Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Fond du Lac & Sheboygan Counties, WI, 2774 [2012-925]

Download as PDF 2774 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 12 / Thursday, January 19, 2012 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: Fond du Lac & Sheboygan Counties, WI Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a limited scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will be prepared for the proposed capacity improvements to Wisconsin Highway 23 from U.S. Highway 151 to County Highway P in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties, Wisconsin. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethaney Bacher-Gresock, Environmental Program Manager, FHWA, 525 Junction Road, Suite 8000, Madison, WI 53717–2157; Telephone: (608) 662–2119. You may also contact Rebecca Burkel, Director, Bureau of Technical Services, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, 3502 Kinsman Blvd., Madison, WI 53704– 2549; Telephone (608) 246–5399. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will prepare a limited scope SEIS in accordance with 23 CFR 771.130(f) and 40 CFR 1502.9 for the proposed capacity improvements along approximately 19 miles of Wisconsin Highway 23 from U.S. Highway 151 in the City of Fond du Lac to County Highway P in the City of Plymouth, in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties, Wisconsin. The purpose of the SEIS is to clarify certain parts of the previously approved June 3, 2010 Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and to reconsider certain portions, including parts of the Section 4(f) evaluation and indirect and cumulative impacts analysis. In accordance with its regulations, FHWA also will evaluate and provide additional analysis, if needed, on any new or changed impacts to the human and natural environment since the issuance of the Record of Decision (ROD) on September 27, 2010. The ROD selected a build alternative involving construction of a 4-lane divided highway along the existing Wisconsin Highway 23 alignment, three interchanges (at County Highway K, County Highway UU, and County Highway G), and local road and access improvements. The ROD also selected a corridor preservation alternative for the mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:21 Jan 18, 2012 Jkt 226001 Wisconsin Highway 23 corridor (except for the U.S. 151 interchange where there will be no corridor preservation), to preserve the right-of-way needed for future interchanges and grade separations. The SEIS will follow the same process and format as the original EIS (Draft EIS, FEIS, and ROD), except that scoping is not required. The FEIS and ROD are available at https:// www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/ neregion/23/environ.htm. Public involvement is a critical component of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) project development process and will occur throughout the development of the environmental documents. Environmental documents will be made available for review by resource agencies and the public. Public hearing(s) will be held following the availability of the Draft SEIS and as necessary. The public hearing(s) will be accessible and held at a convenient time and location. Individuals will be provided the opportunity to offer official comments by publicly expressing their views to representatives of WisDOT and others in attendance, privately to a court reporter, or by submitting written comments. WisDOT will provide FHWA with a transcript of the public hearing(s) and copies of submitted written comments. Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will be sent to the appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are known to have interest in this proposed project. 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 interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the SEIS should be directed to the FHWA at the address above. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, Highway, Planning, and Construction. The regulations implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding the intergovernmental consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this program.) Issued on: January 11, 2012. R. Kirk Fredrichs, Assistant Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Madison, Wisconsin. [FR Doc. 2012–925 Filed 1–18–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P PO 00000 Frm 00091 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration [Docket Number FRA–2003–15754] Notice of Application for Approval of Discontinuance or Modification of a Railroad Signal System In accordance with Part 211 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations, this document provides the public notice that by a document dated December 16, 2011, the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (RBMN) has petitioned the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) seeking approval for the discontinuance or modification of a signal system. FRA has reopened and assigned the application Docket Number FRA–2003– 15754. Applicant: Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, Mr. Jonathan Barket, AVP, Communications & Signals, 1 Railroad Boulevard, Port Clinton, Pennsylvania 19549. RBMN seeks approval of the proposed discontinuance of the automatic block signal (ABS) system on Track 1 on the main line and Lehighton Branch, Lehigh Division, between Milepost (MP) 119.3, Lehighton, and MP 130.6, Independence, PA. The reason given for the proposed change is that the signal system has been out of service since being damaged by weather in December 2003. RBMN applied, in Docket Number FRA–2003– 15754, for an extension to the time allowed to repair the signal system after the damage. The application was denied due to not being filed correctly. At the time, there was another railroad operating in the application area and the application was not submitted as a joint application. RBMN did not resubmit a joint application as requested in FRA’s decision letter denying the application. In the ensuing years, operations have changed, with RBMN being the sole operator on the trackage involved. RBMN records indicate that the ABS has been out of service since before the August 1996 acquisition of this section of railroad. Since the acquisition, RBMN states they have operated this section by means of Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee (NORAC) Form D permits. FRA records continue to show the area being operated under NORAC Rule 251. Therefore RBMN requests to discontinue the ABS. A copy of the petition, as well as any written communications concerning the petition, is available for review online at www.regulations.gov and in person at the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Docket Operations Facility, 1200 E:\FR\FM\19JAN1.SGM 19JAN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 12 (Thursday, January 19, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 2774]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-925]



[[Page 2774]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement: Fond du Lac & Sheboygan Counties, WI

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
limited scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) will 
be prepared for the proposed capacity improvements to Wisconsin Highway 
23 from U.S. Highway 151 to County Highway P in Fond du Lac and 
Sheboygan Counties, Wisconsin.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bethaney Bacher-Gresock, Environmental 
Program Manager, FHWA, 525 Junction Road, Suite 8000, Madison, WI 
53717-2157; Telephone: (608) 662-2119. You may also contact Rebecca 
Burkel, Director, Bureau of Technical Services, Wisconsin Department of 
Transportation, 3502 Kinsman Blvd., Madison, WI 53704-2549; Telephone 
(608) 246-5399.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Wisconsin 
Department of Transportation (WisDOT) will prepare a limited scope SEIS 
in accordance with 23 CFR 771.130(f) and 40 CFR 1502.9 for the proposed 
capacity improvements along approximately 19 miles of Wisconsin Highway 
23 from U.S. Highway 151 in the City of Fond du Lac to County Highway P 
in the City of Plymouth, in Fond du Lac and Sheboygan Counties, 
Wisconsin. The purpose of the SEIS is to clarify certain parts of the 
previously approved June 3, 2010 Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) and to reconsider certain portions, including parts of the 
Section 4(f) evaluation and indirect and cumulative impacts analysis. 
In accordance with its regulations, FHWA also will evaluate and provide 
additional analysis, if needed, on any new or changed impacts to the 
human and natural environment since the issuance of the Record of 
Decision (ROD) on September 27, 2010. The ROD selected a build 
alternative involving construction of a 4-lane divided highway along 
the existing Wisconsin Highway 23 alignment, three interchanges (at 
County Highway K, County Highway UU, and County Highway G), and local 
road and access improvements. The ROD also selected a corridor 
preservation alternative for the Wisconsin Highway 23 corridor (except 
for the U.S. 151 interchange where there will be no corridor 
preservation), to preserve the right-of-way needed for future 
interchanges and grade separations.
    The SEIS will follow the same process and format as the original 
EIS (Draft EIS, FEIS, and ROD), except that scoping is not required. 
The FEIS and ROD are available at https://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/projects/neregion/23/environ.htm.
    Public involvement is a critical component of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) project development process and will 
occur throughout the development of the environmental documents. 
Environmental documents will be made available for review by resource 
agencies and the public. Public hearing(s) will be held following the 
availability of the Draft SEIS and as necessary. The public hearing(s) 
will be accessible and held at a convenient time and location. 
Individuals will be provided the opportunity to offer official comments 
by publicly expressing their views to representatives of WisDOT and 
others in attendance, privately to a court reporter, or by submitting 
written comments. WisDOT will provide FHWA with a transcript of the 
public hearing(s) and copies of submitted written comments.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments will 
be sent to the appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, and to 
private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or are 
known to have interest in this proposed project. 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 interested parties. Comments or questions concerning this 
proposed action and the SEIS should be directed to the FHWA at the 
address above.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway, Planning, and Construction. The regulations implementing 
Executive Order 12372 regarding the intergovernmental consultation 
on Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)

    Issued on: January 11, 2012.
R. Kirk Fredrichs,
Assistant Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 
Madison, Wisconsin.
[FR Doc. 2012-925 Filed 1-18-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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