[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 102 (Friday, May 29, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25797-25798]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-12526]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statements: National Summary of Rescinded 
Notices of Intent

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that 12 
States have rescinded Notices of Intent (NOI) to prepare 17 
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for proposed highway projects. 
FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State Departments of 
Transportation (State DOT), determined that eight projects were no 
longer viable and have formally cancelled the projects. No resources 
will be expended on these projects; the environmental review process 
has been terminated. Seven projects are being reevaluated and, or have 
been reduced in scope and now meet the criteria for an Environmental 
Assessment (EA) or a Categorical Exclusion (CE). Two projects rescinded 
NOIs and will issue new NOIs as the project limits and impacts have 
changed.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethaney Bacher-Gresock, Office of 
Project Development and Environmental Review, (202) 366-4196; Janet 
Myers, Office of the Chief Counsel, (202) 366-2019; Federal Highway 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic Access

    An electronic copy of this document may be downloaded by accessing 
the Federal Register's home page at: http://www.archives.gov and the 
Government Printing Office's Web page at http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara.

Background

    The FHWA, as lead Federal agency under the National Environmental 
Policy Act and in furtherance of its oversight and stewardship 
responsibilities under the Federal-aid Highway Program, has requested 
that its Division Offices review, with the State DOTs, the status of 
all EISs and place those projects that are not actively progressing in 
a timely manner in an inactive project status. The FHWA maintains lists 
of active and inactive projects on its Web site at http://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/. The FHWA has determined that inactive 
projects that are no longer a priority or that lack resources should be 
rescinded

[[Page 25798]]

with a Federal Register notice notifying the public that project 
activity has been terminated. As always, FHWA encourages State DOTs to 
work with their FHWA Division Office to determine when it is most 
prudent to initiate an EIS in order to best balance available resources 
as well as the expectations of the public.
    The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that 12 States 
(California, Colorado, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, 
Mississippi, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee) have 
recently rescinded previously issued NOIs for 17 EISs for proposed 
highway projects. A listing of these projects, general location, 
original NOI date of publication in the Federal Register, and the date 
that the NOI was formally rescinded by notice published in the Federal 
Register, is provided below.
    The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State DOTs, 
determined that eight of these projects were no longer viable projects 
and have formally cancelled those projects. The projects are: Northwest 
Corridor/Northwest Parkway project in Broomfield and Jefferson 
Counties, Colorado; TH 169 in Millie Lacs and Crow Wing Counties, 
Minnesota; TH 10 project in Sherburne County, Minnesota; TH 10 in Otter 
Tail and Wadena Counties, Minnesota; TH 14 in Olmsted County, 
Minnesota; I 55 connection to I 20 in Hinds and Madison Counties, 
Mississippi; improvements to the transportation system in Lawrence, 
Christian and Greene Counties, Missouri; and US-127 and SR-63/SR-4 
Interchange highway improvements near Trenton in Butler County, Ohio.
    The FHWA Division Offices, in consultation with the State DOTs, 
determined that seven projects should be reevaluated and, or reduced in 
scope. In California, the US 395 project from I 15 to Farmington Road 
in San Bernardino County is being reduced in scope; the I 5 HOV Truck 
Lanes project between SR 14 and Parker Road in Los Angeles County has 
been reviewed and will now be processed with an EA. In Idaho, the I 84 
Karcher Interchange project in Ada and Canyon Counties will now most 
likely be processed as an EA. In Indiana, the proposed relocation of 
railroad lines in Knox County, Indiana and Lawrence County, IL will be 
reduced in scope. In Massachusetts, the Berkley-Dighton Bridge over the 
Taunton River, Bristol County project has been reduced in scope and now 
meets the criteria for a CE. In New York, the Millennium Parkway 
project in Chautauqua County has been reduced in scope and now meets 
the criteria for a CE. In Pennsylvania, SR 56 in Johnstown has been 
reduced in scope and now meets the criteria for a CE.
    In addition, the FHWA Division Office, in consultation with the 
State DOT, determined that two projects in Tennessee had changed 
project limits and impacts therefore it was best to rescind the 
original NOIs and issue new NOIs. The SR 374 project from SR 13 to SR 
76 in Montgomery County, Tennessee will reissue an NOI. The North 
Second Street Connector project in Shelby County issued a new NOI on 
February 5, 2009.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Rescinded
                   State                            Project name--location           NOI date          date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CA.........................................  U.S. 395 Realignment--San                  7/5/2006      10/30/2008
                                              Bernardino County.
CA.........................................  Interstate 5 (I-5) HOV Truck Lanes        5/10/2007      11/10/2008
                                              SR14 and Parker Road Interchange--
                                              Los Angeles County.
CO.........................................  Northwest Corridor/Northwest              7/21/2003        7/1/2008
                                              Parkway--Broomfield and Jefferson
                                              Counties.
ID.........................................  I 84 Karcher Interchange--Ada and         7/17/2007       7/17/2008
                                              Canyon Counties.
IN.........................................  Railroad Line Relocations--Knox           3/16/2007      11/25/2008
                                              County, Indiana and Lawrence
                                              County Illinois.
MA.........................................  Berkley-Dighton Bridge over the           10/9/1985       6/19/2008
                                              Taunton River--Bristol County.
MN.........................................  TH 169--Mille Lacs and Crow Wing          7/17/2000        7/8/2009
                                              Counties.                                 2/4/2002
MN.........................................  Tier 1--TH 10--Sherburne County....       7/28/2003      10/10/2008
MN.........................................  TH 10--Otter Tail and Wadena              3/27/2003      10/10/2008
                                              Counties.
MN.........................................  TH 14--Olmstead County.............       10/7/2002      10/10/2008
MS.........................................  Interstate Facility Connecting I-55       8/10/2007       10/1/2008
                                              with I-20--Hinds and Madison
                                              Counties.
MO.........................................  Transportation System in Lawrence             \(1)\       1/23/2009
                                              Christian and Green Counties.
NY.........................................  Millennium Parkway Project               12/27/2007        3/3/2009
                                              Chautauqua County.
OH.........................................  Highway Improvement Project US-127        10/6/2000       6/30/2008
                                              and SR-63/SR-4 Interchange--
                                              Trenton, Butler County.
PA.........................................  SR 56--Johnstown...................       7/14/2001       10/l/2008
TN.........................................  State Route 374, State Route 13,         11/12/1996      12/24/2008
                                              State Route 76--Montgomery County.
TN.........................................  North Second Street Connector--           11/2/2002      12/24/2008
                                              Shelby County.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Unknown.

(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: May 14, 2009.
Jeffrey F. Paniati,
Acting Deputy Federal Highway Administrator.
[FR Doc. E9-12526 Filed 5-28-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P