Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS): Arkansas River Valley Intermodal FAcilities, Russellville, Arkansas (Pope County), 36098-36099 [07-3198]
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Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 126 / Monday, July 2, 2007 / Notices
officials, an environmental study area
for the U.S. 64 and U.S. 601 corridor
improvements was developed. This
study area was presented to the public
at a July 2001 Citizens Informational
Workshop, at which time public input
on this study area was received. In
September 2001, NCDOT assembled an
interagency project team to obtain input
on the purpose and need and
preliminary study alternatives. In July
2003, another Citizens Informational
Workshop was held by NCDOT,
showing the preliminary study
alternatives to the public and seeking
public input. In January 2004, the
interagency project team considered the
public input in selecting the detailed
study alternatives for the project. A
newsletter was mailed to the area
residents and project stake holders in
March 2004, showing the location of the
U.S. 64 and U.S. 601 detailed study
alternatives being considered. Due to
extensive coordination with the
resource agencies, local officials, and
the public during the EIS process, no
additional scoping meetings will be
conducted for the DEIS.
To ensure that the full range of issues
related to the proposed action is
addressed and all significant issues are
identified, comments and suggestions
are invited from all interested parties.
Comments and questions concerning the
proposed action should be directed to
the FHWA at the address provided
above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
Program Number 20.205, Highway Research
Planning and Construction. The regulations
implementing Executive Order 12372
regarding intergovernmental consultation on
Federal programs and activities apply to this
program.)
Issued on: June 26, 2007.
Clarence W. Coleman,
Operations Engineer Raleigh, North Carolina.
[FR Doc. E7–12724 Filed 6–29–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (SDEIS): Arkansas
River Valley Intermodal FAcilities,
Russellville, Arkansas (Pope County)
Federal Highway
Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a
SDEIs.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) in a joint
venture with the Arkansas State
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:57 Jun 29, 2007
Jkt 211001
Highway and Transportation
Department (AHTD) and the River
Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities
Authority (RVRIFA), is issuing this
notice to advise the public of its intent
to prepare a SDEIS for developing a
regional intermodal facility in the
Arkansas River Valley. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) is
functioning as a Cooperating Agency for
this project and plans to adopt the River
Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities
Environmental Impact Statement upon
completion. This project is intended to
improve regional and national
transportation, to serve existing
industry, and to provide
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Randal Looney, Environmental
Specialist, Federal Highway
Administration —Arkansas Division
Office 700 West Capitol Avenue, Room
3130, Little Rock, AR 72201–3298.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S.
Department of Transportation Federal
HIghway Administration (FHWA), in
cooperation with the Arkansas State
Highway and Transportation
Department (AHTD) and the River
Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities
Authority (RVRIFA), intends to prepare
a Supplemental Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the
Arkansas River Valley Intermodal
Facilities projects. The U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (USACE) will serve as a
Cooperating Agency for this project. An
SDEIS will be prepared to further refine
the Purpose and Need and Alternatives
Analysis sections that were presented in
the original Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) approved and released
for public review in March 2006. This
additional information will be used to
ensure that the Purpose and Need for
the project is described completely and
that the methods and screening criteria
used during the alternatives
development process to identify all
reasonable alternatives for the project
are fully explained and disclosed.
The Arkansas River Valley Intermodal
Facilities (ARVIF) project is proposed to
include access to the national railway
grid through the Class I Union Pacific
Railroad 9UPRR), possibly through the
Class III short line Dardanelle
Russellville Railroad (DRRR), and local
roadway access to Interstate 40 (I–40)
using existing highway connections via
State Highway 7 and/or the proposed
improved State Highway 247. A
slackwater harbor would be constructed
along the McClellan-Kerr Arkansas
River Navigation System (MKARNS) to
connect the intermodal facilities to the
U.S. Inland Waterway System.
Additional services at the intermodal
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facility would include on-site rail/truck
transfers, truck/water transfers, rail/
water transfers, fright tracking, a foreign
trade sub-zone, warehousing,
distribution, consolidation, just-in-time
inventory services, and material storage
capabilities.
There are currently three public ports/
terminals along the Arkansas segment of
the MKARNS located in Pine bluff,
Little Rock, and Fort Smith. There are
no public use facilities within 30 miles
of the study area, however there are
three private docks within 30 miles of
the study area including the following:
Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel, the Port of
Dardanelle; and Oakley Port.
The NEPA process to support this
intermodal facility was initiated by the
development of an Environmental
Assessment (EA) with a defined purpose
and need and supporting alternatives.
The EA was approved for public
dissemination by FHWA in November
2002, however it was determined that
further study would be required and a
Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) would not be issued by FHWA
for the project. Further study in the
subsequent DEIS released for review in
March 2006 included a revised purpose
and need for the project and a
description of proposed reasonable
alternatives identified using screening
criteria based on social, environmental,
and economic impacts of the proposed
project. The reasonable alternatives
were developed, screened, and carried
forward for detailed analysis in the DEIS
based on their ability to address the
project purpose and need while
avoiding adverse impacts to known and
sensitive resources. The USACE-Little
Rock District plans to adopt the FHWA
ARVIF EIS for their portion of the
project involving slackwater harbor
previously studied under a separate EA/
FONSI issued by the USACE-Little Rock
District in January 2000. FHWA is
considered the Lead Agency for the
ARVIF EIS.
Local, State, and Federal Agencies,
Native American Tribes, private
organizations, citizens, and interest
groups will have an opportunity to
provide input into the development of
the SDEIS and identify any issues that
should be addressed. Notices of public
meetings or public hearings relating to
the SDEIS will be given through various
forums providing the time and place of
the meeting along with other relevant
information. The SDEIS will be
available for public and agency review
and comment prior to the public
hearings.
To ensure that the full range of issues
related to this proposed action are
identified and taken into account,
E:\FR\FM\02JYN1.SGM
02JYN1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 126 / Monday, July 2, 2007 / Notices
comments and suggestions are invited
from all interested parties. Comments
and questions concerning the proposed
action and SDEIS should be directed to
FHWA 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 proposed action.).
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: June 20th, 2007.
Sandra L. Otto,
Division Administrator, FHWA, Little Rock,
Arkansas.
[FR Doc. 07–3198 Filed 6–29–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–M
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration
[Docket No. FMCSA–2007–26653]
Qualification of Drivers; Exemption
Applications; Vision
Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration (FMCSA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of final disposition.
jlentini on PROD1PC65 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: FMCSA announces its
decision to exempt 27 individuals from
the vision requirement in the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
(FMCSRs). The exemptions will enable
these individuals to operate commercial
motor vehicles (CMVs) in interstate
commerce without meeting the
prescribed vision standard. The Agency
has concluded that granting these
exemptions will provide a level of safety
that is equivalent to, or greater than, the
level of safety maintained without the
exemptions for these CMV drivers.
DATES: The exemptions are effective July
2, 2007. The exemptions expire on July
2, 2009.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.
Mary D. Gunnels, Chief, Physical
Qualifications Division, 202–366–4001,
FMCSA, Room W64–224, U.S.
Department of Transportation, 1200
New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington,
DC 20590–0001. Office hours are from
8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access
You may see all the comments online
through the Document Management
System (DMS) at https://dmses.dot.gov.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
22:57 Jun 29, 2007
Jkt 211001
Docket: For access to the docket to
read background documents or
comments received, go to https://
dms.dot.gov at any time or Room W12–
140 on the ground level of the West
Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC, between 9 a.m. and 5
p.m., Monday through Friday, except
Federal holidays. The DMS is available
24 hours each day, 365 days each year.
If you want acknowledgment that we
received your comments, please include
a self-addressed, stamped envelope or
postcard or print the acknowledgement
page that appears after submitting
comments on-line.
Privacy Act: Anyone may search the
electronic form of all comments
received into any of DOT’s dockets by
the name of the individual submitting
the comment (or of the person signing
the comment, if submitted on behalf of
an association, business, labor union, or
other entity). You may review DOT’s
complete Privacy Act Statement in the
Federal Register (65 FR 19477, Apr. 11,
2000). This statement is also available at
https://dms.dot.gov.
Background
On February 26, 2007, FMCSA
published a notice of receipt of
exemption applications from certain
individuals, and requested comments
from the public (72 FR 8417). That
notice listed 28 applicants’ case
histories. The 28 individuals applied for
exemptions from the vision requirement
in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), for drivers who
operate CMVs in interstate commerce.
FMCSA was provided additional
medical information by Mr. Donald V.
Ports’ ophthalmologist indicating that
an error was made in the documentation
previously provided as part of his
application. Based on this information,
FMCSA determined that Mr. Ports meets
the current guidelines for visual acuity
of at least 20/40 in each eye, therefore,
he does not require a vision exemption.
Under 49 U.S.C. 31136(e) and 31315,
FMCSA may grant an exemption for a 2year period if it finds ‘‘such exemption
would likely achieve a level of safety
that is equivalent to, or greater than, the
level that would be achieved absent
such exemption.’’ The statute also
allows the Agency to renew exemptions
at the end of the 2-year period.
Accordingly, FMCSA has evaluated the
28 applications on their merits and
made a determination to grant
exemptions to 27 of them. The comment
period closed on March 28, 2007.
Vision and Driving Experience of the
Applicants
The vision requirement in the
FMCSRs provides:
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36099
A person is physically qualified to
drive a commercial motor vehicle if that
person has distant visual acuity of at
least 20/40 (Snellen) in each eye
without corrective lenses or visual
acuity separately corrected to 20/40
(Snellen) or better with corrective
lenses, distant binocular acuity of a least
20/40 (Snellen) in both eyes with or
without corrective lenses, field of vision
of at least 70° in the horizontal meridian
in each eye, and the ability to recognize
the colors of traffic signals and devices
showing standard red, green, and amber
(49 CFR 391.41(b)(10)).
FMCSA recognizes that some drivers
do not meet the vision standard, but
have adapted their driving to
accommodate their vision limitation
and demonstrated their ability to drive
safely. The 27 exemption applicants
listed in this notice are in this category.
They are unable to meet the vision
standard in one eye for various reasons,
including amblyopia, macular scar,
retinal detachment, corneal scarring,
prosthesis, corneal opacity, optic nerve
injury, persistent hyperplastic primary
vitreous, aphakia, cataract, exotropia,
maculopathy and loss of vision due to
trauma. In most cases, their eye
conditions were not recently developed.
All but seven of the applicants were
either born with their vision
impairments or have had them since
childhood. The seven individuals who
sustained their vision conditions as
adults have had them for periods
ranging from 4 to 28 years.
Although each applicant has one eye
which does not meet the vision standard
in 49 CFR 391.41(b)(10), each has at
least 20/40 corrected vision in the other
eye, and in a doctor’s opinion, has
sufficient vision to perform all the tasks
necessary to operate a CMV. Doctors’
opinions are supported by the
applicants’ possession of valid
commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) or
non-CDLs to operate CMVs. Before
issuing CDLs, States subject drivers to
knowledge and skills tests designed to
evaluate their qualifications to operate a
CMV. All these applicants satisfied the
testing standards for their State of
residence. By meeting State licensing
requirements, the applicants
demonstrated their ability to operate a
commercial vehicle, with their limited
vision, to the satisfaction of the State.
While possessing a valid CDL or nonCDL, these 27 drivers have been
authorized to drive a CMV in intrastate
commerce, even though their vision
disqualified them from driving in
interstate commerce. They have driven
CMVs with their limited vision for
careers ranging from 4 to 28 years. In the
past 3 years, two of the drivers have had
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 126 (Monday, July 2, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36098-36099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-3198]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS):
Arkansas River Valley Intermodal FAcilities, Russellville, Arkansas
(Pope County)
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a SDEIs.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in a joint venture
with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD)
and the River Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities Authority (RVRIFA),
is issuing this notice to advise the public of its intent to prepare a
SDEIS for developing a regional intermodal facility in the Arkansas
River Valley. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is functioning
as a Cooperating Agency for this project and plans to adopt the River
Valley Regional Intermodal Facilities Environmental Impact Statement
upon completion. This project is intended to improve regional and
national transportation, to serve existing industry, and to provide
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Randal Looney, Environmental
Specialist, Federal Highway Administration --Arkansas Division Office
700 West Capitol Avenue, Room 3130, Little Rock, AR 72201-3298.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal HIghway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with the Arkansas
State Highway and Transportation Department (AHTD) and the River Valley
Regional Intermodal Facilities Authority (RVRIFA), intends to prepare a
Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the
Arkansas River Valley Intermodal Facilities projects. The U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers (USACE) will serve as a Cooperating Agency for this
project. An SDEIS will be prepared to further refine the Purpose and
Need and Alternatives Analysis sections that were presented in the
original Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) approved and
released for public review in March 2006. This additional information
will be used to ensure that the Purpose and Need for the project is
described completely and that the methods and screening criteria used
during the alternatives development process to identify all reasonable
alternatives for the project are fully explained and disclosed.
The Arkansas River Valley Intermodal Facilities (ARVIF) project is
proposed to include access to the national railway grid through the
Class I Union Pacific Railroad 9UPRR), possibly through the Class III
short line Dardanelle Russellville Railroad (DRRR), and local roadway
access to Interstate 40 (I-40) using existing highway connections via
State Highway 7 and/or the proposed improved State Highway 247. A
slackwater harbor would be constructed along the McClellan-Kerr
Arkansas River Navigation System (MKARNS) to connect the intermodal
facilities to the U.S. Inland Waterway System. Additional services at
the intermodal facility would include on-site rail/truck transfers,
truck/water transfers, rail/water transfers, fright tracking, a foreign
trade sub-zone, warehousing, distribution, consolidation, just-in-time
inventory services, and material storage capabilities.
There are currently three public ports/terminals along the Arkansas
segment of the MKARNS located in Pine bluff, Little Rock, and Fort
Smith. There are no public use facilities within 30 miles of the study
area, however there are three private docks within 30 miles of the
study area including the following: Pine Bluff Sand & Gravel, the Port
of Dardanelle; and Oakley Port.
The NEPA process to support this intermodal facility was initiated
by the development of an Environmental Assessment (EA) with a defined
purpose and need and supporting alternatives. The EA was approved for
public dissemination by FHWA in November 2002, however it was
determined that further study would be required and a Finding of No
Significant Impact (FONSI) would not be issued by FHWA for the project.
Further study in the subsequent DEIS released for review in March 2006
included a revised purpose and need for the project and a description
of proposed reasonable alternatives identified using screening criteria
based on social, environmental, and economic impacts of the proposed
project. The reasonable alternatives were developed, screened, and
carried forward for detailed analysis in the DEIS based on their
ability to address the project purpose and need while avoiding adverse
impacts to known and sensitive resources. The USACE-Little Rock
District plans to adopt the FHWA ARVIF EIS for their portion of the
project involving slackwater harbor previously studied under a separate
EA/FONSI issued by the USACE-Little Rock District in January 2000. FHWA
is considered the Lead Agency for the ARVIF EIS.
Local, State, and Federal Agencies, Native American Tribes, private
organizations, citizens, and interest groups will have an opportunity
to provide input into the development of the SDEIS and identify any
issues that should be addressed. Notices of public meetings or public
hearings relating to the SDEIS will be given through various forums
providing the time and place of the meeting along with other relevant
information. The SDEIS will be available for public and agency review
and comment prior to the public hearings.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are identified and taken into account,
[[Page 36099]]
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments and questions concerning the proposed action and SDEIS should
be directed to FHWA 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 proposed action.).
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.
Issued on: June 20th, 2007.
Sandra L. Otto,
Division Administrator, FHWA, Little Rock, Arkansas.
[FR Doc. 07-3198 Filed 6-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M
