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[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 9 (Friday, January 13, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2120-2123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-603]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

Environmental Impact Statement for New Orleans Rail Gateway 
(NORG), Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, LA

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it will 
prepare an EIS with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and 
Development (LA DOTD) to evaluate environmental and related impacts of 
upgrading the New Orleans Rail Gateway (NORG) and infrastructure in 
Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, Louisiana (proposed action). FRA is 
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 LA DOTD and its representatives will 
be considered in preparation of the EIS. FRA is issuing this Notice to 
alert interested parties, to provide information on the nature of the 
proposed action, including the purpose and need for the proposed 
action, possible alternatives to be considered in the preparation of 
the EIS, potentially significant impacts to the natural and built 
environment of those alternatives, and to invite public participation 
in the EIS process.

DATES: Two public scoping meetings will be advertised locally and will 
be held from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at the following dates and locations.
     February 7, 2012 at the Xavier University of Louisiana, 
University Center, 3rd Floor, Mary and William McCaffrey Ballroom B, 
4980 Dixon Street, New Orleans, LA 70125

[[Page 2121]]

     February 8, 2012 at the Joseph S. Yenni Building, Council 
Chambers, 1221 Elmwood Park Boulevard, Jefferson, LA 70123
    Information on the meeting locations is also available on the 
following Web site: http://www.dotd.la.gov/administration/public_info/projects/NORG/.
    Persons requiring special assistance in order to participate in 
these public scoping meetings should contact Mr. Dean Goodell, 
Intermodal Transportation Manager, Louisiana Department of 
Transportation and Development, 1201 Capitol Access Road, Room S-515, 
Baton Rouge, LA 70802, or by telephone at (225) 379-3031, at least five 
(5) working days prior to the public meetings dates.
    To ensure all significant issues are identified and considered, the 
public will be invited to comment on the proposed action. Comments on 
the scope of the EIS, including the proposed action's purpose and need, 
the alternatives to be considered, the impacts to be evaluated, and the 
methodologies to be used in the evaluations will be accepted at the 
public scoping meetings. Those attending the public scoping meetings 
will be asked to register at the meeting location and may comment in 
written form, or orally. Interested parties may also provide written 
comments on the scope of the EIS to Mr. Dean Goodell, Intermodal 
Transportation Manager, Louisiana Department of Transportation and 
Development, 1201 Capitol Access Road, Room S-515, Baton Rouge, LA 
70802, telephone (225) 379-3031. Comments will be considered if 
postmarked within ten (10) calendar days following the meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Catherine Dobbs, Environmental 
Protection Specialist, Federal Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey 
Avenue SE., Washington 20590, telephone: (202) 493-6347 or Mr. Dean 
Goodell, Intermodal Transportation Manager, Louisiana Department of 
Transportation and Development, 1201 Capitol Access Road, Room S-515, 
Baton Rouge, LA 70802, telephone (225) 379-3031. Information and 
documents regarding the environmental review process will be made 
available through the following Web site: http://www.dotd.la.gov/administration/public_info/projects/NORG/.

Environmental Review Process

    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA and the FRA's Procedures for 
Considering Environmental Impacts as set forth in 64 FR 28545 dated May 
26, 1999 (Environmental Procedures). The EIS will also address Section 
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the U.S. 
Department of Transportation Act of 1966 (49 U.S.C. 303) and other 
applicable Federal and state laws and regulations.
    The study will result in a NEPA document that will address broad 
overall issues of concern, including but not limited to:
     Describing the purpose and need for the proposed action.
     Describing the environment likely to be affected by the 
proposed action.
     Developing evaluation criteria to identify alternatives 
that meet the purpose and need of the proposed action and those that do 
not.
     Identifying the range of reasonable alternatives that 
satisfy the purpose and need for the proposed action.
     Developing the no-build alternative to serve as a baseline 
for comparison.
     Describing and evaluating the potential environmental 
impacts and mitigation associated with the proposed alternatives.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FRA and the LA DOTD will prepare the EIS 
for the New Orleans Rail Gateway Program and infrastructure in 
Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, Louisiana in coordination with the New 
Orleans Regional Planning Commission (NORPC) and the railroads 
operating in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The Class I railroads, 
which are members of the Association of American Railroads (AAR), 
include Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF), Canadian National 
(CN), CSX, Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS), Norfolk Southern 
Railroad (NS), and Union Pacific (UP) railroads, the terminal switching 
railroad, the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB), and the National 
Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak). LA DOTD and these railroads 
are advancing the proposed action as a public-private partnership (P3) 
among these entities.

I. New Orleans Rail Gateway (NORG)

    The NORG is a rail corridor within Jefferson and Orleans Parishes, 
beginning on the west bank of the Mississippi River near the St. 
Charles/Jefferson Parish line. From the Parish line it proceeds 
easterly along tracks of the UP and BNSF through the Avondale Yard at 
West Bridge Junction (WBJ) and crosses the Mississippi River on the 
Huey P. Long Bridge (HPLB), which is owned and operated by the New 
Orleans Public Belt Railroad. At the base of the HPLB, it traverses 
East Bridge Junction (EBJ) to the Back Belt tracks owned and operated 
by the NS. The NORG proceeds along the Back Belt, entering the City of 
New Orleans at the 17th Street Canal. It proceeds through the City of 
New Orleans along the Back Belt, and connects with CSX trackage at 
Elysian Fields Avenue, and continues on CSX trackage crossing the Inner 
Harbor Navigation Canal on the Almonaster Bridge, traversing the CSX 
Gentilly Yard and proceeding easterly through New Orleans East to its 
terminus near Industrial Parkway.

II. Study Area

    For the purpose of the EIS, a Study Area has been established that 
includes the above described NORG corridor and the other existing rail 
corridors within the New Orleans metropolitan area, and is of 
sufficient geographic extent to allow for a variety of alternatives to 
be considered and potential impacts to the human, natural, and cultural 
environments to be assessed. The Study Area encompasses approximately 
110 square miles and is roughly bounded on the west by the Jefferson/
St. Charles Parish line; on the north by I-10 within Jefferson Parish 
then turns north along the Jefferson/Orleans Parish line, eastward 
along Filmore Avenue, north along Franklin Avenue, northeast near Leon 
C Simon Drive and Lakeshore Drive, southeast along Martin Drive, 
southwest along Wales Street, southward along Press Drive and then 
continuing eastward along Dwyer Road; on the east along Maxent Canal 
near Bayou Sauvage; and on the south following the Intracoastal 
waterway and Mississippi River, then crossing the Mississippi River at 
Louisiana Street following US 90 to where it meets the Jefferson/St. 
Charles Parish line.

III. Purpose and Need

    The NORG serves six Class I Railroads and three Amtrak passenger 
rail routes and the NOPB railroad links the Port of New Orleans, the 
eighth largest tonnage port in the United States, to the national rail 
network.
    The Gateway is a critical link in the national freight rail system. 
It is one of five major rail interchange points between the eastern and 
western Class I Railroads and also has one of the four major 
Mississippi River rail bridges. It is one of only three national rail 
gateways that are both rail interchange hubs and major Mississippi 
River rail crossings.
    Throughout the NORG, trains must observe a maximum speed of 20 mph, 
necessitated, in part, by antiquated control systems and switches. 
Flood gates at various locations are closed up

[[Page 2122]]

to 24 hours prior to and following storm events, such as Hurricane 
Katrina in 2005, limiting the railroads' ability to transport evacuees 
and emergency supplies. The NORG includes the existing Almonaster 
Avenue Bridge across the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (IHNC), an 80 
year old structure that is subject to frequent breakdowns. The 
electrical and mechanical components of the bridge are obsolete and are 
the cause of continual maintenance problems. In the closed to 
navigation position, the bridge has virtually no vertical clearance for 
marine traffic.
    Due to its existing design and limited capacity, the NORG cannot 
efficiently handle current traffic volumes, routinely resulting in 
delays to both rail and road traffic.
    The 29-mile NORG handles approximately 35 freight trains per day 
with a combined delay of 29.7 hours per day for train meets, including 
deceleration and acceleration. Each of the 20 at-grade crossings along 
the NORG handles over 20 trains per day. Several of these crossings are 
moderate to high volume arterials, carrying between 10,000 and 20,000 
vehicles daily. Average daily delays to vehicles and trucks at these 
crossings are 112.4 hours and 12.1 hours, respectively.
    The NORG is not able to accommodate anticipated future freight 
demand. The U.S. Department of Transportation forecasts that import and 
export freight tonnage could double by 2020 and domestic freight 
tonnage could increase by approximately 60 percent. Growth of shipping 
port traffic will increase rail traffic in the NORG. This results in 
negative impacts to the community and decreased regional economic 
competitiveness.
    The purpose of the proposed action is to:
     Correct physical and operational deficiencies to improve 
rail traffic flow to better serve existing and future users of the 
Gateway,
     Improve the reliability of marine traffic passing through 
the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal under the Almonaster Avenue Bridge,
     Improve the safety of rail and vehicle operations in the 
affected area,
     Reduce vehicle congestion at street crossings,
     Improve emergency evacuation conditions, and
     Improve overall environmental quality.

IV. Previous Studies

    Over the past 35 years, the FRA, the LA DOTD, the New Orleans 
Community and the railroads have examined rail improvements within the 
Gateway that would reduce delays and improve rail service to rail 
customers in the greater New Orleans region. Most recently, the LA 
DOTD, NORPC, and the AAR, representing Amtrak and the six Class I 
freight railroads serving New Orleans, studied improvements to the New 
Orleans Rail Gateway that would:
     Improve rail service,
     Reduce rail impacts on the adjacent communities, and
     Further the economic recovery and development of the 
metropolitan area.
    Studies in 2002, 2004, and 2007 evaluated potential physical and 
operational improvements to eliminate the worst chokepoints and improve 
freight movement.
    The 2007 NORG Infrastructure Feasibility Analysis (2007 Study) 
evaluated possible improvements to the Back Belt, Front Belt along the 
Mississippi River, and the Middle Belt along the Earhart Expressway/I-
10 Corridor. Improvements to the Front Belt were determined to be 
unfeasible due to the adjacent development and numerous at-grade 
crossings. Back Belt improvements included grade separating numerous 
highway-railroad crossings to improve highway traffic flow and would 
provide limited additional rail capacity with minimal track 
construction. Middle Belt improvements included creating a new route 
between East Bridge Junction and East City Junction by linking 
existing, but lightly used rail lines through Jefferson and Orleans 
Parishes. Commonly known as the ``Carrolton Curve'', this route was 
first identified in 1955 and would reroute trains to the Earhart 
Expressway/I-10 corridor to provide additional rail capacity through a 
more industrial part of the City of New Orleans. While the Back and 
Middle Belt improvements both improved public safety by eliminating or 
separating most highway-rail grade crossings, the Middle Belt 
improvements appeared to offer the best benefits for both the public 
and the railroads, and would improve emergency evacuation procedures by 
eliminating flood-prone highway underpasses on I-10 and Airline 
Highway.

V. Alternatives To Be Considered

    Preliminary alternatives identified include a No-Build Alternative 
and various Build Alternatives. The No-Build Alternative is defined to 
serve as the baseline for comparison of all alternatives. The No-Build 
Alternative represents the transportation system (highway and rail) as 
it exists, and as it would exist after completion of programs or 
projects currently funded or being implemented. The No-Build 
Alternative would draw upon the following sources on information:
     State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP)
     New Orleans Urbanized Area Transportation Improvement 
Program (for all travel modes)
     Freight and passenger rail plans.
    The Build Alternatives would include a program of rail and roadway 
infrastructure and operations improvements (program of projects) that 
are cost-feasible and satisfy the stated purpose and need. Improvements 
to be considered could include, but not be limited to, closing or 
grade-separating crossings, reconfiguring or adding trackage, upgrading 
structures (including culverts and over/underpass structures), 
improving signal systems, and incorporating positive train control 
(PTC) and/or centralized train control (CTC). The Build Alternatives 
would include the alternatives evaluated in the 2007 Study and 
additional alternatives identified during scoping and the alternatives 
development process.

VI. Possible Effects

    The FRA and LA DOTD will evaluate direct, indirect and cumulative 
changes to the social, economic, and physical environment--including 
land use and socioeconomic conditions, ecology, water resources, 
historic and archaeological resources, visual character and aesthetics, 
contaminated and hazardous materials, transportation, air quality, 
noise and vibration. Environmental justice will be examined for all 
alternatives, and Limited English Proficiency and Title VI requirements 
documented. The evaluation will take into account both beneficial and 
adverse affects and identify measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate 
adverse community and environmental impacts. The analysis will be 
undertaken consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act, 
Council on Environmental Quality regulations defined previously, 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, the Endangered 
Species Act, Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, FRA's Environmental 
Procedures, LA DOTD guidance, and Section 4(f) of the Department of 
Transportation Act of 1966, along with other applicable Federal and 
state regulations.

VII. Scoping Process

    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposal is 
addressed and all significant issues identified, comments and 
suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or

[[Page 2123]]

questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS should be 
directed to the LA DOTD at the address above. Letters describing the 
proposed action and soliciting comments have been sent to the 
appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, Native American tribes 
and to private organizations who have previously expressed or who are 
known to have an interest in this proposal. Federal agencies with 
jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to potential 
environmental issues will be requested to act as a Cooperating Agency 
in accordance with 40 CFR 1501.6.
    LA DOTD will lead the outreach activities, beginning with the 
scoping meetings identified under DATES above. Public involvement 
initiatives, includ- ing public meetings, newsletters, and outreach to 
engage low-, minority-, and other environmentally-disadvantaged groups 
will be held throughout the course of this study. Opportunities for 
public participation will be announced through mailings, notices, 
advertisements, press releases and a project Web site: http://www.dotd.la.gov/administration/public_info/projects/NORG/.
    Two public hearings on the Draft EIS will be held following its 
issuance. Public notice will be given, in local newspapers, of the time 
and place of the meetings and hearings. The Draft EIS will be available 
for public and agency review prior to the public hearings.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on January 10, 2012.
Paul Nissenbaum,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Policy and Development, Federal 
Railroad Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-603 Filed 1-12-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
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