Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Satellite Facility, King and Snohomish Counties, Washington, 57184-57186 [2012-22823]

Download as PDF 57184 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 180 / Monday, September 17, 2012 / Notices Budget, Docket Library, Room 10102, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503. Ms. Vivian Oliver, Transportation Specialist, Office of Information Technology, Operations Division, Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, West Building 6th Floor, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202–366–2974; email Address: vivian.oliver@dot.gov. Office hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: Quarterly Report of Class I and Class II Motor Carriers of Property (formerly OMB 2139–0002). OMB Control Number: 2126–0033. Type of Request: Extension of a currently-approved information collection. Respondents: Class I and Class II Motor Carriers of Property. Estimated Number of Respondents: 111 (per year). Estimated Time per Response: 1.8 hours (27 minutes per quarter). Expiration Date: September 30, 2012. Frequency of Response: Quarterly. Estimated Total Annual Burden: 200 hours [111 respondents x 1.8 hours to complete form = 200]. Background: The Quarterly Report of Class I and Class II Motor Carriers of Property (Form QFR) is a mandated reporting requirement for all for-hire motor carriers (See 49 U.S.C. § 14123 and implementing FMCSA regulations in 49 CFR part 369). Motor carriers (including interstate and intrastate) subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations are classified on the basis of their gross carrier operating revenues.1 Under the Financial and Operating Statistics (F&OS) program, FMCSA collects balance sheet and income statement data from Class I and Class II property carriers along with information on safety needs, tonnage, mileage, employees, transportation equipment, and other related data. FMCSA may also mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 1 For purposes of the Financial and Operating Statistics (F&OS) program, carriers are classified into three groups: (1) Class I carriers are those having annual carrier operating revenues (including interstate and intrastate) of $10 million or more after applying the revenue deflator formula as set forth in Note A of 49 CFR § 369.2; (2) Class II carriers are those having annual carrier operating revenues (including interstate and intrastate) of at least $3 million, but less than $10 million after applying the revenue deflator formula as set forth in 49 CFR § 369.2; and (3) Class III carriers are those having annual carrier operating revenues (including interstate and intrastate) of less than $3 million after applying the revenue deflator formula as set forth in Note A of 49 CFR § 369.2. VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:43 Sep 14, 2012 Jkt 226001 ask carriers to respond to surveys concerning their operations. The data and information collected would be made publicly available, and FMCSA would use both to determine a motor carrier’s compliance with the F&OS program requirements prescribed in chapter III of title of 49 CFR part 369. In the past, the former Interstate Commerce Commission issued these regulations. Later this authority transferred to the Secretary on January 1, 1996, by Chapter 141 of the ICC Termination Act of 1995 (ICCTA) (Pub. L. 104–88, 109 Stat. 803, 893 (Dec. 29, 1995)), now codified at 49 U.S.C. 14123. On September 30, 1998, the Secretary delegated and transferred the authority to administer the F&OS program to the former Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), now part of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA). On September 29, 2004, the Secretary transferred the responsibility for the F&OS program from BTS to FMCSA in the belief that the program was more aligned with FMCSA’s mission and its other motor carrier responsibilities (69 FR 51009). On August 10, 2006, the Secretary published a final rule (71 FR 45740) that transferred and redesignated certain motor carrier financial and statistical reporting regulations of BTS, that were formerly located in chapter XI, subchapter B of title 49 CFR part 1420, to FMCSA under chapter III of title 49 CFR part 369. Public Comments Invited: FMCSA requests comments on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for FMCSA to perform its functions; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for FMCSA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized without reducing the quality of the collected information. Issued on: September 4, 2012. Kelly Leone, Associate Administrator for Office of Research and Information Technology. [FR Doc. 2012–22884 Filed 9–14–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P PO 00000 Frm 00115 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Transit Administration Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Satellite Facility, King and Snohomish Counties, Washington Federal Transit Administration, United States Department of Transportation. ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. AGENCY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) are planning to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Sound Transit’s proposed new Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Satellite Facility (OMSF). The OMSF would allow Sound Transit to meet future maintenance and storage needs of an expanded fleet of light rail vehicles identified in the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) Plan. The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and Washington’s State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This Notice of Intent initiates scoping for the EIS, invites interested parties to participate in the EIS process, provides information about the preliminary purpose and need for the proposed transit project, includes site alternatives being considered for evaluation in the EIS, and identifies potential environmental effects to be considered. The notice invites public comments on the scope of the EIS and announces the public scoping meetings that will be conducted. Alternatives being considered for evaluation include a No-Build alternative and five sites where the OMSF could be built. DATES: Written comments on the scope of alternatives and impacts to be considered in the EIS must be received no later than October 22, 2012, and must be sent to Sound Transit as indicated below. Information about the proposed project, the Scoping Information Report, and the EIS process will be available at two public scoping meetings (on Oct. 8 and Oct. 11) and one scoping meeting for tribal and agency representatives (on Oct. 9) at the locations described below. Sound Transit and FTA will accept comments at those meetings. ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to Kent Hale, Senior Environmental Planner, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104–2826, or by email to OMSF@soundtransit.org. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\17SEN1.SGM 17SEN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 180 / Monday, September 17, 2012 / Notices At the public and agency scoping meetings, Sound Transit will provide information on the project along with opportunities for written comments. 1. October 8, 2012, 4:00 p.m.–6:00 p.m., Highland Community Center, 14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue, WA. 2. October 11, 2012, 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Lynnwood Convention Center, 3711 196th St. SW., Lynnwood, WA. 3. (Agency and Tribal Meeting) October 9, 2012, 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m., Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104. Invitations to the interagency and tribal scoping meeting have been sent to appropriate Federal, tribal, state, and local governmental units. All public meeting locations are accessible to persons with disabilities who may also request materials be prepared and supplied in alternate formats by calling Luke Lamon, (206) 903–7469 at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting for Sound Transit to make necessary arrangement. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (888) 713–6030 TTY. Scoping information as well as general information is available at: https://www.soundtransit.org/OMSF. The scoping period extends to October 22, 2012, or 30 days from the date of this notice, whichever is later. Written scoping comments are requested by October 22, 2012 at the address above, or they can be submitted at the public meetings. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Drais, FTA Environmental Protection Specialist, phone: (206) 220–4465. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Project. Sound Transit is implementing a system-wide expansion of its Link light rail transit service as part of the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) Plan of transit investments approved by the voters in 2008. To provide the service required by the ST2 Plan, Sound Transit will have to increase its light rail vehicle fleet to approximately 180 vehicles by 2023. Its existing light rail operations and maintenance facility (OMF), located on a 25-acre site south of South Forest Street and west of Airport Way in the industrial area south of Downtown Seattle, is configured to serve up to 104 vehicles. The Purpose of and Need for the Project. The project’s purpose is to enable Sound Transit to meet the maintenance and storage needs of the expanded fleet of light rail vehicles identified in the ST2 Plan. ST2’s vehicle acquisition and delivery schedule requires additional capacity to be operational by the end of 2020. The OMSF project will: VerDate Mar<15>2010 20:20 Sep 14, 2012 Jkt 226001 • Accommodate expansion of the Link system to Lynnwood, Overlake and South King County (Kent or Des Moines); • Provide efficient and reliable light rail service and minimize system operating costs; and • Support regional long-range plans, including the Puget Sound Regional Council’s (PSRC) VISION 2040 and Transportation 2040 plans, and Sound Transit’s Regional Transit Long-Range Plan. The project is needed because the existing OMF site cannot store, maintain, or deploy the vehicles associated with the expanded service called for in the ST2 Plan. Sound Transit cannot provide reliable service without adequate maintenance facility capacity. Approximately 180 vehicles are needed for the ST2 expansion; the existing OMF can store only 104 vehicles. Therefore, to implement ST2 the Link system will require more storage area and greater capacity for necessary service, maintenance, and inspection functions. Moreover, the storage and maintenance facility must be sited to support efficient and reliable operations and deployment of vehicles to serve the entire Link system. Potential EIS Alternatives. Sound Transit and FTA are considering several alternatives for study in the EIS. Potentially viable sites that meet minimum requirements of size, configuration, proximity to the light rail system, and operational feasibility have been identified along the Lynnwood Link Extension and in the East Link Corridor. FTA and Sound Transit invite comments on these preliminary alternatives; public and agency input received during the scoping period will help FTA and Sound Transit develop a range of reasonable alternatives to evaluate in the Draft EIS. Lynnwood Link Corridor. One site is at 52nd Ave and SW 208th St., north of I–5 and east of 52nd Ave W/Cedar Valley Road in Lynnwood. It is located along all of the proposed Lynnwood Link alignments being evaluated in the Lynnwood Link Extension Draft EIS. East Link Corridor. Four potential sites are on the East Link alignment in Bellevue: (1) Between the BNSF railway corridor on the west and 120th Ave. NE on the east, south of SR 520 and north of NE 12th St.; (2) south of SR 520 and north of Northup Way/NE 20th St., east of 130th Ave. NE and west of 140th Ave. NE; (3) East of 140th Ave. NE., between NE 20th St. and NE 24th St., and southeast of SR 520; and (4) west of 130th Ave. NE., east of 124th Ave. NE., and south of Northup Way. PO 00000 Frm 00116 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 57185 No-Build Alternative. NEPA requires consideration of a No-Build Alternative as a baseline against which to measure impacts of the action alternatives. It includes the existing transportation system plus the transportation improvements included in PSRC’s Transportation Improvement Program. Scope of Environmental Analysis. The EIS process explores in a public setting the potentially significant effects of implementing the proposed action (and alternatives to the proposed action) on the physical, human, and natural environment. Areas of investigation for this project may include, but might not be limited to, transportation, land use and consistency with applicable plans, land acquisition and displacements, socioeconomic impacts, park and recreation resources, historic and cultural resources, environmental justice, visual and aesthetic qualities, air quality, noise and vibration, energy use, safety and security, and ecosystems, including threatened and endangered species. These effects will be evaluated for both the construction period and the long-term period of operation. Indirect, secondary and cumulative impacts will also be evaluated. The EIS will identify measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate significant adverse impacts. Roles of Participating Agencies and the Public. NEPA, and FTA’s own authorities, call for public involvement in the EIS process, including: (1) Invitations to other Federal and nonFederal agencies and Indian tribes that may have an interest in the proposed project to become ‘‘cooperating’’ or ‘‘participating agencies,’’ (2) opportunities for involvement by agencies and the public in helping to define the proposed project’s purpose and need, as well as the range of alternatives for consideration in the impact statement, and (3) a plan for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the environmental review process. An invitation to become a participating agency will be extended to other Federal and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have an interest in the proposed project. Any agency or tribe interested in the project that does not receive such an invitation should promptly notify the Senior Environmental Planner identified above under ADDRESSES. A draft Coordination Plan for public and agency involvement is available for review at the project Web site. It identifies the project’s coordination approach and structure, details the major milestones for agency and public involvement, and includes an initial list of interested agencies and organizations. E:\FR\FM\17SEN1.SGM 17SEN1 mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES 57186 Federal Register / Vol. 77, No. 180 / Monday, September 17, 2012 / Notices FTA and Sound Transit welcome comments from interested individuals, organizations, tribes and agencies. Comments are invited regarding the preliminary statement of purpose and need; the alternatives to be evaluated in the EIS; and any significant environmental issues related to the alternatives. Suggested reasonable alternatives that meet the project purpose and need will be seriously considered. To assist the public during scoping, Sound Transit has prepared an Environmental Scoping Information Report describing the project, potential site alternatives, potential impact areas to be evaluated, and the preliminary EIS schedule. You may request a copy of it from Luke Lamon, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104–2826, telephone: (206) 903–7469 or email: luke.lamon@soundtransit.org. It is also available at https:// www.soundtransit.org/OMSF. After the comment period, Sound Transit will publish a summary of the public and agency comments it received. After scoping concludes later this year, the Sound Transit Board is expected to consider a motion addressing the purpose and need for the project, the scope of environmental review, and alternatives to be considered in the draft EIS. FTA and Sound Transit will comply with all applicable Federal environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders during the environmental review process. These requirements include, but are not limited to, the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality implementing NEPA, and FTA’s own NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500– 1508, and 23 CFR part 771); the air quality conformity regulations of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part 93); the Section 404(b)(1) guidelines of EPA (40 CFR part 230); the regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 CFR part 800); the regulations implementing Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (50 CFR part 402); Section 4(f) of the Dept. of Transportation Act (23 CFR part 774); Executive Orders 12898 on Environmental Justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and 11990 on wetlands; and DOT Order 5610.2(a) on Environmental Justice. Paperwork Reduction. The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to minimize the cost to the taxpayer of the creation, collection, maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition of VerDate Mar<15>2010 19:43 Sep 14, 2012 Jkt 226001 information. Consistent with this goal and with principles of economy and efficiency in government, FTA limits as much as possible the distribution of complete sets of printed environmental documents. Accordingly, absent a specific request for a complete printed set of environmental documents (preferably in advance of printing), Sound Transit will distribute only the executive summary of the environmental document together with a compact disc of the complete environmental document. A complete printed set of the environmental document will be available for review at the grantee’s offices and elsewhere; an electronic copy of the complete environmental document will also be available on Sound Transit’s Web page. Issued on: September 6, 2012. Kenneth A. Feldman, Deputy Regional Administrator, FTA Region 10. [FR Doc. 2012–22823 Filed 9–14–12; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [Docket No. NHTSA–2010–0152] Technical Report on Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint of Model Year 2000–2007 Passenger Cars and LTVs National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Department of Transportation. ACTION: Request for comments on technical report. AGENCY: This notice announces NHTSA’s publication of a technical report describing relationships between a vehicle’s mass, footprint (size), and body type and its rate of involvement in fatal crashes. The report’s title is: Relationships Between Fatality Risk, Mass, and Footprint in Model Year 2000–2007 Passenger Cars and LTVs— Final Report. DATES: Comments must be received no later than January 15, 2013. ADDRESSES: Report: The technical report is available on the Internet for viewing in PDF format at https://wwwnrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811665.pdf. You may obtain a copy of the report free of charge by sending a self-addressed mailing label to Charles J. Kahane (NVS–431), National Highway Traffic SUMMARY: PO 00000 Frm 00117 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 Safety Administration, Room W53–312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Comments: You may submit comments [identified by Docket Number NHTSA–2010–0152] by any of the following methods: • Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to https://www.regulations.gov. Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. • Fax: 1–202–493–2251. • Mail: Docket Management Facility, M–30, U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building, Ground Floor, Rm. W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. • Hand Delivery: West Building Ground Floor, Room W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. You may call Docket Management at 202–366–9826. Instructions: For detailed instructions on submitting comments, see the Procedural Matters section of this document. Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles J. Kahane, Chief, Evaluation Division, NVS–431, National Center for Statistics and Analysis, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Room W53–312, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Washington, DC 20590. Telephone: 202–366–2560. Email: chuck.kahane@dot.gov. Mass reduction while holding a vehicle’s footprint (size) constant is a potential strategy for meeting footprint-based CAFE and GHG standards. An important corollary issue is the possible effect of mass reduction that maintains footprint on fatal crashes. One way to estimate these effects is statistical analyses of societal fatality rates per VMT, by vehicles’ mass and footprint, for the current on-road vehicle fleet. Societal fatality rates include occupants of all vehicles in the crash as well as pedestrians. The analyses comprised MY 2000–2007 cars and LTVs in CY 2002–2008 crashes. Fatality rates were derived from FARS data, 13 State crash files, and registration and mileage data from R.L. Polk. The table presents the estimated percent increase in societal fatality rates per 100-pound mass reduction while holding footprint constant for five classes of vehicles: SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: E:\FR\FM\17SEN1.SGM 17SEN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57184-57186]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-22823]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Transit Administration


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
a Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Satellite Facility, King and 
Snohomish Counties, Washington

AGENCY: Federal Transit Administration, United States Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) and the Central Puget 
Sound Regional Transit Authority (Sound Transit) are planning to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Sound Transit's 
proposed new Light Rail Operations and Maintenance Satellite Facility 
(OMSF). The OMSF would allow Sound Transit to meet future maintenance 
and storage needs of an expanded fleet of light rail vehicles 
identified in the Sound Transit 2 (ST2) Plan. The EIS will be prepared 
in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and 
Washington's State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). This Notice of 
Intent initiates scoping for the EIS, invites interested parties to 
participate in the EIS process, provides information about the 
preliminary purpose and need for the proposed transit project, includes 
site alternatives being considered for evaluation in the EIS, and 
identifies potential environmental effects to be considered. The notice 
invites public comments on the scope of the EIS and announces the 
public scoping meetings that will be conducted. Alternatives being 
considered for evaluation include a No-Build alternative and five sites 
where the OMSF could be built.

DATES: Written comments on the scope of alternatives and impacts to be 
considered in the EIS must be received no later than October 22, 2012, 
and must be sent to Sound Transit as indicated below. Information about 
the proposed project, the Scoping Information Report, and the EIS 
process will be available at two public scoping meetings (on Oct. 8 and 
Oct. 11) and one scoping meeting for tribal and agency representatives 
(on Oct. 9) at the locations described below. Sound Transit and FTA 
will accept comments at those meetings.

ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS should be sent to 
Kent Hale, Senior Environmental Planner, Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson 
Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, or by email to OMSF@soundtransit.org.

[[Page 57185]]

    At the public and agency scoping meetings, Sound Transit will 
provide information on the project along with opportunities for written 
comments.
    1. October 8, 2012, 4:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m., Highland Community Center, 
14224 Bel-Red Road, Bellevue, WA.
    2. October 11, 2012, 5:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m., Lynnwood Convention 
Center, 3711 196th St. SW., Lynnwood, WA.
    3. (Agency and Tribal Meeting)
    October 9, 2012, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m., Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson 
Street, Seattle, WA 98104.
    Invitations to the interagency and tribal scoping meeting have been 
sent to appropriate Federal, tribal, state, and local governmental 
units. All public meeting locations are accessible to persons with 
disabilities who may also request materials be prepared and supplied in 
alternate formats by calling Luke Lamon, (206) 903-7469 at least 48 
hours in advance of the meeting for Sound Transit to make necessary 
arrangement. Persons who are deaf or hard of hearing may call (888) 
713-6030 TTY. Scoping information as well as general information is 
available at: https://www.soundtransit.org/OMSF. The scoping period 
extends to October 22, 2012, or 30 days from the date of this notice, 
whichever is later. Written scoping comments are requested by October 
22, 2012 at the address above, or they can be submitted at the public 
meetings.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dan Drais, FTA Environmental 
Protection Specialist, phone: (206) 220-4465.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The Proposed Project. Sound Transit is implementing a system-wide 
expansion of its Link light rail transit service as part of the Sound 
Transit 2 (ST2) Plan of transit investments approved by the voters in 
2008. To provide the service required by the ST2 Plan, Sound Transit 
will have to increase its light rail vehicle fleet to approximately 180 
vehicles by 2023. Its existing light rail operations and maintenance 
facility (OMF), located on a 25-acre site south of South Forest Street 
and west of Airport Way in the industrial area south of Downtown 
Seattle, is configured to serve up to 104 vehicles.
    The Purpose of and Need for the Project. The project's purpose is 
to enable Sound Transit to meet the maintenance and storage needs of 
the expanded fleet of light rail vehicles identified in the ST2 Plan. 
ST2's vehicle acquisition and delivery schedule requires additional 
capacity to be operational by the end of 2020. The OMSF project will:
     Accommodate expansion of the Link system to Lynnwood, 
Overlake and South King County (Kent or Des Moines);
     Provide efficient and reliable light rail service and 
minimize system operating costs; and
     Support regional long-range plans, including the Puget 
Sound Regional Council's (PSRC) VISION 2040 and Transportation 2040 
plans, and Sound Transit's Regional Transit Long-Range Plan.
    The project is needed because the existing OMF site cannot store, 
maintain, or deploy the vehicles associated with the expanded service 
called for in the ST2 Plan. Sound Transit cannot provide reliable 
service without adequate maintenance facility capacity. Approximately 
180 vehicles are needed for the ST2 expansion; the existing OMF can 
store only 104 vehicles. Therefore, to implement ST2 the Link system 
will require more storage area and greater capacity for necessary 
service, maintenance, and inspection functions. Moreover, the storage 
and maintenance facility must be sited to support efficient and 
reliable operations and deployment of vehicles to serve the entire Link 
system.
    Potential EIS Alternatives. Sound Transit and FTA are considering 
several alternatives for study in the EIS. Potentially viable sites 
that meet minimum requirements of size, configuration, proximity to the 
light rail system, and operational feasibility have been identified 
along the Lynnwood Link Extension and in the East Link Corridor. FTA 
and Sound Transit invite comments on these preliminary alternatives; 
public and agency input received during the scoping period will help 
FTA and Sound Transit develop a range of reasonable alternatives to 
evaluate in the Draft EIS.
    Lynnwood Link Corridor. One site is at 52nd Ave and SW 208th St., 
north of I-5 and east of 52nd Ave W/Cedar Valley Road in Lynnwood. It 
is located along all of the proposed Lynnwood Link alignments being 
evaluated in the Lynnwood Link Extension Draft EIS.
    East Link Corridor. Four potential sites are on the East Link 
alignment in Bellevue: (1) Between the BNSF railway corridor on the 
west and 120th Ave. NE on the east, south of SR 520 and north of NE 
12th St.; (2) south of SR 520 and north of Northup Way/NE 20th St., 
east of 130th Ave. NE and west of 140th Ave. NE; (3) East of 140th Ave. 
NE., between NE 20th St. and NE 24th St., and southeast of SR 520; and 
(4) west of 130th Ave. NE., east of 124th Ave. NE., and south of 
Northup Way.
    No-Build Alternative. NEPA requires consideration of a No-Build 
Alternative as a baseline against which to measure impacts of the 
action alternatives. It includes the existing transportation system 
plus the transportation improvements included in PSRC's Transportation 
Improvement Program.
    Scope of Environmental Analysis. The EIS process explores in a 
public setting the potentially significant effects of implementing the 
proposed action (and alternatives to the proposed action) on the 
physical, human, and natural environment. Areas of investigation for 
this project may include, but might not be limited to, transportation, 
land use and consistency with applicable plans, land acquisition and 
displacements, socioeconomic impacts, park and recreation resources, 
historic and cultural resources, environmental justice, visual and 
aesthetic qualities, air quality, noise and vibration, energy use, 
safety and security, and ecosystems, including threatened and 
endangered species. These effects will be evaluated for both the 
construction period and the long-term period of operation. Indirect, 
secondary and cumulative impacts will also be evaluated. The EIS will 
identify measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate significant adverse 
impacts.
    Roles of Participating Agencies and the Public. NEPA, and FTA's own 
authorities, call for public involvement in the EIS process, including: 
(1) Invitations to other Federal and non-Federal agencies and Indian 
tribes that may have an interest in the proposed project to become 
``cooperating'' or ``participating agencies,'' (2) opportunities for 
involvement by agencies and the public in helping to define the 
proposed project's purpose and need, as well as the range of 
alternatives for consideration in the impact statement, and (3) a plan 
for coordinating public and agency participation in and comment on the 
environmental review process.
    An invitation to become a participating agency will be extended to 
other Federal and non-Federal agencies and Indian tribes that may have 
an interest in the proposed project. Any agency or tribe interested in 
the project that does not receive such an invitation should promptly 
notify the Senior Environmental Planner identified above under 
ADDRESSES.
    A draft Coordination Plan for public and agency involvement is 
available for review at the project Web site. It identifies the 
project's coordination approach and structure, details the major 
milestones for agency and public involvement, and includes an initial 
list of interested agencies and organizations.

[[Page 57186]]

    FTA and Sound Transit welcome comments from interested individuals, 
organizations, tribes and agencies. Comments are invited regarding the 
preliminary statement of purpose and need; the alternatives to be 
evaluated in the EIS; and any significant environmental issues related 
to the alternatives. Suggested reasonable alternatives that meet the 
project purpose and need will be seriously considered. To assist the 
public during scoping, Sound Transit has prepared an Environmental 
Scoping Information Report describing the project, potential site 
alternatives, potential impact areas to be evaluated, and the 
preliminary EIS schedule. You may request a copy of it from Luke Lamon, 
Sound Transit, 401 S. Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104-2826, 
telephone: (206) 903-7469 or email: luke.lamon@soundtransit.org. It is 
also available at https://www.soundtransit.org/OMSF. After the comment 
period, Sound Transit will publish a summary of the public and agency 
comments it received. After scoping concludes later this year, the 
Sound Transit Board is expected to consider a motion addressing the 
purpose and need for the project, the scope of environmental review, 
and alternatives to be considered in the draft EIS.
    FTA and Sound Transit will comply with all applicable Federal 
environmental laws, regulations, and executive orders during the 
environmental review process. These requirements include, but are not 
limited to, the regulations of the Council on Environmental Quality 
implementing NEPA, and FTA's own NEPA regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-
1508, and 23 CFR part 771); the air quality conformity regulations of 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (40 CFR part 93); the 
Section 404(b)(1) guidelines of EPA (40 CFR part 230); the regulations 
implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (36 
CFR part 800); the regulations implementing Section 7 of the Endangered 
Species Act (50 CFR part 402); Section 4(f) of the Dept. of 
Transportation Act (23 CFR part 774); Executive Orders 12898 on 
Environmental Justice, 11988 on floodplain management, and 11990 on 
wetlands; and DOT Order 5610.2(a) on Environmental Justice.
    Paperwork Reduction. The Paperwork Reduction Act seeks, in part, to 
minimize the cost to the taxpayer of the creation, collection, 
maintenance, use, dissemination, and disposition of information. 
Consistent with this goal and with principles of economy and efficiency 
in government, FTA limits as much as possible the distribution of 
complete sets of printed environmental documents. Accordingly, absent a 
specific request for a complete printed set of environmental documents 
(preferably in advance of printing), Sound Transit will distribute only 
the executive summary of the environmental document together with a 
compact disc of the complete environmental document. A complete printed 
set of the environmental document will be available for review at the 
grantee's offices and elsewhere; an electronic copy of the complete 
environmental document will also be available on Sound Transit's Web 
page.

    Issued on: September 6, 2012.
Kenneth A. Feldman,
Deputy Regional Administrator, FTA Region 10.
[FR Doc. 2012-22823 Filed 9-14-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
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