Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; U.S. 231 Dubois County, IN, 30902 [2010-13103]

Agencies

• Federal Highway Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 2, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 30902]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-13103]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement; U.S. 231 
Dubois County, IN

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with 
the Indiana Department (INDOT), is issuing this notice to advise the 
public that FHWA will prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (SDEIS) for the U.S. 231 Jasper Huntingburg project in Dubois 
County, Indiana.
    Since publication of the 2004 U.S. 231 Draft EIS in March 2004, 
FHWA and INDOT has continued to evaluate the project and has developed 
additional alternatives for consideration. The SDEIS will re-evaluate 
the Preferred Alternative identified in the 2004 U.S. 231 DEIS and 
compare those impacts to the additional build alternatives. The SDEIS 
will focus on the project modifications, the existing environment and 
impacts, and any new information that has developed since the 2004 DEIS 
as required by 23 CFR 771.130.

DATES: Comments on the scope of the SDEIS for the proposed project 
should be forwarded no later than July 2, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to Tim Miller, 
Environmental Manager, HNTB Indiana, Inc., 111 Monument Circle, Suite 
1200, Indianapolis, IN 46204, Telephone: (317) 636-4682, E-mail: 
tnmiller@hntb.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Osadczuk, Planning/
Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Indiana 
Division, 575 North Pennsylvania Street, Room 254, Indianapolis, 
Indiana, Telephone: (317) 226-7486.

Supplementary Background Information:  U.S. 231 extends approximately 
304 mi from U.S. 60 in Owensboro, Kentucky, north through Indiana to 
U.S. 41 near the Illinois border. Due to the importance of the route, 
U.S. 231 is included in the National Highway System (NHS). The NHS 
includes all Interstate routes, a large percentage of roads classified 
as principal arterial highways and roads important for national 
defense. The NHS includes 5 percent of the national roadway network but 
serves approximately 40 percent of the nation's highway travel. U.S. 
231 is also a part of the National Truck Network, a national network of 
highways that allows the passage of trucks of specified minimum 
dimensions and weight.
    Designated as a Regional Mobility Corridor and Commerce Corridor, 
U.S. 231 serves as a connection to smaller cities and regions, feeds 
traffic to the major mobility corridors and provides for regional 
accessibility. As a Commerce Corridor, U.S. 231 directly facilitates 
intrastate, interstate or international commerce or travel. 
Approximately 12 mi of existing U.S. 231 through Dubois County is rural 
2-lane roadway. The roadway becomes 3- or 4-lane through Huntingburg 
and Jasper and is a north-south arterial that divides both communities. 
Traffic flow in Huntingburg is affected by delays at an at-grade 
railroad crossing. In Jasper, U.S. 231 makes two right-angle turns, 
both of which have substandard corner radii and are difficult for 
larger vehicles to negotiate.
    In March 2004, FHWA released the U.S. 231 Draft EIS. FHWA and INDOT 
have continued to evaluate the project and have developed additional 
alternatives for consideration and a Final EIS has not been released 
within three years of the publication of the Draft EIS. The SDEIS will 
re-evaluate the Preferred Alternative identified in the 2004 U.S. 231 
DEIS and compare those impacts to the additional build alternatives. 
The SDEIS will focus on the project modifications, the existing 
environment and impacts, and any new information that has developed 
since the 2004 DEIS as required by 23 CFR 771.130.
    Environmental Issues: Possible environmental impacts include 
viewshed impacts, impacts to water resources, wetlands, farmed 
wetlands, prime farmland, sensitive biological species and habitat, 
land use compatibility impacts, impacts to agricultural lands, 
displacement of commercial and residential properties, and potential 
effects to historical properties or archaeological sites.
    Alternatives: The SDEIS will consider alternatives that include: 
(1) Taking no action; (2) re-evaluation of the Preferred Alternative 
identified in the 2004 DEIS; and (3) additional build alternatives not 
previously identified in the 2004 DEIS.
    Public and Agency Scoping and Comment: FHWA encourages continued 
broad participation in the SDEIS process and review of the resulting 
environmental documents. A resource/regulatory agency meeting is 
scheduled for May 17, 2010 to re-initiate agency participation again as 
FHWA continues with the development of the SDEIS, Final EIS, and Record 
of Decision. This agency meeting will be held to solicit input from the 
resource and regulatory agencies on the nature and extent of issues, 
concerns and potential impacts to be addressed in the SDEIS, including 
methods by which they will be evaluated and discuss any changes since 
the release of the 2004 DEIS. A public information meeting will be 
conducted in the City of Huntingburg in the summer of 2010, re-
initiating the public scoping process on the SDEIS, which will be 
widely publicized well in advance of the meeting. Comments, questions, 
and suggestions related to the project and potential environmental 
concerns are invited from all interested agencies and the public at 
large to ensure that the full range of issues related to the proposed 
action and all reasonable alternatives are considered and all 
significant issues are identified. These comments, questions, and 
suggestions should be forwarded to the address listed above. Notices of 
availability for the Supplemental Draft EIS, Final EIS, and Record of 
Decision will be provided through direct mail, the Federal Register and 
other media. Notification also will be sent to Federal, State, local 
agencies, persons, and organizations that submit comments or questions. 
Precise schedules and locations for public meetings will be announced 
in the local news media. Interested individuals and organizations may 
request to be included on the mailing list for the distribution of 
meeting announcements and associated information.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program No. 20.205, Highway 
Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive 
Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on Federal 
programs and activities apply to the program.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 31.5; 23 CFR 771.123; 49 CFR 1.48.

Robert F. Tally,
Division Administrator, Indianapolis, Indiana.
[FR Doc. 2010-13103 Filed 6-1-10; 8:45 am]
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