Environmental Impact Statement for the Southeast High Speed Rail Project From Washington, DC to Richmond, VA, 63483-63485 [2014-25219]
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 2014 / Notices
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• Acquisition of additional land for
runway protection zones, other
approach protection, or airport
development.
• Cargo facility requirements.
• Modifications, which will permit
the airfield to accommodate general
aviation users.
Landside:
• Construction of surface parking
areas and access roads to accommodate
automobiles in the airport terminal and
air cargo areas and provide an adequate
level of access to the airport.
• Construction or relocation of access
roads to provide efficient and
convenient movement of vehicular
traffic to, on, and from the airport,
including access to passenger, air cargo,
fixed base operations, and aircraft
maintenance areas.
• Modification or construction of
facilities such as passenger terminals,
surface automobile parking lots,
hangars, air cargo terminal buildings,
and access roads to cargo facilities to
accommodate civil use.
(6) An evaluation of the ability of
surface transportation facilities (e.g.,
road, rail, high-speed rail, and/or
maritime) to provide intermodal
connections.
(7) A description of the type and level
of aviation and community interest in
the civil use of a current or former
military airport.
(8) One copy of the FAA-approved
ALP for each copy of the application.
The ALP or supporting information
should clearly show capacity and
conversion related projects. Other
information such as project costs,
schedule, project justification, other
maps and drawings showing the project
locations, and any other supporting
documentation that would make the
application easier to understand should
also be included. You may also provide
photos, which would further describe
the airport, projects, and otherwise
clarify certain aspects of this
application. These maps and ALP’s
should be cross-referenced with the
project costs and project descriptions.
Redesignation of Airports Previously
Designated and Applying for Up to an
Additional Five Years in the Program
Airports applying for redesignation to
the Military Airport Program must
submit the same information required
by new candidate airports applying for
a new designation. On the SF 424,
Application for Federal Assistance,
prescribed by the Office of Management
and Budget Circular A–102, airports
must indicate their application is for
redesignation to the MAP. In addition to
the information required for new
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candidates, airports requesting
redesignation must also explain:
(1) Why a redesignation and
additional MAP eligible project funding
is needed to accomplish the conversion
to meet the civil role of the airport and
the preferred time period for
redesignation not to exceed five years;
(2) Why funding of eligible work
under other categories of AIP or other
sources of funding would not
accomplish the development needs of
the airport; and
(3) Why, based on the previously
funded MAP projects, the projects and/
or funding level were insufficient to
accomplish the airport conversion needs
and development goals.
In addition to the information
requested above, airports applying for
redesignation must provide a reanalysis
of their original business/marketing
plans (for example, a plan previously
funded by the Office of Economic
Adjustment or the original Master Plan
for the airport) and prepare a report. If
there is not an existing business/
marketing plan a business/marketing
plan or strategy must be developed. The
report must contain:
(1) Whether the original business/
marketing plan is still appropriate;
(2) Is the airport continuing to work
towards the goals established in the
business/marketing plan;
(3) Discuss how the MAP projects
contained in the application contribute
to the goals of the sponsor and their
plans; and
(4) If the business/marketing plan no
longer applies to the current goals of the
airport, how has the airport altered the
business/marketing plan to establish a
new direction for the facility and how
do the projects contained in the MAP
application aid in the completion of the
new direction and goals and by what
date does the sponsor anticipate
graduating from the MAP.
This notice is issued pursuant to Title
49 U.S.C. 47118.
Issued at Washington, DC, on October 17,
2014.
Elliott Black,
Director, Office of Airport Planning and
Programming.
[FR Doc. 2014–25161 Filed 10–22–14; 8:45 am]
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63483
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Southeast High Speed Rail Project
From Washington, DC to Richmond,
VA
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
AGENCY:
FRA is issuing this notice to
advise the public that the FRA and the
Virginia Department of Rail and Public
Transportation (DRPT) will be preparing
a Tier II Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for a 123-mile portion of
the Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR)
Corridor from Washington, DC to
Richmond, Virginia. The EIS will
evaluate environmental and related
impacts of upgrading the rail system
and associated infrastructure between
the Long Bridge over the Potomac River
in Arlington, Virginia and Centralia,
Virginia, to implement higher speed
passenger rail service, increase rail
capacity, and improve passenger train
reliability. FRA is issuing this notice to
solicit public and agency input into the
development of the scope of the EIS and
to advise the public that outreach
activities conducted by FRA and DRPT
will be considered in the preparation of
the EIS. To ensure all significant issues
are identified and considered, the
public is invited to comment on the
scope of the EIS, including the purpose
and need, alternatives to be considered,
impacts to be evaluated, and
methodologies to be used in the
evaluation.
DATES: The public, governmental
agencies, and all other interested parties
are invited to comment on the scope of
the EIS. All such comments should be
provided to DRPT, in writing, within
thirty (30) days of the publication of this
notice, at the address listed below.
Comments may also be provided in
writing at the scoping meetings for the
Project. Scoping meeting dates, times
and locations, in addition to Project
information can be found online on the
FRA Web site at www.fra.dot.gov and on
the Project Web site at
www.DC2RVArail.com. An agency
scoping meeting will take place on
November 3, 2014. Four public scoping
meetings will also be held in November
2014. See the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for the public
scoping meeting dates.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
scope of the EIS may be mailed or
SUMMARY:
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63484
Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 2014 / Notices
emailed within thirty (30) days of the
publication of this notice to Ms. Emily
Stock, DRPT Project Manager, Virginia
Department of Rail and Public
Transportation (DRPT), 600 East Main
Street, Suite 2102, Richmond, VA
23219, Emily.Stock@drpt.virginia.gov.
Additionally, see the SUPPLEMENTARY
INFORMATION section for the public
scoping meeting locations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
John Winkle, Transportation Industry
Analyst, Office of Railroad Policy and
Development, Federal Railroad
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE., MS–20, Room W38–311,
Washington, DC 20590, John.Winkle@
dot.gov, or Ms. Emily Stock, DRPT
Project Manager, Virginia Department of
Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT),
600 East Main Street, Suite 2102,
Richmond, VA 23219, Emily.Stock@
drpt.virginia.gov. Information and
documents regarding the EIS process
will also be made available through the
FRA Web site at www.fra.dot.gov and on
the Project Web site at
www.DC2RVArail.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA, in
cooperation with the Virginia
Department of Rail and Public
Transportation (DRPT), is beginning a
Tier II Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the 123-mile portion of the
SEHSR Corridor from Washington, DC
to Richmond, VA. The environmental
study area begins at the southern
terminus of the Long Bridge over the
Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia
and continues south to Centralia,
Virginia at the CSXT A-Line/CSXT
S-Line junction. This study will
evaluate alternatives and environmental
impacts within the preferred corridor
described in the Tier I Record of
Decision for the SEHSR Corridor from
Washington, DC to Charlotte, North
Carolina. The Tier II EIS will be
prepared in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA) and will also address
compliance under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act,
Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of
Transportation Act of 1966, and Section
6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation
Fund Act.
The Southeast High Speed Rail
Corridor, one of eleven Federal high
speed passenger rail corridors, was
designated by the U.S. Department of
Transportation (DOT) in 1992. The
corridor was designated as running from
Washington, DC through Richmond, VA
and Raleigh, NC to Charlotte, NC, with
maximum speeds of 110 mph. It is part
of an overall plan to extend service from
the existing high speed rail on the
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Jkt 235001
Northeast Corridor (Boston to
Washington) to points in the Southeast.
In 1995, DOT extended the SEHSR
corridor to Hampton Roads, VA. In
1998, DOT created two more extensions:
(1) From Charlotte through Spartanburg
and Greenville, SC to Atlanta, GA and
on through Macon, GA to Jacksonville,
FL; and (2) from Raleigh through
Columbia, SC and Savannah, GA to
Jacksonville, FL and from Atlanta to
Birmingham, AL.
A ‘‘tiered’’ approach was adopted for
the SEHSR environmental studies
because of the length of the corridor.
The original SEHSR Tier I EIS and
Record of Decision (2002) (available at:
https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0427)
covered the entire Washington, DC to
Charlotte, NC corridor at a program
level, establishing the overall project
purpose and need and modal alternative
along with the preferred corridor. A
separate Tier I EIS was completed in
2012 for the Richmond to Hampton
Roads extension (available at: https://
www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0481).
Several Tier II environmental
documents will examine the various
segments of the preferred corridor on a
more detailed, local level. A Tier II EIS
is currently underway for the Richmond
to Raleigh portion of the SEHSR
corridor. The Tier II EIS that is the
subject of this notice will examine the
Washington, DC to Richmond portion of
the SEHSR corridor and will include
preliminary engineering in addition to
the Tier II EIS.
Additionally, this project will include
preliminary engineering and
environmental analyses for related
capacity improvements on the CSXT
Peninsula Subdivision in the Richmond
area between AM Junction and Beulah
to the east, and on the Buckingham
Branch Railroad from AM Junction
through Doswell, VA, to the north, as
well as two localities where specific
improvements have not been identified:
Elmont to North Doswell (through
Ashland, VA) and Fredericksburg to
Dahlgren (through Fredericksburg, VA
and the Rappahannock River Bridge).
These areas will be evaluated for
station, track, and safety improvements
as well as the feasibility of a third track.
This project will involve further
analysis of the alignment of the route
selected through the 2002 Tier I EIS and
Record of Decision, including the
Buckingham Branch Railroad and the
CSXT S-Line and A-Line routes from
Greendale north of Richmond to
Centralia south of Richmond.
This Tier II environmental process
has four basic goals: (1) Update and
confirm the purpose and need as
established in the Tier I EIS for the
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Washington, DC to Richmond, VA
portion of the SEHSR corridor; (2)
Develop site-specific rail alternatives for
placement of a third track and other
improvements; (3) Conduct a detailed
evaluation of environmental impacts for
the alternatives; and (4) Select a
preferred alternative. The project also
will include preliminary engineering for
projects from Arlington to Centralia that
are required to deliver SEHSR service at
a maximum authorized speed (MAS) of
90 miles per hour (mph) along the
corridor, as well as updating the
existing service development plan (SDP)
for operations along the corridor.
Environmental Review Process
The Tier II EIS will be developed in
accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations (40 CFR part 1500 et seq.)
implementing the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 321 et seq.) (NEPA) and FRA’s
Procedures for Considering
Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545,
May 26, 1999). In addition to NEPA, the
EIS will address other applicable
statutes, regulations and executive
orders, including the 1980 Clean Air Act
Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act, the National Historic
Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act, the
Endangered Species Act, and Executive
Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
The purpose of the Tier II EIS will be
to provide the FRA, reviewing and
cooperating agencies, and the public
with information to assess alternatives
that will meet the Project’s purpose and
need; to evaluate the potential
environmental impacts; and to identify
potential avoidance/mitigation
measures, associated with the proposed
Project alternatives.
The Project may affect historic
properties and may be subject to the
requirements of Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)). 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 the NHPA with the
preparation of the 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.
Scoping and Public Involvement
FRA encourages broad participation
in the Tier II EIS process during scoping
and review of the resulting
environmental documents. Comments
are invited from all interested agencies
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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 205 / Thursday, October 23, 2014 / Notices
and the public to ensure the full range
of issues related to the Project are
addressed, reasonable alternatives are
considered, and significant issues are
identified. In particular, FRA is
interested in identifying areas of
environmental concern where there
might be a potential for significant
impacts. Public agencies with
jurisdiction are requested to advise FRA
and DRPT 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. Letters describing the
proposed action and soliciting
comments will be sent to appropriate
Federal, State, and local agencies in
Virginia. 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 EIS.
Public scoping opportunities and
meetings will be scheduled as described
below and are an important component
of the scoping process for Federal
environmental review. FRA is seeking
participation and input of interested
Federal, State, and local agencies,
Native American groups, and other
concerned private organizations and
individuals on the scope of the EIS. A
continual public involvement/
information program will support the
process. The program will involve
newsletters, a project hotline,
informational workshops, small group
meetings, social media, and other
methods to solicit and incorporate
public input throughout the EIS process.
Comments and questions concerning the
proposed action should be directed to
DRPT or to FRA at the addresses
provided above. Additional information
can be obtained by visiting the project
Web site at www.DC2RVArail.com or
Application
No.
Docket No.
calling the toll-free project
number 1–888–832–0900.
ACTION:
Public Scoping Meeting Dates and
Locations
63485
SUMMARY:
List of Applications for Special
Permits.
The public scoping meetings will be
advertised locally and are scheduled for
the following locations on the dates
indicated below from 5:00–7:30 p.m.
November 5, 5:00–7:30 p.m., Hanover
Arts and Activities Center, 500 South
Center Street, Ashland, VA
November 6, 5:00–7:30 p.m.,
Department of Motor Vehicles, 2300
W. Broad Street, Richmond, VA
November 12, 5:00–7:30 p.m., National
Museum of the Marine CorpsQuantico, 18900 Jefferson Davis
Highway, Quantico, VA
November 13, 5:00–7:30, Westin Crystal
City, 1800 Jefferson Davis Highway,
Arlington, VA
In addition, an online meeting will also
be available from October 27, 2014
through December 5, 2014. The public
can review materials at the meetings or
online and provide comments by
December 5, 2014.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 17,
2014.
Corey W. Hill,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2014–25219 Filed 10–22–14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials
Safety Administration
Office of Hazardous Materials Safety;
Notice of Application for Special
Permits
Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration
(PHMSA), DOT.
AGENCY:
Applicant
Regulation(s) affected
In accordance with the
procedures governing the application
for, and the processing of, special
permits from the Department of
Transportation’s Hazardous Material
Regulations (49 CFR part 107, Subpart
B), notice is hereby given that the Office
of Hazardous Materials Safety has
received the application described
herein. Each mode of transportation for
which a particular special permit is
requested is indicated by a number in
the ‘‘Nature of Application’’ portion of
the table, below as follows: 1—Motor
vehicle, 2—Rail freight, 3—Cargo vessel,
4—Cargo aircraft only, 5—Passengercarrying aircraft.
DATES: Comments must be received on
or before November 24, 2014.
ADDRESS COMMENTS TO: Record Center,
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials,
Safety Administration, U.S. Department
of Transportation, Washington, DC
20590.
Comments should refer to the
application number and be submitted in
triplicate. If confirmation of receipt of
comments is desired, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard showing
the special permit number.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Copies of the applications are available
for inspection in the Records Center,
East Building, PHH–30, 1200 New
Jersey Avenue Southeast, Washington,
DC or at https://regulations.gov.
This notice of receipt of applications
for special permit is published in
accordance with Part 107 of the Federal
hazardous materials transportation law
(49 U.S.C. 5117(b); 49 CFR 1.53(b)).
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 9,
2014.
Donald Burger,
Chief, General Approvals and Permits.
Nature of special permit thereof
New Special Permits
............................
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Optimized Energy Solutions, LLC, Durango,
CO.
Air Liquide America Specialty Gases, LLC,
Plumsteadville, PA.
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Column (8C), 173.315.
49 173.302a(a)(1),
173.302a(a)(3).
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To authorize the transportation in commerce of ethane, refrigerated liquid in DOT 113C120W tank
cars, (mode 2).
To authorize the transportation in commerce of certain non-liquefied flammable gases in non-DOT
specification cylinders and certain non-liquefied
flammable gases in cylinders authorized under
DOT–SP 10788 with a volume not to exceed 1.6
L. (modes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5).
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 205 (Thursday, October 23, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63483-63485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-25219]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Environmental Impact Statement for the Southeast High Speed Rail
Project From Washington, DC to Richmond, VA
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the FRA
and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT)
will be preparing a Tier II Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a
123-mile portion of the Southeast High Speed Rail (SEHSR) Corridor from
Washington, DC to Richmond, Virginia. The EIS will evaluate
environmental and related impacts of upgrading the rail system and
associated infrastructure between the Long Bridge over the Potomac
River in Arlington, Virginia and Centralia, Virginia, to implement
higher speed passenger rail service, increase rail capacity, and
improve passenger train reliability. FRA is issuing this notice to
solicit public and agency input into the development of the scope of
the EIS and to advise the public that outreach activities conducted by
FRA and DRPT will be considered in the preparation of the EIS. To
ensure all significant issues are identified and considered, the public
is invited to comment on the scope of the EIS, including the purpose
and need, alternatives to be considered, impacts to be evaluated, and
methodologies to be used in the evaluation.
DATES: The public, governmental agencies, and all other interested
parties are invited to comment on the scope of the EIS. All such
comments should be provided to DRPT, in writing, within thirty (30)
days of the publication of this notice, at the address listed below.
Comments may also be provided in writing at the scoping meetings for
the Project. Scoping meeting dates, times and locations, in addition to
Project information can be found online on the FRA Web site at
www.fra.dot.gov and on the Project Web site at www.DC2RVArail.com. An
agency scoping meeting will take place on November 3, 2014. Four public
scoping meetings will also be held in November 2014. See the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the public scoping meeting dates.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the EIS may be mailed or
[[Page 63484]]
emailed within thirty (30) days of the publication of this notice to
Ms. Emily Stock, DRPT Project Manager, Virginia Department of Rail and
Public Transportation (DRPT), 600 East Main Street, Suite 2102,
Richmond, VA 23219, Emily.Stock@drpt.virginia.gov. Additionally, see
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for the public scoping meeting
locations.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Winkle, Transportation
Industry Analyst, Office of Railroad Policy and Development, Federal
Railroad Administration, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., MS-20, Room W38-
311, Washington, DC 20590, John.Winkle@dot.gov, or Ms. Emily Stock,
DRPT Project Manager, Virginia Department of Rail and Public
Transportation (DRPT), 600 East Main Street, Suite 2102, Richmond, VA
23219, Emily.Stock@drpt.virginia.gov. Information and documents
regarding the EIS process will also be made available through the FRA
Web site at www.fra.dot.gov and on the Project Web site at
www.DC2RVArail.com.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA, in cooperation with the Virginia
Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT), is beginning a
Tier II Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 123-mile portion
of the SEHSR Corridor from Washington, DC to Richmond, VA. The
environmental study area begins at the southern terminus of the Long
Bridge over the Potomac River in Arlington, Virginia and continues
south to Centralia, Virginia at the CSXT A-Line/CSXT S-Line junction.
This study will evaluate alternatives and environmental impacts within
the preferred corridor described in the Tier I Record of Decision for
the SEHSR Corridor from Washington, DC to Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Tier II EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and will also address
compliance under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act,
Section 4(f) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966, and
Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act.
The Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, one of eleven Federal high
speed passenger rail corridors, was designated by the U.S. Department
of Transportation (DOT) in 1992. The corridor was designated as running
from Washington, DC through Richmond, VA and Raleigh, NC to Charlotte,
NC, with maximum speeds of 110 mph. It is part of an overall plan to
extend service from the existing high speed rail on the Northeast
Corridor (Boston to Washington) to points in the Southeast. In 1995,
DOT extended the SEHSR corridor to Hampton Roads, VA. In 1998, DOT
created two more extensions: (1) From Charlotte through Spartanburg and
Greenville, SC to Atlanta, GA and on through Macon, GA to Jacksonville,
FL; and (2) from Raleigh through Columbia, SC and Savannah, GA to
Jacksonville, FL and from Atlanta to Birmingham, AL.
A ``tiered'' approach was adopted for the SEHSR environmental
studies because of the length of the corridor. The original SEHSR Tier
I EIS and Record of Decision (2002) (available at: https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0427) covered the entire Washington, DC to
Charlotte, NC corridor at a program level, establishing the overall
project purpose and need and modal alternative along with the preferred
corridor. A separate Tier I EIS was completed in 2012 for the Richmond
to Hampton Roads extension (available at: https://www.fra.dot.gov/Page/P0481).
Several Tier II environmental documents will examine the various
segments of the preferred corridor on a more detailed, local level. A
Tier II EIS is currently underway for the Richmond to Raleigh portion
of the SEHSR corridor. The Tier II EIS that is the subject of this
notice will examine the Washington, DC to Richmond portion of the SEHSR
corridor and will include preliminary engineering in addition to the
Tier II EIS.
Additionally, this project will include preliminary engineering and
environmental analyses for related capacity improvements on the CSXT
Peninsula Subdivision in the Richmond area between AM Junction and
Beulah to the east, and on the Buckingham Branch Railroad from AM
Junction through Doswell, VA, to the north, as well as two localities
where specific improvements have not been identified: Elmont to North
Doswell (through Ashland, VA) and Fredericksburg to Dahlgren (through
Fredericksburg, VA and the Rappahannock River Bridge). These areas will
be evaluated for station, track, and safety improvements as well as the
feasibility of a third track.
This project will involve further analysis of the alignment of the
route selected through the 2002 Tier I EIS and Record of Decision,
including the Buckingham Branch Railroad and the CSXT S-Line and A-Line
routes from Greendale north of Richmond to Centralia south of Richmond.
This Tier II environmental process has four basic goals: (1) Update
and confirm the purpose and need as established in the Tier I EIS for
the Washington, DC to Richmond, VA portion of the SEHSR corridor; (2)
Develop site-specific rail alternatives for placement of a third track
and other improvements; (3) Conduct a detailed evaluation of
environmental impacts for the alternatives; and (4) Select a preferred
alternative. The project also will include preliminary engineering for
projects from Arlington to Centralia that are required to deliver SEHSR
service at a maximum authorized speed (MAS) of 90 miles per hour (mph)
along the corridor, as well as updating the existing service
development plan (SDP) for operations along the corridor.
Environmental Review Process
The Tier II EIS will be developed in accordance with the Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR part 1500 et seq.)
implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
321 et seq.) (NEPA) and FRA's Procedures for Considering Environmental
Impacts (64 FR 28545, May 26, 1999). In addition to NEPA, the EIS will
address other applicable statutes, regulations and executive orders,
including the 1980 Clean Air Act Amendments, Section 404 of the Clean
Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, Section 4(f) of the
Department of Transportation Act, the Endangered Species Act, and
Executive Order 12898 on Environmental Justice.
The purpose of the Tier II EIS will be to provide the FRA,
reviewing and cooperating agencies, and the public with information to
assess alternatives that will meet the Project's purpose and need; to
evaluate the potential environmental impacts; and to identify potential
avoidance/mitigation measures, associated with the proposed Project
alternatives.
The Project may affect historic properties and may be subject to
the requirements of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966 (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470(f)). 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 the NHPA
with the preparation of the 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.
Scoping and Public Involvement
FRA encourages broad participation in the Tier II EIS process
during scoping and review of the resulting environmental documents.
Comments are invited from all interested agencies
[[Page 63485]]
and the public to ensure the full range of issues related to the
Project are addressed, reasonable alternatives are considered, and
significant issues are identified. In particular, FRA is interested in
identifying areas of environmental concern where there might be a
potential for significant impacts. Public agencies with jurisdiction
are requested to advise FRA and DRPT 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. Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments
will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies in
Virginia. 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 EIS.
Public scoping opportunities and meetings will be scheduled as
described below and are an important component of the scoping process
for Federal environmental review. FRA is seeking participation and
input of interested Federal, State, and local agencies, Native American
groups, and other concerned private organizations and individuals on
the scope of the EIS. A continual public involvement/information
program will support the process. The program will involve newsletters,
a project hotline, informational workshops, small group meetings,
social media, and other methods to solicit and incorporate public input
throughout the EIS process. Comments and questions concerning the
proposed action should be directed to DRPT or to FRA at the addresses
provided above. Additional information can be obtained by visiting the
project Web site at www.DC2RVArail.com or calling the toll-free project
number 1-888-832-0900.
Public Scoping Meeting Dates and Locations
The public scoping meetings will be advertised locally and are
scheduled for the following locations on the dates indicated below from
5:00-7:30 p.m.
November 5, 5:00-7:30 p.m., Hanover Arts and Activities Center, 500
South Center Street, Ashland, VA
November 6, 5:00-7:30 p.m., Department of Motor Vehicles, 2300 W. Broad
Street, Richmond, VA
November 12, 5:00-7:30 p.m., National Museum of the Marine Corps-
Quantico, 18900 Jefferson Davis Highway, Quantico, VA
November 13, 5:00-7:30, Westin Crystal City, 1800 Jefferson Davis
Highway, Arlington, VA
In addition, an online meeting will also be available from October 27,
2014 through December 5, 2014. The public can review materials at the
meetings or online and provide comments by December 5, 2014.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
Issued in Washington, DC, on October 17, 2014.
Corey W. Hill,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2014-25219 Filed 10-22-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
