to the Illinois Tollway at the 

address provided above by the close of 

business on August 24, 2018. 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.123. 

(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: July 9, 2018. 

Division Administrator, 

Springfield, Illinois. 

[FR Doc. 2018–15097 Filed 7–13–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

[Docket No. FHWA–2018–0033] 

Proposed Memorandum of 

Understanding (MOU) Assigning 

Certain Federal Environmental 

Responsibilities to the State of 

Nebraska, Including National 

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 

Authority for Certain Categorical 

Exclusions (CEs) 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), DOT. 

ACTION: Notice of proposed MOU, 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The FHWA and the State of 

Nebraska, acting by and through its 

Department of Transportation (State), 

propose participation of the State in the 

Categorical Exclusion Assignment 

program. This program allows FHWA to 

assign its authority and responsibility 

for determining whether certain 

designated activities within the 

geographic boundaries of the State, as 

specified in the proposed Memorandum 

of Understanding (MOU), are 

categorically excluded from preparation 

of an environmental assessment or an 

environmental impact statement under 

the National Environmental Policy Act. 

DATES: Comments must be received on 

or before August 15, 2018. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, 

identified by DOT Document 

Management System (DMS) Docket 

Number FHWA–2018–0033, by any of 

the methods described below. To ensure 

that you do not duplicate your 

submissions, please submit them by 

only one of the means below. Electronic 

or facsimile comments are preferred 

because Federal offices experience 

intermittent mail delays from security 

screening. 

Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

website: http://www.regulations.gov/. 

Follow the instructions for submitting 

comments on the DOT electronic docket 

site. 

Facsimile (Fax): 1–202–493–2251. 

Mail: Docket Management Facility; 

U.S. Department of Transportation, 1200 

New Jersey Ave. SE, Washington, DC 

20590. 

Hand Delivery: 1200 New Jersey 

Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590, 

between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Eastern 

Time, Monday through Friday, except 

Federal holidays. 

For access to the docket to view a 

complete copy of the proposed MOU, or 

to read background documents or 

comments received, go to http://

www.regulations.gov/ at any time, or to 

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, 

Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. 

and 5 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

Instructions: You must include the 

agency name and docket number at the 

beginning of your comments. All 

comments received will be posted 

without change to http://

www.regulations.gov, including any 

personal information provided. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

FHWA: Melissa Maiefski; by email at 

Melissa.Maiefski@dot.gov or by 

telephone at 402–742–8473. The 

Nebraska Division Office’s normal 

business hours are 8 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

(Central Standard Time), Monday 

through Friday, except Federal holidays. 

For the State of Nebraska: Brandie 

Neemann: By email at 

Brandie.Neemann@nebraska.gov or by 

telephone at 402–479–4795. The 

Nebraska Department of 

Transportation’s business hours are 8 

a.m. to 5 p.m. (Central Standard Time), 

Monday through Friday, except State 

and Federal holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access 

Internet users may reach the Office of 

the Federal Register’s home page at: 

http://www.archives.gov/ and the 

Government Publishing Office’s 

database at: http://www.fdsys.gov/. An 

electronic version of the proposed MOU 

may be downloaded by accessing the 

DOT DMS docket, as described above, at 

http://www.regulations.gov. 

Background 

Section 326 of Title 23 U.S. Code, 

creates a program that allows the 

Secretary of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation (Secretary), to assign, 

and a State to assume, responsibility for 

determining whether certain highway 

projects are included within classes of 

action that are categorically excluded 

(CE) from requirements for 

environmental assessments or 

environmental impact statements 

pursuant to the National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et 

seq. (NEPA). In addition, this program 

allows the assignment of other 

environmental review requirements 

applicable to Federal highway projects. 

The FHWA is authorized to act on 

behalf of the Secretary with respect to 

these matters. 

The FHWA would execute Nebraska’s 

participation in this program through an 

MOU. Statewide decision making 

responsibility would be assigned for all 

activities within the categories listed in 

23 CFR 771.117(c) and those listed as 

examples in 23 CFR 771.111(d), and any 

activities added through FHWA 

rulemaking to those listed in 23 CFR 

771.117(c) or example activities listed in 

23 CFR 771.117(d) after the date of the 

execution of this MOU. In addition to 

the NEPA CE determination 

responsibilities, the MOU would assign 

to the State the responsibility for 

conducting Federal environmental 

review, consultation, and other related 

activities for projects that are subject to 

the MOU with respect to the following 

Federal laws and Executive Orders: 

• Clean Air Act (CAA), 42 U.S.C. 7401– 

7671q. Including determinations for 

project-level conformity if required for 

the project 

• Noise Control Act of 1972, 42 U.S.C. 

4901–4918 

• Compliance with the noise 

regulations in 23 CFR part 772 (except 

approval of the State noise policy in 

accordance with 23 CFR 772.7) 

• Section 7 of the Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, 16 U.S.C. 1531–1544, and 

1536 

• Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, 

16 U.S.C. 661–667d 

• Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 16 U.S.C. 

703–712 

• Bald and Golden Eagle Treaty Act, as 

amended, 16 U.S.C. 668–668c 

• Section 106 of the National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, 

54 U.S.C. 306108 

• Archeological Resources Protection 

Act of 1979, 16 U.S.C. 470aa–mm 

• Title 54, Chapter 3125—Preservation 

of Historical and Archeological Data, 

54 U.S.C. 312501–312508 

• Native American Grave Protection 

and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), 25 

U.S.C. 3001–3013; 18 U.S.C. 1170 

• Section 4(f) of the Department of 

Transportation Act of 1966, 23 U.S.C. 


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