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###### Department of Transportation

###### Federal Highway Administration

# AGENCY:

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

# ACTION:

Notice of Limitation on Claims for Judicial Review of Actions by FHWA and Other Federal Agencies.

# SUMMARY:

This notice announces actions taken by the FHWA and other Federal agencies that are final within the meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The actions relate to a proposed highway project, the Gaston East-West Connector, from I-85 west of Gastonia in Gaston County, North Carolina, to I-485 near the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. The Gaston East-West Connector is also known as State Transportation Improvement Program Project U-3321. Those actions grant licenses, permits, and approvals for the project.

# DATES:

                        By this notice, the FHWA is advising the public of final agency actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A claim seeking judicial review of the Federal agency actions on the highway project will be barred unless the claim is filed on or before September 10, 2012. If the Federal law that authorizes judicial review of a claim provides a time period of less than 180 days for                               ( print page 14858)                            filing such claim, then that shorter time period still applies.                    

# FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

                        Mr. George Hoops, P.E., Major Projects Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 310 New Bern Avenue, Suite 410, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601-1418, Telephone: (919) 747-7022; email:                         *george.hoops@dot.gov*. FHWA North Carolina Division Office's normal business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time). Ms. Jennifer Harris, P.E., Director of Planning and Environmental Studies, North Carolina Turnpike Authority (NCTA), 1578 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27699-1578, Telephone: (919) 707-2700; email:                         *jhharris1@ncdot.gov.*                         NCTA's normal business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern Time).                    

# SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

                    Notice is hereby given that FHWA and other Federal agencies have taken final agency actions by issuing a Record of Decision (ROD) for the following highway project in the State of North Carolina: The Gaston East-West Connector, a 22-mile long, multi-lane, fully access-controlled, new location toll road. The project is also known as State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Project U-3321. The project is also locally known as the Garden Parkway. The purpose of the proposed action is to improve east-west transportation mobility in the area around the City of Gastonia, between Gastonia and the Charlotte metropolitan area, and particularly to establish direct access between the rapidly growing area of southwest Gaston County and western Mecklenburg County. The actions by the Federal agencies, and the laws under which such actions were taken, are described in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the project, approved on December 21, 2010, and the FHWA Record of Decision (ROD) issued on February 29, 2012 approving the Gaston East-West Connector project, and in other documents in the FHWA administrative record. The FEIS, ROD, and other documents in the FHWA administrative record file are available by contacting the FHWA or NCTA at the addresses provided above. The FEIS and ROD can be viewed and downloaded from the project Web site at                     *www.ncdot.gov/​projects/​gardenparkway*                     or viewed at the offices of the North Carolina Turnpike Authority, 1 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601. A final decision regarding section 404 permits for this project has not yet been made. This notice, therefore, does not apply to the section 404 permitting process for this project.                

This notice applies to all Federal agency actions and decisions as of the issuance date of this notice and all laws under which such actions were taken, including but not limited to:

                    1.                     *General:*                     National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321-4351]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 U.S.C. 109].                

                    2.                     *Air:*                     Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401-7671(q)].                

                    3.                     *Land:*                     Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]; Landscaping and Scenic Enhancement (Wildflowers) [23 U.S.C. 319].                

                    4.                     *Wildlife:*                     Endangered Species Act [16 U.S.C. 1531-1544 and Section 1536], Marine Mammal Protection Act [16 U.S.C. 1361], Anadromous Fish Conservation Act [16 U.S.C. 757(a)-757(g)], Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act [16 U.S.C. 661-667(d)], Migratory Bird Treaty Act [16 U.S.C. 703-712], Magnuson-Stevenson Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976, as amended [16 U.S.C. 1801*et seq.*].                

                    5.                     *Historic and Cultural Resources:*                     Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended [16 U.S.C. 470(f)*et seq.*]; Archeological Resources Protection Act of 1977 [16 U.S.C. 470(aa)-11]; Archeological and Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. 469-469(c)]; Native American Grave Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001-3013].                

                    6.                     *Social and Economic:*                     Civil Rights Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000(d)-2000(d)(1)]; American Indian Religious Freedom Act [42 U.S.C. 1996]; Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA) [7 U.S.C. 4201-4209].                

                    7.                     *Wetlands and Water Resources:*                     Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) [16 U.S.C. 4601-4604]; Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) [42 U.S.C. 300(f)-300(j)(6)]; Wild and Scenic Rivers Act [16 U.S.C. 1271-1287); Emergency Wetlands Resources Act [16 U.S.C. 3921, 3931]; TEA-21 Wetlands Mitigation [23 U.S.C. 103(b)(6)(m), 133(b)(11)]; Flood Disaster Protection Act [42 U.S.C. 4001-4128].                

                    8.                     *Hazardous Materials:*                     Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) [42 U.S.C. 9601-9675]; Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA); Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) [42 U.S.C. 6901-6992(k)].                

                    9.                     *Executive Orders:*E.O. 11990 Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988 Floodplain Management; E.O. 12898, Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low Income Populations; E.O. 11593 Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Resources; E.O. 13007 Indian Sacred Sites; E.O. 13287 Preserve America; E.O. 13175 Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments; E.O. 11514 Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality; E.O.13112 Invasive Species.                

(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.)

Authority:23 U.S.C. 139(1)(1).

Issued on: March 5, 2012

George Hoops,

Major Projects Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, Raleigh, North Carolina.

[FR Doc. 2012-6025 Filed 3-12-12; 8:45 am]

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