Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: I-70 Kansas City to St. Louis, MO, 22002 [E8-8761]
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Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 79 / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Supplemental Environmental Impact
Statement: I–70 Kansas City to St.
Louis, MO
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this
notice to advise the public that a
supplemental environmental impact
statement (EIS) will be prepared for the
approved I–70 First and Second Tier
environmental documents. The I–70
corridor for this Supplemental EIS is
from the I–470 interchange in Kansas
City to near the Lake St. Louis
interchange in St. Louis. The project
length is approximately 199 miles.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.
Peggy Casey, Environmental Projects
Engineer, FHWA Division Office, 3220
West Edgewood, Suite H, Jefferson City,
MO 65109, Telephone: (573) 636–7104;
or Mr. Kevin Keith, Chief Engineer,
Missouri Department of Transportation,
P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102,
Telephone: (573) 751–2803.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
FHWA, in cooperation with the
Missouri Department of Transportation
(MoDOT), will prepare a Supplemental
EIS to consider the impacts of dedicated
truck lanes. This Supplemental EIS will
include all necessary environmental,
cultural resource, social and economic
studies and will be coordinated closely
with the public, city and county
officials, Metropolitan Planning
Organizations, Regional Planning
Commissions, and resource agencies, as
appropriate.
The FHWA and MoDOT completed a
First Tier EIS for the I–70 corridor in
December, 2001. Subsequent to the First
Tier, FHWA and MoDOT completed
Second Tier environmental documents
for seven sections of independent utility
across the corridor. The Second Tier
documents were completed in 2006.
The First Tier evaluated the I–70
corridor in a general nature and
recommended the improvement strategy
of reconstructing and widening the
existing facility. The Second Tier
documents evaluated the environmental
impacts of this strategy. The evaluations
in these traditional environmental
documents were based on the I–70
facility consisting of three 12-foot lanes
in each direction with 12-foot shoulders
along with a 124-foot grassed median.
The only exceptions were in the urban
areas approaching Kansas City,
Columbia, through the Warrenton-
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:58 Apr 22, 2008
Jkt 214001
Wright City-Wentzville area, and the
area known as Mineola Hill.
A study Management Group (SMG)
was assembled during the First Tier
environmental process and was
continued through the Second Tier
process. Periodic SMG progress
meetings were held during the First and
Second Tier processes with resource
agency personnel, including
representatives from the Missouri
Department of Natural Resources, the
Missouri Department of Conservation,
the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
Natural Resources Conservation Service,
and the Environmental Protection
Agency. Coordination with the SMG has
been re-initiated for the Supplemental
EIS process.
This Supplemental EIS will begin
with an evaluation and comparison of a
truck-only strategy to the Preferred
Strategy identified in the original EIS. If
the evaluation process results in the
recommendation of the truck-only
strategy, several alternatives for
implementing truck-only lanes will be
developed and evaluated to determine
which are reasonable and which, if any,
are not. It is anticipated that truck-only
alternatives will provide four lanes of
travel in each direction—two lanes for
truck and two lanes for general-purpose
traffic. Also, there are several different
methods for providing access at
interchanges, ranging from simple
merge options to more complicated
truck/car interchanges. Interchange
operations and their related impacts
will be evaluated during the
supplemental process. In addition, the
Supplemental EIS will consider funding
options for the project. The study will
not recommend a specific option, but
will look at the issues and challenges
associated with applying these funding
options.
To date, a preliminary coordination/
scoping meeting was held on January
29, 2008. Resource agencies from the
reconvened SMG attended and
participated in the meeting. It was
agreed that existing coordinating and
cooperating agency agreements already
in place from the first and second tier
processes will remain in effect for the
supplemental process. Numerous
opportunities for public input will be
provided. The Improve I–70 project
website will be updated to include the
Supplemental EIS and there will be
regular outreach to both the local and
state-wide media. There will be two
separate series of public meetings. Each
will have meetings at three locations
along the study corridor. Community
advisory groups will be re-established in
Columbia and Kingdom City. A meeting
PO 00000
Frm 00103
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
with Kingdom City was held on January
23, 2008. Opportunities for briefing/
listening sessions with key statewide
stakeholders or groups will be provided.
A formal location public hearing will
take place at three locations along the
corridor, along with informal two-hour
drop-in centers prior to public meetings
and hearing. Public notice will be given
announcing the time and place of all
public meetings and the hearings. The
Supplemental Draft EIS 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
addressed and all significant issues are
identified, comments and suggestions
are invited from all interested parties.
Comments and questions concerning
this proposed action and the
Supplemental EIS should be directed to
the FHWA or MoDOT at the addresses
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
program.)
Issued on: April 17, 2008.
Peggy J. Casey,
Environmental Project Engineer, Jefferson
City.
[FR Doc. E8–8761 Filed 4–22–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Surface Transportation Board
[STB Ex Parte No. 678]
Consummation of Rail Line
Abandonments That Are Subject to
Historic Preservation and Other
Environmental Conditions
AGENCY:
Surface Transportation Board,
DOT.
ACTION:
Statement of board policy.
SUMMARY: The Surface Transportation
Board is issuing this policy statement to
clarify when, under the agency’s
regulation at 49 CFR 1152.29(e)(2), a
carrier may ‘‘consummate’’
abandonment and file a ‘‘notice of
consummation’’ of the abandonment of
a rail line where the Board has imposed
conditions on its abandonment
authorization in order to satisfy section
106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA), 16 U.S.C.
470f, or the National Environmental
Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
(NEPA). In cases where a condition is
imposed under NHPA, a notice of
E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM
23APN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 79 (Wednesday, April 23, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 22002]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-8761]
[[Page 22002]]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: I-70 Kansas City to
St. Louis, MO
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a
supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for
the approved I-70 First and Second Tier environmental documents. The I-
70 corridor for this Supplemental EIS is from the I-470 interchange in
Kansas City to near the Lake St. Louis interchange in St. Louis. The
project length is approximately 199 miles.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Peggy Casey, Environmental
Projects Engineer, FHWA Division Office, 3220 West Edgewood, Suite H,
Jefferson City, MO 65109, Telephone: (573) 636-7104; or Mr. Kevin
Keith, Chief Engineer, Missouri Department of Transportation, P.O. Box
270, Jefferson City, MO 65102, Telephone: (573) 751-2803.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Missouri
Department of Transportation (MoDOT), will prepare a Supplemental EIS
to consider the impacts of dedicated truck lanes. This Supplemental EIS
will include all necessary environmental, cultural resource, social and
economic studies and will be coordinated closely with the public, city
and county officials, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Regional
Planning Commissions, and resource agencies, as appropriate.
The FHWA and MoDOT completed a First Tier EIS for the I-70 corridor
in December, 2001. Subsequent to the First Tier, FHWA and MoDOT
completed Second Tier environmental documents for seven sections of
independent utility across the corridor. The Second Tier documents were
completed in 2006. The First Tier evaluated the I-70 corridor in a
general nature and recommended the improvement strategy of
reconstructing and widening the existing facility. The Second Tier
documents evaluated the environmental impacts of this strategy. The
evaluations in these traditional environmental documents were based on
the I-70 facility consisting of three 12-foot lanes in each direction
with 12-foot shoulders along with a 124-foot grassed median. The only
exceptions were in the urban areas approaching Kansas City, Columbia,
through the Warrenton-Wright City-Wentzville area, and the area known
as Mineola Hill.
A study Management Group (SMG) was assembled during the First Tier
environmental process and was continued through the Second Tier
process. Periodic SMG progress meetings were held during the First and
Second Tier processes with resource agency personnel, including
representatives from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the
Missouri Department of Conservation, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Natural Resources Conservation
Service, and the Environmental Protection Agency. Coordination with the
SMG has been re-initiated for the Supplemental EIS process.
This Supplemental EIS will begin with an evaluation and comparison
of a truck-only strategy to the Preferred Strategy identified in the
original EIS. If the evaluation process results in the recommendation
of the truck-only strategy, several alternatives for implementing
truck-only lanes will be developed and evaluated to determine which are
reasonable and which, if any, are not. It is anticipated that truck-
only alternatives will provide four lanes of travel in each direction--
two lanes for truck and two lanes for general-purpose traffic. Also,
there are several different methods for providing access at
interchanges, ranging from simple merge options to more complicated
truck/car interchanges. Interchange operations and their related
impacts will be evaluated during the supplemental process. In addition,
the Supplemental EIS will consider funding options for the project. The
study will not recommend a specific option, but will look at the issues
and challenges associated with applying these funding options.
To date, a preliminary coordination/scoping meeting was held on
January 29, 2008. Resource agencies from the reconvened SMG attended
and participated in the meeting. It was agreed that existing
coordinating and cooperating agency agreements already in place from
the first and second tier processes will remain in effect for the
supplemental process. Numerous opportunities for public input will be
provided. The Improve I-70 project website will be updated to include
the Supplemental EIS and there will be regular outreach to both the
local and state-wide media. There will be two separate series of public
meetings. Each will have meetings at three locations along the study
corridor. Community advisory groups will be re-established in Columbia
and Kingdom City. A meeting with Kingdom City was held on January 23,
2008. Opportunities for briefing/listening sessions with key statewide
stakeholders or groups will be provided. A formal location public
hearing will take place at three locations along the corridor, along
with informal two-hour drop-in centers prior to public meetings and
hearing. Public notice will be given announcing the time and place of
all public meetings and the hearings. The Supplemental Draft EIS 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 addressed and all significant issues are identified,
comments and suggestions are invited from all interested parties.
Comments and questions concerning this proposed action and the
Supplemental EIS should be directed to the FHWA or MoDOT at the
addresses 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 program.)
Issued on: April 17, 2008.
Peggy J. Casey,
Environmental Project Engineer, Jefferson City.
[FR Doc. E8-8761 Filed 4-22-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
