Document ID: FRA-2009-0031-0002
Agency: fra
Document Type: Rule
Title: Environmental Impact Statements; Availability, etc.: California High Speed Train Project from Palmdale to Bakersfield, CA
Posted Date: 2009-09-04T04:00Z

[Federal Register: September 4, 2009 (Volume 74, Number 171)]
[Notices]               
[Page 45891-45893]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr04se09-96]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration

 
Environmental Impact Statement for the California High Speed 
Train Project From Palmdale to Bakersfield, CA

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

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

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise the public that FRA and the 
California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) will jointly prepare a 
project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and project Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) for the Palmdale to Bakersfield section of the 
Authority's proposed California High Speed Train (HST) System in 
compliance with relevant state and federal laws, in particular the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
    In 2001, the Authority and FRA started a tiered environmental 
review process for the HST system and in 2005, completed the first tier 
California High Speed Train Program EIR/EIS (Statewide Program EIR/EIS) 
and approved the statewide HST system for intercity travel in 
California between the major metropolitan centers of Sacramento and the 
San Francisco Bay Area in the north, through the Central Valley, to Los 
Angeles and San Diego in the south. The approved HST system would be 
about 800-miles long, with electric propulsion and steel-wheel-on-
steel-rail trains capable of maximum operating speeds of 220 miles per 
hour (mph) on a mostly dedicated system of fully grade-separated, 
access-controlled steel track and with state-of-the-art safety, 
signaling, communication, and automated train control systems. In 
approving the HST system, the Authority and FRA also selected preferred 
corridor alignments and station location options throughout most of the 
system. In 2008, the Authority and FRA completed a second program EIR/
EIS to evaluate alignments and station locations within the broad 
corridor between and including the Altamont Pass and the Pacheco Pass 
to connect the Bay Area and Central Valley portions of the HST system.
    The preparation of the Palmdale to Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS 
will involve the development of preliminary engineering designs and the 
assessment of potential environmental effects associated with the 
construction, operation, and maintenance of the HST system, including 
track and ancillary facilities along the State Route 58/14 corridor 
from Bakersfield to Palmdale.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the Palmdale to Bakersfield HST 
Project EIR/EIS should be provided to the Authority by 5 p.m., Monday, 
November 2, 2009. Public scoping meetings are scheduled from September 
15, 2009 to September 17, 2009, as noted below in the cities of 
Bakersfield, CA, Tehachapi, CA and Palmdale, CA.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope should be sent to Ms. Carrie 
Bowen, Regional Director, ATTN: Bakersfield to Palmdale, California 
High Speed Rail Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425, Sacramento, CA 
95814, or via e-mail with subject line ``Palmdale to Bakersfield HST'' 
to: comments@hsr.ca.gov. Comments may also be provided orally or in 
writing at the scoping meetings scheduled at the following locations:
     Red Lion Hotel, 2400 Camino Del Rio Court. Bakersfield, CA 
93308, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., September 15, 2009.
     Stallion Springs Community Center, 27850 Stallion Springs 
Drive, Tehachapi, CA 93561, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., September 16, 2009.
     Chimbole Cultural Center, 38350 Sierra Highway, Palmdale, 
CA 93550, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., September 17, 2009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Valenstein, Environmental 
Program Manager, Office of Railroad Development, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., (Mail Stop 20), 
Washington, DC 20590; Telephone: (202) 493-6368, or Ms. Carrie Bowen, 
Telephone: (559) 221-2636 at the above noted address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Authority was established in 1996 and is 
authorized and directed by statue to undertake the planning and 
development of a proposed statewide HST network that is fully 
coordinated with other public transportation services. The Authority 
adopted a Final Business Plan in June 2000, which reviewed the economic 
feasibility of an 800-mile-long HST capable of speeds in excess of 200 
miles per hour on a mostly dedicated, fully grade-separated state-of-
the-art track. The Authority released an updated Business Plan in 
November 2008.
    The FRA has responsibility for overseeing the safety of railroad 
operations, including the safety of any proposed high-speed ground 
transportation system. For the proposed HST, it is anticipated that FRA 
would need to take certain regulatory actions prior to operation.
    In 2005, the Authority and FRA completed the Statewide Program EIR/
EIS for the Proposed California High Speed Train System, as the first 
phase of a tiered environmental review process. The Authority certified 
the Statewide Program EIR under CEQA and approved the proposed HST 
System. FRA issued a Record of Decision on the Statewide Program EIR/
EIS as required under NEPA. The Statewide Program EIR/EIS established 
the purpose and need for the HST system, analyzed an HST system, and 
compared the proposed HST system with a No Project/No Action 
Alternative and a Modal Alternative. In approving the Statewide Program 
EIR/EIS, the Authority and FRA selected the HST Alternative, selected 
certain corridors/general alignments and general station locations for 
further study, incorporated mitigation strategies and design practices, 
and specified further measures to guide the development of the HST 
system during the site-specific, project level environmental review to 
avoid and minimize potential adverse environmental impacts. In the 
Statewide Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and FRA selected the State 
Route 58/14 corridor for the Palmdale to Bakersfield section of the 
HST.
    The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS will tier from the 
Statewide Program EIR/EIS and the Final Bay Area to Central Valley HST 
Program EIR/EIS in accordance with Council on Environmental Quality 
(CEQ) regulations, (40 CFR 1508.28) and State CEQA Guidelines (14 
C.C.R. 15168(b)). Tiering ensures that the Palmdale to Bakersfield HST 
Project EIR/EIS builds upon all previous work prepared for, and 
incorporated in, the Statewide Program EIR/EIS and the Bay Area to 
Central Valley HST Program EIR/EIS.

[[Page 45892]]

    The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS will describe site-
specific environmental impacts, identify specific mitigation measures 
to address those impacts, and incorporate design practices to avoid and 
minimize potential adverse environmental impacts. The FRA and the 
Authority will assess the site characteristics, size, nature, and 
timing of proposed site-specific projects to determine whether the 
impacts are potentially significant and whether impacts can be avoided 
or mitigated. This project EIR/EIS will identify and evaluate 
reasonable and feasible site-specific alignment alternatives, and 
evaluate the impacts of construction, operation, and maintenance of the 
HST system. Information and documents regarding this HST environmental 
review process will be made available through the Authority's Internet 
site: http://www.cahighspeedrail.gov/.
    Purpose and Need: The purpose of the proposed HST system is to 
provide a new mode of high-speed intercity travel that would link major 
metropolitan areas of the state; interface with airports, mass transit, 
and highways; and provide added capacity to meet increased intercity 
travel demand in California in a manner sensitive to and protective of 
California's unique natural resources. The need for a HST system is 
directly related to the expected growth in population, and increases in 
intercity travel demand in California over the next twenty years and 
beyond. With the growth in travel demand, there will be an increase in 
travel delays arising from the growing congestion on California's 
highways and airports. In addition, there will be negative effects on 
the economy, quality of life, and air quality in and around 
California's metropolitan areas from an increasingly congested 
transportation system that will become less reliable as travel demand 
increases. The intercity highway system, commercial airports, and 
conventional passenger rail serving the intercity travel market are 
currently operating at or near capacity, and will require large public 
investments for maintenance and expansion to meet existing demand and 
future growth. The proposed HST system is designed to address some 
social, economic and environmental problems associated with 
transportation congestion in California.
    Alternatives: The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS will 
consider a No Action or No Project Alternative and an HST Alternative 
for the Palmdale to Bakersfield section.
    No Action Alternative: The No Action Alternative (No Project or No 
Build) represents the conditions in the corridor as it existed in 2007, 
and as it would exist based on programmed and funded improvements to 
the intercity transportation system and other reasonably foreseeable 
projects through 2035, taking into account the following sources of 
information: The State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and 
Regional Transportation Plans (RTPs) for all modes of travel, airport 
plans, intercity passenger rail plans, city and county plans.
    HST Alternative: The Authority proposes to construct, operate and 
maintain an electric-powered steel-wheel-on-steel-rail HST system, 
about 800 miles long, capable of operating speeds of 220 mph on mostly 
dedicated, fully graded-separated tracks, with state-of-the-art safety, 
signaling, and automated train control systems. In the Statewide 
Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and FRA selected the State Route 58/14 
corridor for the Palmdale to Bakersfield section of the HST. 
Engineering studies undertaken as part of this EIR/EIS process will 
examine and refine alignments in the State Route 58/14 corridor. The 
entire alignment would be grade separated. The options to be considered 
for the design of grade separated roadway crossings would include (1) 
Depressing the street to pass under the rail line; (2) elevating the 
street to pass over the rail line; and (3) leaving the street as-is and 
constructing rail line improvements to pass over or under the local 
street. In addition, alternative sites for right-of-way maintenance, 
train storage facilities and a heavy maintenance and repair facility 
will be evaluated in the Palmdale to Bakersfield HST project area.
    No station would be included in this section as this project 
connects the HST line in the Central Valley with the HST line from Los 
Angeles and stations are being evaluated as part of the project EIR/
EISs associated with those HST sections. A station at the Palmdale 
Airport/Transportation Center is being evaluated in the Los Angeles to 
Palmdale HST Project EIR/EIS. The Truxtun station option in downtown 
Bakersfield at the other end of this section is being evaluated in the 
Bakersfield to Merced HST Project EIR/EIS. These station locations were 
selected by the Authority and FRA in the Program EIR/EIS documents 
after considering the project purpose and need, and the program 
objectives.
    Probable Effects: The purpose of the EIR/EIS process is to explore, 
in a public setting, the effects of the proposed project on the 
physical, human, and natural environment. The FRA and Authority will 
continue the tiered evaluation of all significant environmental, 
social, and economic impacts of the construction and operation of the 
HST system. Impact areas to be addressed include transportation 
impacts; safety and security; land use and zoning; land acquisition, 
displacements, and relocations and cumulative and secondary impacts; 
agricultural land impacts; cultural resources impacts, including 
impacts on historical and archaeological resources and parklands/
recreation areas; neighborhood compatibility and environmental justice; 
natural resource impacts including air quality, wetlands, water 
resources, noise, vibration, energy, wildlife and ecosystems, including 
endangered species. Measures to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse 
impacts will be identified and evaluated.
    The Palmdale to Bakersfield HST Project EIR/EIS will be prepared in 
accordance with FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts 
(64 FR 28545 (May 26, 1999)) and will address, as necessary, other 
applicable statutes, regulations, and executive orders, including the 
Clean Air Act, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, Section 106 of the 
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, Section 4(f) of the 
Department of Transportation Act, the Endangered Species Act, and 
Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
    This EIR/EIS process will also continue the NEPA/Clean Water Act 
Section 404 integration process established through the Statewide 
Program EIR/EIS process. The EIR/EIS will evaluate project alignment 
alternatives and station and maintenance facility locations to support 
a determination of the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable 
Alternative (LEDPA) by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
    Scoping and Comments: FRA encourages broad participation in the EIS 
process during scoping and review of the resulting environmental 
documents. Comments are invited from all interested agencies and the 
public to ensure the full range of issues related to the proposed 
action and reasonable alternatives are addressed and all significant 
issues are identified. In particular, FRA is interested in hearing from 
communities whether there are areas of environmental concern where 
there might be a potential for significant site-specific impacts from 
the high-speed transportation projects in the Palmdale to Bakersfield 
section. Public agencies with jurisdiction are requested to advise FRA 
and the Authority of the applicable permit and environmental review 
requirements of each agency,

[[Page 45893]]

and the scope and content of the environmental information germane to 
the agency's statutory responsibilities relevant to the proposed 
project. Public agencies are requested to advise FRA if they anticipate 
taking a major action in connection with the proposed project and if 
they wish to cooperate in the preparation of the Project EIR/EIS. 
Public scoping meetings have been scheduled and are an important 
component of the scoping process for both the State and Federal 
environmental review. The scoping meetings described in this Notice 
will also be the subject of additional public notification.
    FRA is seeking participation and input of all interested federal, 
state, and local agencies, Native American groups, and other concerned 
private organizations or individuals on the scope of the EIR/EIS. 
Implementation of the Palmdale to Bakersfield section of the HST system 
is a federal undertaking with the potential to affect historic 
properties. As such, it is subject to the requirements of Section 106 
of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C. 470f). In 
accordance with regulations issued by the Advisory Council on Historic 
Preservation, 36 CFR part 800, FRA intends to coordinate compliance 
with Section 106 of this Act with the preparation of the EIR/EIS, 
beginning with the identification of consulting parties through the 
scoping process, in a manner consistent with the standards set out in 
36 CFR 800.8.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on August 28, 2009.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development, Federal Railroad 
Administration.
[FR Doc. E9-21381 Filed 9-3-09; 8:45 am]

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