Environmental Impact Statement for the California High Speed Train System from Palmdale to Los Angeles, CA, 12252-12254 [E7-4711]

Agencies

• Federal Railroad Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 50 (Thursday, March 15, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12252-12254]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-4711]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Environmental Impact Statement for the California High Speed 
Train System from Palmdale to Los Angeles, CA

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

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

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that FRA and 
the California High Speed Rail Authority (Authority) will jointly 
prepare a project level Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and 
project level Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the section of the 
Authority's proposed California High-Speed Train (HST) System from the 
City of Palmdale to the City of Los Angeles in compliance with relevant 
State and federal laws, in particular the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
    FRA is 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 the Authority and its representatives 
will be considered in the preparation of the combined EIR/EIS. The 
Authority and FRA completed a Program EIR/EIS for the California HST 
System in 2005 as the first-phase of a tiered environmental review 
process for the proposed California HST System. The Authority certified 
the Final Program EIR and issued a decision, and FRA issued a Record of 
Decision in November 2005 on the Final Program EIS, selecting the HST 
Alternative for further project level environmental review and 
selecting corridor alignments and potential station locations, 
including a corridor between Palmdale and Los Angeles. The preparation 
of this project level Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS will involve 
development of preliminary engineering designs and assessment of 
environmental effects associated with the construction, operation and

[[Page 12253]]

maintenance of the HST system, including track, ancillary facilities 
and stations, along the previously selected Palmdale-Los Angeles 
corridor.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of the Palmdale-Los Angeles HST 
EIR/EIS should be provided to the Authority by April 24, 2007. Public 
scoping meetings are scheduled from April 4-17, 2007 as noted below.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope should be sent to Mr. Dan 
Leavitt, Deputy Director, ATTN. Palmdale-Los Angeles, California High-
Speed Rail Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425, Sacramento CA 95814, or 
via e-mail with subject line ``Palmdale-Los Angeles'' to: 
comments@hsr.ca.gov. Comments may also be provided orally or in writing 
at scoping meetings scheduled at the following locations:
     Glendale Public Library, 222 E. Harvard St., Glendale, CA 
91205, on April 4, 2007 from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m.
     Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Agency 
Headquarters (Board Room), One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90012, on 
April 5, 2007 from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 6 to 8 p.m.
     Sylmar Park Recreation Center, 13109 Borden Avenue Sylmar, 
CA 91342 on April 10, 2007, from 3 to 5:00 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 8 
p.m.
     Palmdale City Hall, Council Chambers, 38300 North Sierra 
Highway, Palmdale, CA 93550, on April 12, 2007 from 3 to 5 p.m. and 
from 6 to 8 p.m.
     Los Angeles River Center & Gardens (Atrium), 570 W. Avenue 
26, Los Angeles, CA 90065, on April 17, 2007 from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 
6 to 8 p.m.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Valenstein, Environmental 
Program Manager, Office of Railroad Development, Federal Railroad 
Administration, 1120 Vermont Avenue (Mail Stop 20), Washington, DC 
20590; Telephone (202)-493-6368, or Mr. Leavitt at the above noted 
address.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The California High-Speed Rail Authority 
(Authority) was established in 1996 and is authorized and directed by 
statute to undertake the planning for the development of a proposed 
statewide HST network that is fully coordinated with other public 
transportation services. The Legislature has granted the Authority the 
powers necessary to oversee the construction and operation of a 
statewide HST network once financing is secured. As part of the 
Authority's efforts to implement a high-speed train system, the 
Authority adopted a Final Business Plan in June 2000, which reviewed 
the economic feasibility of a 700-mile-long HST system capable of 
speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour on a dedicated, fully grade-
separated state-of-the-art track.
    The FRA has responsibility for oversight of 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 a Final Program EIR/EIS 
for the Proposed California High-Speed Train System (statewide program 
EIR/EIS), as the first-phase of a tiered environmental review process. 
The Authority certified the Final Program EIR under CEQA and approved 
the proposed HST System, and FRA issued a Record of Decision under NEPA 
on the Final Program EIS. This statewide program EIR/EIS established 
the purpose and need for the HST system, analyzed a HST alternative, 
and compared it with a No Project/No Action Alternative and a Modal 
Alternative. In approving the statewide program EIR/EIS, the Authority 
and the FRA selected the HST Alternative and selected certain 
corridors/general alignments and general station locations, 
incorporated mitigation strategies and design practices, and specified 
further measures to guide the development of the HST system at the 
site-specific project level of environmental review to avoid and 
minimize potential adverse environmental impacts.
    The Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS will be developed as a second-
tier, site-specific environmental document. It is one of a number of 
second-tier environmental reviews for sections of the HST system that 
FRA and the Authority intend to undertake. It will be tiered from and 
incorporate by reference the certified statewide 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 
will ensure that the Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS builds upon all 
previous work prepared for and incorporated in the statewide program 
EIR/EIS. The EIR/EIS will be carried out in accordance with FRA's 
Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545 [May 26, 
1999]) and will address not only NEPA and CEQA but other applicable 
statutes, regulations and executive orders, including the 1990 Clean 
Air Act Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 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 merger process established through 
the statewide program EIR/EIS process.
    This Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS and other project level EIR/
EISs will examine a range of project alternatives for portions of the 
proposed HST system within corridors selected in the statewide program 
EIR/EIS, as well as a no action alternative. This and other project 
level EIR/EISs will fully describe site-specific environmental impacts 
and will identify specific mitigation measures to address those impacts 
and will 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 and 
other project EIR/EISs will identify and evaluate reasonable and 
feasible site-specific alignment alternatives, evaluate the impacts 
from construction, operation, and maintenance of the HST system, and 
identify mitigation measures. Information and documents regarding the 
HST environmental review process will be made available through the 
Authority's Internet site: https://www.cahighspeedrail.gov/.
    Purpose and Need: The need for a HST system is directly related to 
the expected growth in population and increase in intercity travel 
demand in California over the next twenty years and beyond. With growth 
in travel demand, there will be an increase in travel delays arising 
from the growing congestion on California's highways and at 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 a 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 purpose of the proposed HST system is to provide a 
new mode of high-speed intercity travel that would link the major 
metropolitan areas of the state; interface with international airports, 
mass transit, and highways; and provide added capacity to meet 
increases in intercity travel demand in California in a manner

[[Page 12254]]

sensitive to and protective of California's unique natural resources.
    Alternatives: The Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS will consider a 
No Action or No Project Alternative and HST Alternatives for the 
Palmdale to Los Angeles corridor.
    No Action Alternative: The take no action (No Project or No Build) 
alternative is defined to serve as the baseline for assessment of the 
HST Alternative. The No Build Alternative represents the region's 
transportation system (highway, air, and conventional rail) as it 
existed in 2006, and as it would exist after completion of programs or 
projects currently planned for funding and implementation by 2030. The 
No Build Alternative defines the existing and future intercity 
transportation system for the Palmdale to Los Angeles corridor based on 
programmed and funded improvements to the intercity transportation 
system through 2030, according to the following sources of information: 
State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), Regional 
Transportation Plans (RTPs) for all modes of travel, airport plans, and 
intercity passenger rail plans.
    HST Alternative: The Authority proposes to construct, operate and 
maintain an electric-powered steel-wheel-on-steel-rail HST system, over 
700-mile long (1,126-kilometer long), capable of speeds in excess of 
200 miles per hour (mph) (320 kilometers per hour [km/h]) on dedicated, 
fully grade-separated tracks, with state-of-the-art safety, signaling, 
and automated train control systems. The Palmdale to Los Angeles HST 
corridor that was selected by the Authority and FRA with the statewide 
program EIR/EIS follows SR-58/Soledad Canyon from the City of Palmdale 
to Sylmar and then along the Metrolink Railroad line to Los Angeles 
Union Station. The corridor is relatively wide in the area that 
includes both the SR-14 and Union Pacific Railroad alignments between 
the Antelope Valley and Santa Clarita. Further engineering studies to 
be undertaken as a part of this EIR/EIS process will examine and refine 
alignments in the selected corridor, including sections from the 
Palmdale to Santa Clarita and from the Burbank Metrolink Station to Los 
Angeles Union Station. An alignment option that closely follows the SR-
14 through Soledad Canyon will be considered as well as an alignment 
option through Soledad Canyon along the Santa Clara River. Alignments 
along San Fernando Road adjacent to Taylor Yard and along the existing 
Metrolink right-of-way around the Taylor Yard area will be considered.
    Station location options were selected by the Authority and FRA 
with the statewide program EIR/EIS considering travel time, train 
speed, cost, local access times, potential connections with other modes 
of transportation, ridership potential and the distribution of 
population and major destinations along the route, and local planning 
constraints/conditions. Alternative station sites at the selected 
general station locations will be identified and evaluated in this 
project level EIR/EIS. Station area development policies to encourage 
transit-friendly development near and around HST stations that would 
have the potential to promote higher density, mixed-use, pedestrian-
oriented development around the stations will be prepared in 
coordination with local and regional planning agencies. Potential 
station locations to be evaluated in the Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/
EIS include: City of Palmdale, Palmdale Transportation Center; City of 
Sylmar, Sylmar Metrolink station; and City of Burbank, Burbank 
Metrolink station. The HST station at Los Angeles Union Station is 
being evaluated in the project level Los Angeles-Orange HST EIR/EIS and 
will not be considered in the Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS process. 
In addition, potential sites for turnback/layover train storage 
facilities and a main HST repair and heavy maintenance facility will be 
evaluated in the Palmdale-Los Angeles HST EIR/EIS.
    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 the 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; secondary 
development; land acquisition, displacements, and relocations; cultural 
resource 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 all adverse impacts will be identified and 
evaluated.
    Scoping and Comments: FRA encourages broad participation in the EIS 
process during scoping and review of the resulting environmental 
documents. Comments and suggestions are invited from all interested 
agencies and the public at large to insure the full range of issues 
related to the proposed action and all reasonable alternatives are 
addressed and all significant issues are identified. In particular, FRA 
is interested in determining whether there are areas of environmental 
concern where there might be a potential for significant impacts 
identifiable at a project level. Public agencies with jurisdiction are 
requested to advise FRA and the Authority of the applicable permit and 
environmental review requirements of each agency, and the scope and 
content of the environmental information that is germane to the 
agency's statutory responsibilities in connection with 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 level EIR/EIS. 
Public scoping meetings have been scheduled as 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 
advertised locally and included in additional public notification.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on March 9, 2007.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development.
 [FR Doc. E7-4711 Filed 3-14-07; 8:45 am]
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