Environmental Impact Statement for the California High Speed Train Project from San Francisco to San Jose, CA, 79541-79543 [E8-30751]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices
Issued in Washington, DC on December 18,
2008.
Michael McElligott,
Manager, Space Systems Development
Division.
[FR Doc. E8–30845 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Notice of Availability; Washington, DC
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
AGENCY:
Availability
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this
notice to advise the public of the
availability of the Final Section 4(f)
Evaluation for the proposed roadway
improvements proposed in conjunction
with the consolidation of the
Department of Homeland Security
Headquarters at St. Elizabeths in
Southeast Washington, DC in
accordance with 49 U.S.C. 303.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jack
Van Dop, Senior Technical Specialist,
Federal Highway Administration, 21400
Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA 20166,
Telephone 703–404–6282 or
jack.j.vandop@fhwa.dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Electronic Access to this Notice
An electronic copy of this document
(notice) may be downloaded by using a
computer, modem and suitable
communications software from
Government Printing Office’s Electronic
Bulletin Board Service at (202) 512–
1661. Internet users may reach the
Office of the Federal Register’s home
page at: https://www.nara.gov/fedreg and
the Government Printing Office’s Web
site at: https://www.access.gpo.gov/nara.
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Background
The FHWA has cooperated with the
General Services Administration (GSA)
in the preparation of a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for the consolidation of the Department
of Homeland Security Headquarters at
St. Elizabeths, Southeast Washington,
DC. The EIS was prepared by the
General Services Administration,
National Capital Region. The Draft EIS
contained a Draft Section 4(f) Evaluation
and was released in late 2007. This
Final Section 4(f) Evaluation presents an
assessment of the permanent and
temporary impacts to the National Park
Service (NPS) land known as Shepherd
Parkway and the GSA property of the St.
Elizabeths West Campus, resulting from
VerDate Aug<31>2005
13:19 Dec 24, 2008
Jkt 217001
improvements to the Malcolm X
Avenue/I–295 interchange and
construction of a related access road
between Firth Sterling Avenue and
Malcolm X Avenue. Transportation
improvements are needed to support the
redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths
West Campus and construction and
operation of the DHS Headquarters. The
Final Section 4(f) Evaluation also
provides a description of the Section
4(f) resources that would be affected,
consideration of total Section 4(f)
resources avoidance alternatives, and
identification of potential measures to
minimize harm to the 4(f) resources.
The Section 4(f) Evaluation is
available for review until January 23,
2009. A copy of the Section 4(f)
Evaluation for which this notice is being
made, is posted at https://
www.efl.fhwa.gov/projectsenvironment.aspx and https://
www.stelizabethswestcampus.com. Hard
copies of this evaluation can be viewed
at the following locations:
Anacostia Neighborhood Library,
1800 Good Hope Road, SE., at 18th
Street, SE., Washington, DC 20020.
Francis A. Gregory, 3660 Alabama
Avenue, SE., at 37th Street, SE.,
Washington, DC 20020.
Parkland-Turner Community Library,
1700 Alabama Avenue, SE., at Stanton
Road, SE.,Washington, DC 20020.
ANC 8C, 3125 MLK Jr., Avenue, SE.,
Washington, DC 20020.
Washington Highlands, Neighborhood
Library, 115 Atlantic Street, SW., at
South Capitol Street, SW., Washington,
DC 20032.
UPO Ralph Waldo ‘Petey Greene’,
Community Service Center, 2907 Martin
Luther King, Jr., Ave., SE., Washington,
DC 20032.
National Capitol Planning
Commission, 401 9th Street, NW., North
Lobby, Suite 500, Washington, DC
20004.
Federal Highway Administration,
21400 Ridgetop Circle, Sterling, VA
20166.
(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.
Dated: December 19, 2008.
Karen A. Schmidt,
Director, Program Administration.
[FR Doc. E8–30773 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
PO 00000
Frm 00105
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
79541
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for
the California High Speed Train Project
from San Francisco to San Jose, CA
AGENCY: Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement
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 San Francisco to San Jose 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 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-onsteel-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 tracks and with state-of-the-art
safety, signaling, communication, and
automated train control systems. 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 Authority and FRA selected
the Pacheco Pass—San Francisco and
San Jose termini network alternative, as
well as preferred corridor alignments
and station location options. The
selected alignment uses the Caltrain rail
right-of-way, between San Francisco
and San Jose along the San Francisco
Peninsula, and the Pacheco Pass via
Henry Miller Road, between San Jose
and the Central Valley.
The preparation of the San Francisco
to San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS will
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
29DEN1
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
79542
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices
involve development of preliminary
engineering designs and assessment of
environmental effects associated with
the construction, operation, and
maintenance of the HST system,
including track, ancillary facilities and
stations, along the Caltrain corridor
from San Francisco to San Jose.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the San Francisco to San Jose HST
Project EIR/EIS should be provided to
the Authority by March 6, 2009. Public
scoping meetings are scheduled from
January 22, 2009 to January 29, 2009, as
noted below in San Mateo, San
Francisco, and Santa Clara Counties.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
scope should be sent to Mr. Dan Leavitt,
Deputy Directory, ATTN: San Francisco
to San Jose, California High-Speed Rail
Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425,
Sacramento, CA 95814, or via e-mail
with subject line ‘‘San Francisco to San
Jose HST’’ to: comments@hsr.ca.gov.
Comments may also be provided orally
or in writing at the scoping meetings
scheduled at the following locations:
• Sam Trans Auditorium, 1250 San
Carlos Avenue, San Carlos, California,
January 22, 2009 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• San Francisco State University, 835
Market Street, 6th Floor (Rooms 673–
674), San Francisco, California, January
27, 2009 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
• Santa Clara Convention Center,
5001 Great American Parkway, Great
American Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, Santa
Clara, California, January 29, 2009 from
3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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 Mr. Dan Leavitt,
Telephone: (916) 324–1541 at the above
noted address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Authority was established in 1996 and
is authorized and directed by statute 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 a
800-mile-long HST capable of speeds in
excess of 200 miles per hour on a
dedicated, fully grade-separated state-ofthe-art track. The Authority released an
updated Business Plan in November
2008.
The FRA has responsibility for
oversight of the safety of railroad
operations, including the safety of any
VerDate Aug<31>2005
13:19 Dec 24, 2008
Jkt 217001
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 an HST system, and compared
it 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 at the
site-specific project level of
environmental review to avoid and
minimize potential adverse
environmental impacts. In the
subsequent Bay Area to Central Valley
HST Final Program EIR/EIS, the
Authority and FRA selected the Caltrain
right-of-way between San Francisco and
San Jose as the preferred alternative to
connect with the San Jose to Central
Valley section.
The San Francisco to San Jose HST
Project EIR/EIS will tier from the Final
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 will ensure that the
San Francisco to San Jose 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.
This Project EIR/EIS will describe
site-specific environmental impacts,
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.
PO 00000
Frm 00106
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
This project EIR/EIS will identify and
evaluate reasonable and feasible sitespecific alignment alternatives, and
evaluate the impacts from 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:
https://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
international airports, mass transit, and
highways; and provide added capacity
to meet increases in intercity travel
demand in California in a manner
sensitive to and protective of
California’s unique natural resources.
The need for a high-speed train (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
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.
Alternatives: The San Francisco to
San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS will
consider a No Action or No Project
Alternative and an HST Alternative for
the San Francisco to San Jose corridor.
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: State
Transportation Improvement Program
(STIP), 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 steelwheel-on-steel-rail HST system, about
800 miles long, capable of operating
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
29DEN1
dwashington3 on PROD1PC60 with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 73, No. 249 / Monday, December 29, 2008 / Notices
speeds of 220 mph on mostly dedicated,
fully graded-separated tracks, with stateof-the-art safety, signaling, and
automated train control systems. The
San Francisco to San Jose HST corridor
selected by the Authority and FRA
follows the Caltrain right-of-way from
San Francisco to San Jose. The HST
would operate in this area at speeds
below 150 mph and would share tracks
with Caltrain express commuter trains.
Further engineering studies to be
undertaken as part of this EIR/EIS
process will examine and refine
alignments in the Caltrain right-of-way.
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 train service and
inspection facility will be evaluated in
the San Francisco to San Jose HST
project area.
The preferred station in the City of
San Francisco is the Transbay Transit
Center; in the City of Millbrae the
existing Millbrae BART/Caltrain
Station, and in the City of San Jose the
Intermodal Diridon Station. These
locations were selected by the Authority
and FRA through the Bay Area to
Central Valley HST Final Program EIR/
EIS considering the project purpose and
need, and the program objectives.
Potential station locations in the City of
Redwood City at the existing Caltrain
Station near downtown or in the City of
Palo Alto at the existing Caltrain Station
near downtown will also be evaluated
in this project EIR/EIS. Alternative
station sites at or near the selected
station locations may be identified and
evaluated in this Project 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; land
acquisition, displacements, and
relocations; cumulative and secondary
impacts; cultural resource impacts,
including impacts on historical and
archaeological resources and parklands/
recreation areas; neighborhood
VerDate Aug<31>2005
13:19 Dec 24, 2008
Jkt 217001
compatibility and environmental
justice; natural resource impacts
including air quality, wetlands, water
resources, noise, vibration, energy,
wildlife and ecosystems, including
engendered species. Measures to avoid,
minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts
will be identified and evaluated.
The San Francisco to San Jose 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 not only NEPA and CEQA but
will also 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, 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
determining whether there are areas of
environmental concern where there
might be a potential for significant sitespecific impacts. 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 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
PO 00000
Frm 00107
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
79543
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 San Francisco to San Jose 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 December 18,
2008.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad
Development.
[FR Doc. E8–30751 Filed 12–24–08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY
Submission for OMB Review;
Comment Request
December 18, 2008.
The Department of Treasury is
planning to submit the following public
information collection requirement(s) to
OMB for review and clearance under the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995,
Public Law 104–13. Copies of the
submission(s) may be obtained by
calling the Treasury Bureau Clearance
Officer listed. Comments regarding this
information collection should be
addressed to the reviewer listed and to
the Treasury Department Clearance
Officer, Department of the Treasury,
Room 11020, 1750 Pennsylvania
Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20220.
DATES: Written comments should be
received on or before February 27, 2009
to be assured of consideration.
Office of Procurement
OMB Number: 1505–0107.
Type of Review: Extension.
Title: Regulation Agency Protests.
Description: The information being
collected is obtained from contractors as
part of their submissions whenever they
file a bid protest with the Department or
any of its Bureaus. The information is
used by Treasury officials in deciding
E:\FR\FM\29DEN1.SGM
29DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 249 (Monday, December 29, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79541-79543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30751]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for the California High Speed
Train Project from San Francisco to San Jose, CA
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 San Francisco to San Jose 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 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
tracks and with state-of-the-art safety, signaling, communication, and
automated train control systems. 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 Authority and FRA selected the Pacheco
Pass--San Francisco and San Jose termini network alternative, as well
as preferred corridor alignments and station location options. The
selected alignment uses the Caltrain rail right-of-way, between San
Francisco and San Jose along the San Francisco Peninsula, and the
Pacheco Pass via Henry Miller Road, between San Jose and the Central
Valley.
The preparation of the San Francisco to San Jose HST Project EIR/
EIS will
[[Page 79542]]
involve development of preliminary engineering designs and assessment
of environmental effects associated with the construction, operation,
and maintenance of the HST system, including track, ancillary
facilities and stations, along the Caltrain corridor from San Francisco
to San Jose.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the San Francisco to San Jose
HST Project EIR/EIS should be provided to the Authority by March 6,
2009. Public scoping meetings are scheduled from January 22, 2009 to
January 29, 2009, as noted below in San Mateo, San Francisco, and Santa
Clara Counties.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope should be sent to Mr. Dan
Leavitt, Deputy Directory, ATTN: San Francisco to San Jose, California
High-Speed Rail Authority, 925 L Street, Suite 1425, Sacramento, CA
95814, or via e-mail with subject line ``San Francisco to San Jose
HST'' to: comments@hsr.ca.gov. Comments may also be provided orally or
in writing at the scoping meetings scheduled at the following
locations:
Sam Trans Auditorium, 1250 San Carlos Avenue, San Carlos,
California, January 22, 2009 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
San Francisco State University, 835 Market Street, 6th
Floor (Rooms 673-674), San Francisco, California, January 27, 2009 from
3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Santa Clara Convention Center, 5001 Great American
Parkway, Great American Meeting Rooms 1 & 2, Santa Clara, California,
January 29, 2009 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.
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 Mr. Dan Leavitt, Telephone:
(916) 324-1541 at the above noted address.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Authority was established in 1996 and is
authorized and directed by statute 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 a 800-mile-long HST capable of speeds in excess of 200
miles per hour on a dedicated, fully grade-separated state-of-the-art
track. The Authority released an updated Business Plan in November
2008.
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 an HST system, and
compared it 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 at the
site-specific project level of environmental review to avoid and
minimize potential adverse environmental impacts. In the subsequent Bay
Area to Central Valley HST Final Program EIR/EIS, the Authority and FRA
selected the Caltrain right-of-way between San Francisco and San Jose
as the preferred alternative to connect with the San Jose to Central
Valley section.
The San Francisco to San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS will tier from
the Final 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. Sec. 15168[b]). Tiering will ensure that the San Francisco
to San Jose 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.
This Project EIR/EIS will describe site-specific environmental
impacts, 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
project EIR/EIS will identify and evaluate reasonable and feasible
site-specific alignment alternatives, and evaluate the impacts from
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: https://
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 international airports,
mass transit, and highways; and provide added capacity to meet
increases in intercity travel demand in California in a manner
sensitive to and protective of California's unique natural resources.
The need for a high-speed train (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 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.
Alternatives: The San Francisco to San Jose HST Project EIR/EIS
will consider a No Action or No Project Alternative and an HST
Alternative for the San Francisco to San Jose corridor.
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: State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP), 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
[[Page 79543]]
speeds of 220 mph on mostly dedicated, fully graded-separated tracks,
with state-of-the-art safety, signaling, and automated train control
systems. The San Francisco to San Jose HST corridor selected by the
Authority and FRA follows the Caltrain right-of-way from San Francisco
to San Jose. The HST would operate in this area at speeds below 150 mph
and would share tracks with Caltrain express commuter trains. Further
engineering studies to be undertaken as part of this EIR/EIS process
will examine and refine alignments in the Caltrain right-of-way. 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 train service and inspection facility
will be evaluated in the San Francisco to San Jose HST project area.
The preferred station in the City of San Francisco is the Transbay
Transit Center; in the City of Millbrae the existing Millbrae BART/
Caltrain Station, and in the City of San Jose the Intermodal Diridon
Station. These locations were selected by the Authority and FRA through
the Bay Area to Central Valley HST Final Program EIR/EIS considering
the project purpose and need, and the program objectives. Potential
station locations in the City of Redwood City at the existing Caltrain
Station near downtown or in the City of Palo Alto at the existing
Caltrain Station near downtown will also be evaluated in this project
EIR/EIS. Alternative station sites at or near the selected station
locations may be identified and evaluated in this Project 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; land acquisition,
displacements, and relocations; cumulative and secondary impacts;
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 engendered species. Measures
to avoid, minimize, and mitigate adverse impacts will be identified and
evaluated.
The San Francisco to San Jose 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 not only NEPA and
CEQA but will also 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, 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 determining
whether there are areas of environmental concern where there might be a
potential for significant site-specific impacts. 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
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 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 San Francisco to San Jose 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 December 18, 2008.
Mark E. Yachmetz,
Associate Administrator for Railroad Development.
[FR Doc. E8-30751 Filed 12-24-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
