Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 19, 2022 / Notices 23313 

• E.O. 13112, Invasive Species 

• E.O. 13985—Advancing Racial Equity 

and Support for Underserved 

Communities Through the Federal 

Government 

• E.O. 13990—Protecting Public Health 

and the Environment and Restoring 

Science to Tackle the Climate Crisis 

• E.O. 14008—Tackling the Climate 

Crisis at Home and Abroad 

• Other EOs not listed, but related to 

highway projects. 

The proposed renewal MOU would 

allow Caltrans to continue to act in the 

place of FHWA in carrying out the 

environmental review-related functions 

described above, except with respect to 

government-to-government 

consultations with federally recognized 

Indian Tribes. The FHWA will retain 

responsibility for conducting formal 

government-to-government consultation 

with federally recognized Indian Tribes, 

which is required under some of the 

listed laws and EOs. Caltrans will 

continue to handle routine 

consultations with the Tribes and 

understands that a Tribe has the right to 

direct consultation with FHWA upon 

request. Caltrans also may assist FHWA 

with formal consultations, with consent 

of a Tribe, but FHWA remains 

responsible for the consultation. 

Caltrans also will not assume FHWA’s 

responsibilities for conformity 

determinations required under Section 

176 of the CAA (42 U.S.C. 7506) or any 

responsibility under 23 U.S.C. 134 or 

135, or under 49 U.S.C. 5303 or 5304. 

The MOU content reflects Caltrans’ 

desire to continue its participation in 

the Program. The FHWA and Caltrans 

have agreed to modify some of the 

provisions in the MOU to, among other 

things: clarify the categories of projects 

for which Caltrans is assigned 

responsibility, designate a Senior 

Agency Official at Caltrans consistent 

with 40 CFR 1508.1(dd); remove 

projects for which FHWA retained 

responsibilities for environmental 

review following a NEPA decision; 

update record retention requirements; 

provide for enhanced reporting to 

FHWA on issues including 

environmental justice analysis and 

associated mitigation, where applicable; 

revise provisions related to data and 

information requests; and revise 

provisions related to FHWA-initiated 

withdrawal of assigned projects. 

Prior MOUs in this Program had 5- 

year terms. Changes to 23 U.S.C. 

327(c)(5) under the Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law (Infrastructure 

Investment and Jobs Act, Pub. L. 117– 

58), enacted on November 15, 2021, 

require that MOUs have a term of 10 

years for a State that has assumed the 

responsibility for environmental review 

under the Program for 10 years or 

longer. Caltrans has participated in this 

program for 15 years. Therefore, this 

proposed renewal MOU will have a 

term of 10 years. 

A copy of the proposed renewal MOU 

and renewal package may be viewed on 

the DOT Docket, as described above, or 

may be obtained by contacting FHWA or 

the State at the addresses provided 

above. A copy also may be viewed on 

Caltrans’ website at: https://dot.ca.gov/ 

programs/environmental-analysis/nepaassignment. 

The FHWA California Division, in 

consultation with FHWA Headquarters, 

will consider the comments submitted 

when making its decision on the 

proposed MOU revision. Any final 

renewal MOU approved by FHWA may 

include changes based on comments 

and consultations relating to the 

proposed renewal MOU and will be 

made publicly available. 

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 

Program Number 20.205, Highway Planning 

and Construction. The regulations 

implementing E.O. 12372 regarding 

intergovernmental consultation on Federal 

programs and activities apply to this 

program.) 

Authority: 23 U.S.C. 327; 42 U.S.C. 

4331, 4332; 23 CFR 773; 40 CFR 1507.3, 

1508.4. 

Stephanie Pollack, 

Deputy Administrator, Federal Highway 

Administration. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08294 Filed 4–18–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

Federal Highway Administration 

Environmental Impact Statement: 

Mendocino, California 

AGENCY: Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA), Department of 

Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a 

Draft Environmental Impact Statement 

(DEIS). 

SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the 

California Department of Transportation 

(Caltrans), is issuing this notice to 

advise the public that a DEIS and 

Section 4(f) evaluation will be prepared 

for the Albion River Bridge 

Replacement/Rehabilitation Project 

(Project) on State Route (SR) 1, in 

Mendocino County, California, from 

post mile 43.3 to post mile 44.2. 

DATES: This notice will be accompanied 

by a 30-day public scoping comment 

period from April 15, 2022, to May 16, 

2022. The deadline for public comments 

is Monday, May 16, 2022. 

Virtual Scoping Meeting: The virtual 

scoping meeting will be held on 

Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. 

to 7:30 p.m. via WebEx by accessing the 

following online meeting information 

below: To attend the Virtual Public 

Scoping Meeting online, enter this 

WebEx address into your web browser: 

• bit.ly/Albion_Public_Meeting and 

enter this password: albionriver1 

To attend the Virtual Public Scoping 

Meeting by phone, call this WebEx dialin phone number: 

• +1–408–418–9388 and enter this 

meeting code at the prompt: 2484 877 

6866 

ADDRESSES: To submit comments on the 

NOI, please submit them by one of the 

following means to ensure you do not 

duplicate your submissions: 

• Mail: California Department of 

Transportation, Attention: Liza Walker, 

Caltrans District 1, 1656 Union Street, 

Eureka, CA 95501. 

• Email: albionbridge@dot.ca.gov. 

The comments received during this 

30-day comment period will be 

published in the DEIS without change, 

including any personal information 

provided. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liza 

Walker, Environmental Branch Chief, 

Caltrans District 1, 1656 Union Street, 

Eureka, CA 95501, telephone (707) 441– 

5672 or email albionbridge@dot.ca.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective 

July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, and 

Caltrans assumed, environmental 

responsibilities for this project pursuant 

to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans as the 

assigned National Environmental Policy 

Act (NEPA) agency, will prepare a DEIS 

and Section (4f) evaluation on a 

proposal for a bridge replacement/ 

rehabilitation project in Mendocino 

County, California. The proposed 

project would involve either the 

replacement or rehabilitation of the 

existing bridge, as well as a no-action 

alternative, on SR 1 between post mile 

43.3 to post mile 44.2. 

Purpose and Need for the Proposed 

Action: The purpose of this Project is to 

either replace or rehabilitate the 

seismically and structurally deficient 

Albion River Bridge with a structure 

that would ensure the safety and 

reliability of this critical link on SR 1 of 

the state highway system. The Project is 

needed to address several critical 

deficiencies associated with the existing 

bridge. Correcting these deficiencies 

would improve safety for all users and 

reduce the chance of catastrophic bridge 

failure. 


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23314 Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 75 / Tuesday, April 19, 2022 / Notices 

Preliminary Description of the 

Proposed Action and Alternatives: A 

reasonable range of alternatives for 

detailed study in the DEIS is currently 

being considered and will be refined in 

consideration of agency and public 

comments received during the 30-day 

NOI comment period. In addition to the 

No Action Alternative, potential project 

alternatives include bridge replacement 

and bridge rehabilitation. A preliminary 

description of these potential 

alternatives is provided below. 

The No Action Alternative assumes 

no improvements other than those 

implemented as part of routine 

maintenance. The Bridge Replacement 

Alternatives would replace the existing 

Albion River Bridge with a new bridge. 

Various bridge replacement concepts 

will be considered during the scoping 

process, including a west alignment 

constructed to the west of the existing 

bridge, an east alignment constructed to 

the east of the existing bridge, and onalignment constructed slightly west of 

the existing alignment. The Bridge 

Rehabilitation Alternatives would 

require major work to extend the service 

life of the existing Albion River Bridge. 

The Bridge Rehabilitation Alternatives 

would include rehabilitation of the 

bridge for motor vehicle use by 

widening the bridge and upgrading the 

bridge rails, or rehabilitation of the 

bridge as a pedestrian-only bridge 

alongside one of the bridge replacement 

alternatives. The operability of the 

bridge would need to be maintained 

while addressing structural deficiencies, 

geometric deficiencies, and operational 

reliability of the bridge. 

Summary of Expected Impacts: The 

DEIS will include an evaluation of the 

potential social, economic, and 

environmental effects resulting from the 

implementation of the Project. Based on 

preliminary review of existing 

conditions within and in proximity to 

the Project location, the implementation 

of the Project could result in effects to 

cultural and historic resources; 

community resources; parks and 

recreational areas; threatened and 

endangered species; wetlands; coastal 

resources; navigable waters; hazardous 

waste and contaminated materials; 

floodplains; noise; air quality; and 

visual resources. The analyses and 

evaluations conducted for the DEIS will 

identify the potential for effects; 

whether the anticipated effects would 

be adverse; and mitigation measures for 

adverse effects. Evaluations under 

Section 4(f) of the USDOT Act of 1966, 

23 CFR part 774, will be prepared, and 

consultation under Section 106 of the 

National Historic Preservation Act of 

1966, 54 U.S.C. 300101–307108, will be 

undertaken concurrently with the 

NEPA/CEQA environmental review 

processes. 

Anticipated Permits and Other 

Authorizations: Potential permits and 

approvals for the Project include: U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 

permits under section 404 of the Clean 

Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1344, and section 

10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 

U.S.C. 403, for construction in the 

Albion River and potential wetland 

impacts; U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) 

Bridge Permit, which establishes 

allowable clearances for bridges over 

navigable waterways such as the Albion 

River; National Marine Fisheries Service 

(NMFS) section 7 Endangered Species 

Act, 16 U.S.C. 1536, NMFS Essential 

Fish Habitat Consultation for potential 

impacts to species due to construction 

in the Albion River, consultation for 

potential impacts on threatened and/or 

endangered species; U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (USFWS) section 7 

Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 

1536, consultation for potential impacts 

to federally-listed threatened species; as 

well as any other relevant California 

State and Local Agency permits and 

authorizations. 

Schedule for the Decision-Making 

Process: The Project schedule will be 

established as part of the requirements 

of the environmental review process 

under 23 U.S.C. 139 Efficient 

environmental reviews for project 

decision-making. 

The anticipated project schedule is 

outlined below: 

• Public Scoping Meetings (May 2022) 

• Scoping Report Publication (June 

2022) 

• Notice of Availability of the DEIS 

(May 2023) 

• Public Hearing (June 2023) 

• End of DEIS Comment Period (July 

2023) 

• Publish Single Final EIS (FEIS)/ROD 

(March 2024) 

A Description of the Public Scoping 

Process: Public and agency outreach 

will include a formal Public Scoping 

Meeting scheduled in May 2022. Letters 

describing the proposed action and 

soliciting comments will be sent to 

appropriate Federal, State, Native 

American Tribes and local agencies, and 

to private organizations and citizens 

who have previously expressed or are 

known to have interest in this proposal. 

A Public Hearing on the DEIS will also 

be scheduled during circulation of the 

environmental document. 

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 DEIS should be 

directed to Caltrans at the address 

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.) 

Dated: April 12, 2022. 

Christina Leach, 

Acting Director, Planning, Environment and 

Right of Way, Federal Highway 

Administration, California Division. 

[FR Doc. 2022–08270 Filed 4–18–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4910–22–P 

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration 

[Docket No. NHTSA–2021–0086] 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities; Submission to the Office of 

Management and Budget for Review 

and Approval; Investigation-Based 

Crash Data Studies 

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic 

Safety Administration (NHTSA), 

Department of Transportation (DOT). 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments on an extension with 

modification of a currently approved 

information collection. 

SUMMARY: In compliance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 

(PRA), this notice announces that the 

Information Collection Request (ICR) 

abstracted below will be submitted to 

the Office of Management and Budget 

(OMB) for review and approval. The ICR 

describes the nature of the information 

collection and its expected burden. This 

document describes a currently 

approved collection of information for 

which NHTSA intends to seek approval 

from OMB for extension with 

modification on NHTSA’s InvestigationBased Crash Data Studies: Crash 

Investigation Sampling System (CISS), 

Special Crash Investigation (SCI) and 

Special Study Data Collection. A 

Federal Register Notice with a 60-day 

comment period soliciting comments on 

the following information collection 

was published on January 26, 2022. No 

comments were received. 

DATES: Comments must be submitted on 

or before May 19, 2022. 

ADDRESSES: Written comments and 

recommendations for the proposed 

information collection, including 


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