The Alaska Railroad Corporation-Petition for Exemption to Construct and Operate a Rail Line Between Eielson Air Force Base (North Pole) and Fort Greely (Delta Junction), Alaska, 65976-65978 [05-21718]
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65976
Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 210 / Tuesday, November 1, 2005 / Notices
Issued: October 26, 2005.
Stephen P. Wood,
Acting Chief Counsel.
[FR Doc. 05–21725 Filed 10–31–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–59–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 34658]
The Alaska Railroad Corporation—
Petition for Exemption to Construct
and Operate a Rail Line Between
Eielson Air Force Base (North Pole)
and Fort Greely (Delta Junction),
Alaska
AGENCY:
Surface Transportation Board,
DOT.
Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement,
Notice of Availability of Draft Scope of
Study for the Environmental Impact
Statement, Notice of Scoping Meetings,
and Request for Comments.
ACTION:
SUMMARY: The Alaska Railroad
Corporation plans to file a petition with
the Surface Transportation Board
(Board) pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502 for
authority to construct and operate a new
rail line between Eielson Air Force Base
(located south of Fairbanks) and the
Delta Junction/Fort Greely area. The
project would involve the construction
and operation of approximately 80 miles
of new main line track and could
include an approximately 15-mile rail
spur to the U.S. Air Force’s Blair Lakes
training area. Because the construction
and operation of this project has the
potential to result in significant
environmental impacts, the Board’s
Section on Environmental Analysis
(SEA) has determined that the
preparation of an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) is appropriate. The
purpose of this Notice of Intent is to
notify individuals and agencies
interested in or affected by the proposed
project of the decision to require an EIS.
SEA is holding public scoping meetings
as part of the EIS process. Additionally,
as part of the scoping process, SEA has
developed a draft Scope of Study for the
EIS.
DATES AND LOCATIONS: Scoping meetings
will be held on:
December 6, 2005, 4–8 pm at the City
Council Chambers, 125 Snowman Lane,
North Pole, Alaska
December 7, 2005, 4–8 pm at Jarvis
West Building, Mile 1420.5 Alaska
Highway, Delta Junction, Alaska
December 8, 2005, 4–8 pm at Lousaac
Library Public Conference Room, 3600
Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska
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The public scoping meetings will be
informal meetings in a workshop format
during which interested persons may
ask questions about the proposal and
the Board’s environmental review
process, and advise the Board’s
representative about potential
environmental effects of the project. In
keeping with the workshop format of
the scoping meetings, there will no
formal presentations made by agency
representatives. Rather, staff will be
available to answer questions and
receive comments individually. SEA has
made available for public comment the
draft Scope of Study contained in this
notice.
The meeting locations comply with
the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Persons that need special
accommodations should telephone
SEA’s toll-free number for the project at
1–800–359–5142.
SEA will issue a final Scope of Study
after the close of the scoping comment
period. Written comments on the Scope
of Study and potential environmental
effects of the project are due January 13,
2005.
Filing Environmental Comments:
Interested persons and agencies are
invited to participate in the EIS scoping
process. Comments should be submitted
to: Surface Transportation Board, Case
Control Unit, 1925 K Street, NW.,
Washington, DC 20423–0001.
To ensure proper handling of your
comments, please mark your
submission: Attention: David Navecky,
Environmental Filing.
Environmental comments may also be
filed electronically on the Board’s Web
site, www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking on the
‘‘E–FILING’’ link. Please refer to STB
Finance Docket No. 34658 in all
correspondence, including e-filings,
addressed to the Board.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background: The proposed Northern
Rail Extension Project includes
construction of approximately 80 miles
of new rail line connecting the existing
rail line near Eielson AFB near North
Pole, Alaska to a point near Fort Greely
and the Donnelly Training Area near
Delta Junction, Alaska. The proposed
project could also include the
construction of a 15-mile spur line from
Flag Hill to the Blair Lakes Military
Training Area. As a result of this
project, the U.S. Army would have year
round access to the Tanana Flats and
Donnelly training areas and all the
major military installations in Alaska
would be accessible by rail through Fort
Greely. The EIS will analyze the
potential impacts of the proposed route,
the ‘‘no-build’’ alternative and possible
alternative routes.
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Environmental Review Process: The
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) process is intended to assist the
Board and the public in identifying and
assessing the potential environmental
consequences of a proposed action
before a decision on the proposed action
is made. SEA is responsible for ensuring
that the Board complies with NEPA and
related environmental statutes. The first
stage of the EIS process is scoping.
Scoping is an open process for
determining the scope of environmental
issues to be addressed in the EIS. As
part of the scoping process, SEA has
developed, and is making available in
today’s notice, a draft Scope of Study for
the EIS. Concurrently, scoping meetings
will be held to provide further
opportunities for public involvement
and input during the scoping process.
At the conclusion of the scoping and
comment period, SEA will issue a final
Scope of Study for the EIS.
After issuing the final Scope of Study,
SEA will prepare a Draft EIS (DEIS) for
the project. The DEIS will address those
environmental issues and concerns
identified during the scoping process. It
will also contain SEA’s preliminary
recommendations for environmental
mitigation measures. The DEIS will be
made available upon its completion for
review and comment by the public,
government agencies and other
interested parties. SEA will prepare a
Final EIS (FEIS) that considers
comments on the DEIS. In reaching its
decision in this case, the Board will take
into account the DEIS, the FEIS, and all
environmental comments that are
received.
SEA has recently invited several other
Federal agencies to participate in this
EIS process as cooperating agencies on
the basis their special expertise or
jurisdiction by law. These agencies
include: U.S. Department of Defense,
Alaskan Command; U.S. Department of
Defense, U.S. Army Garrison—Alaska;
U.S. Department of Defense, 354th
Fighter Wing Command; U.S. Army
Engineers District—Alaska; U.S.
Department of Interior, Bureau of Land
Management—Northern Field Office;
U.S. Coast Guard, Seventeenth Coast
Guard District; U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Railroad
Administration; and U.S. Department of
Transportation, Federal Transit
Administration—Region 10.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
David Navecky, Section of
Environmental Analysis, Surface
Transportation Board, 1925 K Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20423–0001, or
call SEA’s toll-free number for the
project at 1–800–359–5142. Assistance
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 210 / Tuesday, November 1, 2005 / Notices
for the hearing impaired is available
through the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339. The
website for the Surface Transportation
Board is www.stb.dot.gov.
Draft Scope of Study for the EIS
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed Northern Rail
Extension Project includes construction
of approximately 80 miles of new rail
line connecting the existing rail line
near Eielson AFB near North Pole,
Alaska to a point near Fort Greely and
the Donnelly Training Area near Delta
Junction, Alaska. The proposed project
could also include the construction of a
15-mile spur line from Flag Hill to the
Blair Lakes Military Training Area. The
proposed line would provide freight and
passenger rail services for defense
facilities, commercial interests, and
communities in or near the project
corridor. The proposed rail line would
also provide the U.S. Army with year
round access to the Tanana Flats and
Donnelly training areas and all the
major military installations in Alaska
would be accessible by rail.
The reasonable and feasible
alternatives that will be evaluated in the
EIS are (1) construction and operation of
the proposed project along the proposed
alignments, (2) other alternatives that
might be identified during the scoping
process, and (3) the no-action
alternative.
1. Land Use
The EIS will:
a. Describe existing land use patterns
within the project area and identify
those land uses that would be
potentially impacted by new rail line
construction.
b. Describe the potential impacts
associated with the proposed new rail
line construction to land uses identified
within the project area. Such potential
impacts may include incompatibility
with existing land uses, and conversion
of land to railroad uses.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to land use, as appropriate.
2. Biological Resources
Environmental Impact Analysis
The EIS will:
a. Describe the existing biological
resources within the project area,
including vegetative communities,
wildlife and fisheries, wetlands, and
Federal and state threatened or
endangered species and the potential
impacts to these resources resulting
from construction and operation of new
rail facilities.
b. Describe any wildlife sanctuaries,
refuges, and national or state parks,
forests, or grasslands within the project
area and the potential impacts to these
resources resulting from construction
and operation of new rail line.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to biological resources, as
appropriate.
Proposed New Construction
3. Water Resources
Analysis in the EIS will address the
proposed activities associated with the
construction and operation of new rail
facilities and their potential
environmental impacts, as appropriate.
The EIS will:
a. Describe the existing surface water
and groundwater resources within the
project area, including lakes, rivers,
streams, stock ponds, wetlands, and
floodplains and the potential impacts on
these resources resulting from
construction and operation of new rail
line.
b. Describe the permitting
requirements for the proposed new rail
line construction regarding wetlands,
stream and river crossings, water
quality, and erosion control.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to water resources, as
appropriate.
Impact Categories
The EIS will address potential
impacts from the proposed construction
and operation of new rail facilities on
the human and natural environment.
Impact areas addressed will include the
categories of land use, biological
resources, water resources, geology and
soils, air quality, noise, energy
resources, socioeconomics as they relate
to physical changes in the environment,
safety, transportation systems, cultural
and historic resources, subsistence,
recreation, aesthetics, and
environmental justice. The EIS will
include a discussion of each of these
categories as they currently exist in the
project area and will address the
potential impacts from the proposed
project on each category as described
below:
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4. Geology and Soils
The EIS will:
a. Describe the geology, soils, and
permafrost found within the project
area, including unique or problematic
geologic formations or soils and prime
farmland and hydric soils and the
potential impacts on these resources
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resulting from the construction and
operation of new rail line.
b. Describe measures employed to
avoid or construct through unique or
problematic geologic formations, soils,
or permafrost.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to geology and soils, as
appropriate.
5. Air Quality
The EIS will:
a. Evaluate rail-related air emissions,
if the proposed project affects a Class I
or non-attainment area as designated
under the Clean Air Act.
b. Discuss and evaluate the potential
air emissions increases from vehicle
delays at new at-grade road/rail
crossings. Emissions from vehicle
delays will be factored into the
emissions estimates for the affected
area, as appropriate.
c. Describe the potential air quality
impact resulting from new rail line
construction activities.
d. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to air quality, as appropriate.
6. Noise
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential noise
impacts during new rail line
construction.
b. Describe the potential noise
impacts of new rail line operation.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to sensitive noise receptors, as
appropriate.
7. Energy Resources
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impact of the
new rail line on the distribution of
energy resources in the project area,
including petroleum and gas pipelines
and overhead electric transmission
lines.
b. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to energy resources, as
appropriate.
8. Socioeconomics
The EIS will:
a. Describe the effects of a potential
influx of construction workers and the
potential increase in demand for local
services interrelated with natural or
physical environmental effects.
b. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
adverse impacts to social and economic
resources, as appropriate.
9. Safety
The EIS will:
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Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 210 / Tuesday, November 1, 2005 / Notices
a. Describe existing road/rail grade
crossing safety and the potential for an
increase in accidents related to the new
rail operations, as appropriate.
b. Describe existing rail operations
and the potential for increased
probability of train accidents, as
appropriate.
c. Describe hazardous materials safety
factors for the transportation of
hazardous materials and the potential
for a release of those materials, as
appropriate.
d. Describe the potential for
disruption and delays to the movement
of emergency vehicles due to new rail
line construction and operation.
e. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to safety, as appropriate.
10. Transportation Systems
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of
new rail line construction and operation
on the existing transportation network
in the project area, including vehicular
delays at grade crossings.
b. Describe potential impacts to
navigation associated with new bridges.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to transportation systems, as
appropriate.
11. Cultural and Historic Resources
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts to
historic structures or districts
previously recorded and determined
potentially eligible, eligible, or listed on
the National Register of Historic Places
within or immediately adjacent to the
right-of-way for the proposed rail
alignments.
b. Describe the potential impacts to
archaeological sites previously recorded
and either listed as unevaluated or
determined potentially eligible, eligible,
or listed on the National Register of
Historic Places within the right-of-way
for the proposed rail alignments.
c. Describe the potential impacts to
historic structures or districts identified
by ground survey and determined
potentially eligible, eligible, or listed on
the National Register of Historic Places
within or immediately adjacent to the
right-of-way for the proposed rail
alignments.
d. Describe the potential impacts to
archaeological sites identified by ground
survey and determined potentially
eligible, eligible, or listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
within the right-of-way for the proposed
rail alignments.
e. Describe the potential general
impacts to paleontological resources in
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the project area due to project
construction, if necessary and required.
f. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts to cultural and historic
resources, as appropriate.
12. Subsistence
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of
the proposed new rail line construction
and operation on subsistence activities
in the project area.
b. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts on subsistence activities, as
appropriate.
13. Recreation
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of
the proposed new rail line construction
and operation on recreational
opportunities provided in the project
area.
b. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts on recreational opportunities,
as appropriate.
14. Aesthetics
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of
the proposed new rail line construction
on any areas identified or determined to
be of high visual quality.
b. Describe the potential impacts of
the proposed new rail line construction
on any waterways considered for or
designated as wild and scenic.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts on aesthetics, as appropriate.
15. Environmental Justice
The EIS will:
a. Describe the demographics in the
project area and the immediate vicinity
of the proposed new construction,
including communities potentially
impacted by the construction and
operation of the proposed new rail line.
b. Evaluate whether new rail line
construction or operation would have a
disproportionately high and adverse
impact on any minority or low-income
groups.
c. Propose mitigative measures to
minimize or eliminate potential project
impacts on environmental justice
populations, as appropriate.
16. Cumulative Impacts
The EIS will address the impact on
the environment which results from the
incremental impact of the action when
added to other past, present, and
reasonably foreseeable future actions
regardless of what agency (Federal or
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non-federal) or person undertakes such
actions.
Decided: October 26, 2005.
By the Board, Victoria Rutson, Chief,
Section of Environmental Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05–21718 Filed 10–31–05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915–00–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 34767]
Transtar, Inc.—Continuance in Control
Exemption—Delray Connecting
Railroad Company
Transtar, Inc. (Transtar), a noncarrier,
has filed a verified notice of exemption
to continue in control of Delray
Connecting Railroad Company (Delray),
a Class III rail carrier, upon Transtar’s
acquiring all of Delray’s issued and
outstanding stock from Transtar’s
parent, United States Steel Corporation
(USS).
The exemption became effective on
October 18, 2005 (7 days after the date
of filing). 1
USS, a noncarrier, owns all of the
issued and outstanding stock of
Transtar, which is a noncarrier holding
company. Transtar in turn owns all of
the issued and outstanding stock of five
common carrier railroads: Elgin, Joliet
and Eastern Railway Company (Class II);
Birmingham Southern Railroad
Company (Class III); The Lake Terminal
Railroad Company (Class III);
McKeesport Connecting Railroad
Company (Class III); and Union Railroad
Company (Class III) (collectively, the
Transtar Railroads). The common
control of the Transtar Railroads by USS
(formerly USX Corporation) through
Transtar was the subject of exemption
proceedings before the agency in USX
Corporation—Control Exemption—
Transtar, Inc., STB Finance Docket No.
33942 (STB served Nov. 30, 2000) and
Transtar Holdings, L.P.—Corporate
Family Exemption—Transtar, Inc.,
Finance Docket No. 32411 (ICC served
Dec. 29, 1993). USS acquired through
stock acquisition, and assumed control
of, Delray pursuant to a notice of
exemption in United States Steel
Corporation—Acquisition of Control
Exemption—Delray Connecting
Railroad Company, STB Finance Docket
1 Transtar explains that this transaction was
consummated on May 31, 2005, under the mistaken
belief that it was an inter-corporate transaction
involving parties for which exemption authority
had previously been secured, and that additional
approval or exemption was not required.
E:\FR\FM\01NON1.SGM
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 210 (Tuesday, November 1, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65976-65978]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-21718]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Finance Docket No. 34658]
The Alaska Railroad Corporation--Petition for Exemption to
Construct and Operate a Rail Line Between Eielson Air Force Base (North
Pole) and Fort Greely (Delta Junction), Alaska
AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement,
Notice of Availability of Draft Scope of Study for the Environmental
Impact Statement, Notice of Scoping Meetings, and Request for Comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Alaska Railroad Corporation plans to file a petition with
the Surface Transportation Board (Board) pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502
for authority to construct and operate a new rail line between Eielson
Air Force Base (located south of Fairbanks) and the Delta Junction/Fort
Greely area. The project would involve the construction and operation
of approximately 80 miles of new main line track and could include an
approximately 15-mile rail spur to the U.S. Air Force's Blair Lakes
training area. Because the construction and operation of this project
has the potential to result in significant environmental impacts, the
Board's Section on Environmental Analysis (SEA) has determined that the
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is appropriate.
The purpose of this Notice of Intent is to notify individuals and
agencies interested in or affected by the proposed project of the
decision to require an EIS. SEA is holding public scoping meetings as
part of the EIS process. Additionally, as part of the scoping process,
SEA has developed a draft Scope of Study for the EIS.
DATES AND LOCATIONS: Scoping meetings will be held on:
December 6, 2005, 4-8 pm at the City Council Chambers, 125 Snowman
Lane, North Pole, Alaska
December 7, 2005, 4-8 pm at Jarvis West Building, Mile 1420.5
Alaska Highway, Delta Junction, Alaska
December 8, 2005, 4-8 pm at Lousaac Library Public Conference Room,
3600 Denali Street, Anchorage, Alaska
The public scoping meetings will be informal meetings in a workshop
format during which interested persons may ask questions about the
proposal and the Board's environmental review process, and advise the
Board's representative about potential environmental effects of the
project. In keeping with the workshop format of the scoping meetings,
there will no formal presentations made by agency representatives.
Rather, staff will be available to answer questions and receive
comments individually. SEA has made available for public comment the
draft Scope of Study contained in this notice.
The meeting locations comply with the Americans With Disabilities
Act. Persons that need special accommodations should telephone SEA's
toll-free number for the project at 1-800-359-5142.
SEA will issue a final Scope of Study after the close of the
scoping comment period. Written comments on the Scope of Study and
potential environmental effects of the project are due January 13,
2005.
Filing Environmental Comments: Interested persons and agencies are
invited to participate in the EIS scoping process. Comments should be
submitted to: Surface Transportation Board, Case Control Unit, 1925 K
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001.
To ensure proper handling of your comments, please mark your
submission: Attention: David Navecky, Environmental Filing.
Environmental comments may also be filed electronically on the
Board's Web site, www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking on the ``E-FILING''
link. Please refer to STB Finance Docket No. 34658 in all
correspondence, including e-filings, addressed to the Board.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background: The proposed Northern Rail
Extension Project includes construction of approximately 80 miles of
new rail line connecting the existing rail line near Eielson AFB near
North Pole, Alaska to a point near Fort Greely and the Donnelly
Training Area near Delta Junction, Alaska. The proposed project could
also include the construction of a 15-mile spur line from Flag Hill to
the Blair Lakes Military Training Area. As a result of this project,
the U.S. Army would have year round access to the Tanana Flats and
Donnelly training areas and all the major military installations in
Alaska would be accessible by rail through Fort Greely. The EIS will
analyze the potential impacts of the proposed route, the ``no-build''
alternative and possible alternative routes.
Environmental Review Process: The National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) process is intended to assist the Board and the public in
identifying and assessing the potential environmental consequences of a
proposed action before a decision on the proposed action is made. SEA
is responsible for ensuring that the Board complies with NEPA and
related environmental statutes. The first stage of the EIS process is
scoping. Scoping is an open process for determining the scope of
environmental issues to be addressed in the EIS. As part of the scoping
process, SEA has developed, and is making available in today's notice,
a draft Scope of Study for the EIS. Concurrently, scoping meetings will
be held to provide further opportunities for public involvement and
input during the scoping process. At the conclusion of the scoping and
comment period, SEA will issue a final Scope of Study for the EIS.
After issuing the final Scope of Study, SEA will prepare a Draft
EIS (DEIS) for the project. The DEIS will address those environmental
issues and concerns identified during the scoping process. It will also
contain SEA's preliminary recommendations for environmental mitigation
measures. The DEIS will be made available upon its completion for
review and comment by the public, government agencies and other
interested parties. SEA will prepare a Final EIS (FEIS) that considers
comments on the DEIS. In reaching its decision in this case, the Board
will take into account the DEIS, the FEIS, and all environmental
comments that are received.
SEA has recently invited several other Federal agencies to
participate in this EIS process as cooperating agencies on the basis
their special expertise or jurisdiction by law. These agencies include:
U.S. Department of Defense, Alaskan Command; U.S. Department of
Defense, U.S. Army Garrison--Alaska; U.S. Department of Defense, 354th
Fighter Wing Command; U.S. Army Engineers District--Alaska; U.S.
Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management--Northern Field
Office; U.S. Coast Guard, Seventeenth Coast Guard District; U.S.
Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration; and U.S.
Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration--Region
10.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Navecky, Section of
Environmental Analysis, Surface Transportation Board, 1925 K Street,
NW., Washington, DC 20423-0001, or call SEA's toll-free number for the
project at 1-800-359-5142. Assistance
[[Page 65977]]
for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information
Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339. The website for the Surface
Transportation Board is www.stb.dot.gov.
Draft Scope of Study for the EIS
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed Northern Rail Extension Project includes construction
of approximately 80 miles of new rail line connecting the existing rail
line near Eielson AFB near North Pole, Alaska to a point near Fort
Greely and the Donnelly Training Area near Delta Junction, Alaska. The
proposed project could also include the construction of a 15-mile spur
line from Flag Hill to the Blair Lakes Military Training Area. The
proposed line would provide freight and passenger rail services for
defense facilities, commercial interests, and communities in or near
the project corridor. The proposed rail line would also provide the
U.S. Army with year round access to the Tanana Flats and Donnelly
training areas and all the major military installations in Alaska would
be accessible by rail.
The reasonable and feasible alternatives that will be evaluated in
the EIS are (1) construction and operation of the proposed project
along the proposed alignments, (2) other alternatives that might be
identified during the scoping process, and (3) the no-action
alternative.
Environmental Impact Analysis
Proposed New Construction
Analysis in the EIS will address the proposed activities associated
with the construction and operation of new rail facilities and their
potential environmental impacts, as appropriate.
Impact Categories
The EIS will address potential impacts from the proposed
construction and operation of new rail facilities on the human and
natural environment. Impact areas addressed will include the categories
of land use, biological resources, water resources, geology and soils,
air quality, noise, energy resources, socioeconomics as they relate to
physical changes in the environment, safety, transportation systems,
cultural and historic resources, subsistence, recreation, aesthetics,
and environmental justice. The EIS will include a discussion of each of
these categories as they currently exist in the project area and will
address the potential impacts from the proposed project on each
category as described below:
1. Land Use
The EIS will:
a. Describe existing land use patterns within the project area and
identify those land uses that would be potentially impacted by new rail
line construction.
b. Describe the potential impacts associated with the proposed new
rail line construction to land uses identified within the project area.
Such potential impacts may include incompatibility with existing land
uses, and conversion of land to railroad uses.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to land use, as appropriate.
2. Biological Resources
The EIS will:
a. Describe the existing biological resources within the project
area, including vegetative communities, wildlife and fisheries,
wetlands, and Federal and state threatened or endangered species and
the potential impacts to these resources resulting from construction
and operation of new rail facilities.
b. Describe any wildlife sanctuaries, refuges, and national or
state parks, forests, or grasslands within the project area and the
potential impacts to these resources resulting from construction and
operation of new rail line.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to biological resources, as appropriate.
3. Water Resources
The EIS will:
a. Describe the existing surface water and groundwater resources
within the project area, including lakes, rivers, streams, stock ponds,
wetlands, and floodplains and the potential impacts on these resources
resulting from construction and operation of new rail line.
b. Describe the permitting requirements for the proposed new rail
line construction regarding wetlands, stream and river crossings, water
quality, and erosion control.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to water resources, as appropriate.
4. Geology and Soils
The EIS will:
a. Describe the geology, soils, and permafrost found within the
project area, including unique or problematic geologic formations or
soils and prime farmland and hydric soils and the potential impacts on
these resources resulting from the construction and operation of new
rail line.
b. Describe measures employed to avoid or construct through unique
or problematic geologic formations, soils, or permafrost.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to geology and soils, as appropriate.
5. Air Quality
The EIS will:
a. Evaluate rail-related air emissions, if the proposed project
affects a Class I or non-attainment area as designated under the Clean
Air Act.
b. Discuss and evaluate the potential air emissions increases from
vehicle delays at new at-grade road/rail crossings. Emissions from
vehicle delays will be factored into the emissions estimates for the
affected area, as appropriate.
c. Describe the potential air quality impact resulting from new
rail line construction activities.
d. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to air quality, as appropriate.
6. Noise
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential noise impacts during new rail line
construction.
b. Describe the potential noise impacts of new rail line operation.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to sensitive noise receptors, as appropriate.
7. Energy Resources
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impact of the new rail line on the
distribution of energy resources in the project area, including
petroleum and gas pipelines and overhead electric transmission lines.
b. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to energy resources, as appropriate.
8. Socioeconomics
The EIS will:
a. Describe the effects of a potential influx of construction
workers and the potential increase in demand for local services
interrelated with natural or physical environmental effects.
b. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project adverse impacts to social and economic resources, as
appropriate.
9. Safety
The EIS will:
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a. Describe existing road/rail grade crossing safety and the
potential for an increase in accidents related to the new rail
operations, as appropriate.
b. Describe existing rail operations and the potential for
increased probability of train accidents, as appropriate.
c. Describe hazardous materials safety factors for the
transportation of hazardous materials and the potential for a release
of those materials, as appropriate.
d. Describe the potential for disruption and delays to the movement
of emergency vehicles due to new rail line construction and operation.
e. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to safety, as appropriate.
10. Transportation Systems
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of new rail line construction and
operation on the existing transportation network in the project area,
including vehicular delays at grade crossings.
b. Describe potential impacts to navigation associated with new
bridges.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to transportation systems, as appropriate.
11. Cultural and Historic Resources
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts to historic structures or
districts previously recorded and determined potentially eligible,
eligible, or listed on the National Register of Historic Places within
or immediately adjacent to the right-of-way for the proposed rail
alignments.
b. Describe the potential impacts to archaeological sites
previously recorded and either listed as unevaluated or determined
potentially eligible, eligible, or listed on the National Register of
Historic Places within the right-of-way for the proposed rail
alignments.
c. Describe the potential impacts to historic structures or
districts identified by ground survey and determined potentially
eligible, eligible, or listed on the National Register of Historic
Places within or immediately adjacent to the right-of-way for the
proposed rail alignments.
d. Describe the potential impacts to archaeological sites
identified by ground survey and determined potentially eligible,
eligible, or listed on the National Register of Historic Places within
the right-of-way for the proposed rail alignments.
e. Describe the potential general impacts to paleontological
resources in the project area due to project construction, if necessary
and required.
f. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts to cultural and historic resources, as appropriate.
12. Subsistence
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of the proposed new rail line
construction and operation on subsistence activities in the project
area.
b. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts on subsistence activities, as appropriate.
13. Recreation
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of the proposed new rail line
construction and operation on recreational opportunities provided in
the project area.
b. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts on recreational opportunities, as appropriate.
14. Aesthetics
The EIS will:
a. Describe the potential impacts of the proposed new rail line
construction on any areas identified or determined to be of high visual
quality.
b. Describe the potential impacts of the proposed new rail line
construction on any waterways considered for or designated as wild and
scenic.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts on aesthetics, as appropriate.
15. Environmental Justice
The EIS will:
a. Describe the demographics in the project area and the immediate
vicinity of the proposed new construction, including communities
potentially impacted by the construction and operation of the proposed
new rail line.
b. Evaluate whether new rail line construction or operation would
have a disproportionately high and adverse impact on any minority or
low-income groups.
c. Propose mitigative measures to minimize or eliminate potential
project impacts on environmental justice populations, as appropriate.
16. Cumulative Impacts
The EIS will address the impact on the environment which results
from the incremental impact of the action when added to other past,
present, and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what
agency (Federal or non-federal) or person undertakes such actions.
Decided: October 26, 2005.
By the Board, Victoria Rutson, Chief, Section of Environmental
Analysis.
Vernon A. Williams,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 05-21718 Filed 10-31-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4915-00-P
