Rescinding the Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Blair Bypass, Washington County, Nebraska, 45701-45702 [2015-18815]

Download as PDF Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices such actions were taken, are described in the final Environmental Assessment Federal Highway Administration (EA) for the project, for which a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) was Notice of Final Federal Agency Actions issued on July 2, 2015, and in other on I–35 Northeast Expansion Project, documents in the TxDOT administrative Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe record. The EA, FONSI, and other Counties, Texas documents in the administrative record file are available by contacting TxDOT AGENCY: Federal Highway at the address provided above. Administration (FHWA), U.S. DOT. This notice applies to all TxDOT ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by TxDOT decisions and Federal agency decisions as of the issuance date of this notice and and Federal agencies. all laws under which such actions were SUMMARY: This notice announces actions taken, including but not limited to: 1. General: National Environmental taken by Texas Department of Policy Act (NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321– Transportation (TxDOT) and Federal 4351]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 agencies that are final within the U.S.C. 109]. meaning of 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). The 2. Air: Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401– actions relate to a proposed highway 7671(q)]. project, I–35 Northeast Expansion 3. Land: Section 4(f) of the Project in Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe Department of Transportation Act of Counties, Texas. Those actions grant 1966 [49 U.S.C. 303]; Landscaping and licenses, permits, and approvals for the Scenic Enhancement (Wildflowers), 23 project. U.S.C. 319. DATES: By this notice, TxDOT is 4. Wildlife: Endangered Species Act advising the public of final agency [16 U.S.C. 1531–1544 and Section actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A 1536]; Fish and Wildlife Coordination claim seeking judicial review of the Act [16 U.S.C. 661–667(d)]; Migratory Federal agency actions on the highway Bird Treaty Act [16 U.S.C. 703–712]. project will be barred unless the claim 5. Historic and Cultural Resources: is filed on or before December 28, 2015. Section 106 of the National Historic If the Federal law that authorizes Preservation Act of 1966, as amended judicial review of a claim provides a [16 U.S.C. 470(f) et seq.]; Archeological time period of less than 150 days for Resources Protection Act of 1977 [16 filing such claim, then that shorter time U.S.C. 470(aa)–11]; Archeological and period still applies. Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. 469–469(c)]; Native American Grave Carlos Swonke, P.G., Environmental Protection and Repatriation Act Affairs Division, Texas Department of (NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001–3013]. Transportation, 125 East 11th Street, 6. Social and Economic: Civil Rights Austin, Texas 78701; telephone: (512) Act of 1964 [42 U.S.C. 2000(d)– 416–2734; email: carlos.swonke@ 2000(d)(1)]; American Indian Religious txdot.gov. TxDOT normal business Freedom Act [42 U.S.C. 1996]; Farmland hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (central Protection Policy Act (FPPA) [7 U.S.C. time) Monday through Friday. 4201–4209]. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is 7. Wetlands and Water Resources: hereby given that TxDOT and Federal Clean Water Act [33 U.S.C. 1251–1377]; agencies have taken final agency actions Land and Water Conservation Fund by issuing licenses, permits, and (LWCF) [16 U.S.C. 4601–4604]; Safe approvals for the following highway Drinking Water Act (SDWA) [42 U.S.C. project in the State of Texas: I–35 300(f)–300(j)(6)]; Rivers and Harbors Act Northeast Expansion Project, Bexar, of 1899 [33 U.S.C. 401–406]; Wild and Comal and Guadalupe Counties, Texas. Scenic Rivers Act [16 U.S.C. 1271– The project will include the 1287]; Emergency Wetlands Resources construction of four elevated managed Act [16 U.S.C. 3921, 3931]; TEA–21 lanes (two in each direction) generally Wetlands Mitigation [23 U.S.C. between the existing I–35 mainlanes 103(b)(6)(m), 133(b)(11)]; Flood Disaster and frontage roads along I–35 from I– Protection Act [42 U.S.C. 4001–4128]. 8. Executive Orders: E.O. 11990, 410 South in San Antonio to FM 1103 Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988, in Schertz. Direct connectors at the I– 35/I–410 South, I–35/I–410 West, and I– Floodplain Management; E.O. 12898, Federal Actions to Address 35/Loop 1604 interchanges and Environmental Justice in Minority operational improvements at the FM Populations and Low Income 2252, Old Wiederstein Road, and FM Populations; E.O. 11593, Protection and 1103 intersections are also included. Enhancement of Cultural Resources; The actions by TxDOT and the Federal E.O. 13007, Indian Sacred Sites; E.O. agencies, and the laws under which asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:44 Jul 30, 2015 Jkt 235001 PO 00000 Frm 00063 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 45701 13287, Preserve America; E.O. 13175, Consultation and Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments; E.O. 11514, Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality; E.O. 13112, Invasive Species; E.O. 12372, Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs. The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 16, 2014, and executed by FHWA and TxDOT. Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). Issued on: July 21, 2105. Michael T. Leary, Director, Planning and Program Development, Federal Highway Administration. [FR Doc. 2015–18313 Filed 7–30–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration Rescinding the Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): Blair Bypass, Washington County, Nebraska Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT. ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS. AGENCY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the Notice of Intent (NOI) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement to study a bypass route around the City of Blair, in Washington County, Nebraska, is being rescinded [project number S–89(17)]. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on June 2, 2004. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was not released. This rescission is based on a lack of available funding for the full corridor proposal, which has led to the reduction in the scope of the study and a refinement of the methods to identify and assess alternatives. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Maiefski, Program Delivery Team Lead, FHWA, Nebraska Division, 100 Centennial Mall North, Room 220, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508, Telephone: (402) 742–8473. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in cooperation with the City of Blair, Nebraska and the Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) initiated E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1 45702 Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 147 / Friday, July 31, 2015 / Notices an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study a bypass route around the City of Blair with a Notice of Intent on June 2, 2004. The project studied the causes of traffic congestion, delays, and accidents where State Highway 91 and U.S. Highways 30 and 75 share the same alignment within Blair on Washington Street from 19th Street to 13th Street. Traffic studies indicated that a bypass route around the south, east, and north parts of Blair could reduce truck traffic through downtown Blair. The NOI for the previous study is being rescinded due to funding constraints that have led to a reduced scope of study. The decision to rescind the NOI and to reduce the scope of the study was a joint decision by FHWA, the City of Blair, and NDOR. The new study will focus on alleviating traffic congestion within downtown Blair, but will refine the needs to be addressed and the methods for assessing alternatives. Given the reduction in scope, FHWA intends to proceed with an Environmental Assessment for the new study. If potentially significant impacts are identified during the new study, a new NOI to prepare an EIS will be published. Comments or questions concerning the rescission of this proposed action and the EIS should be directed to the FHWA at the address provided above. Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48 Dated: June 30, 2015. Joseph A. Werning, Division Administrator, Nebraska. [FR Doc. 2015–18815 Filed 7–30–15; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910–22–P DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Highway Administration [Docket No. FHWA–2015–0007] Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for Periodic Information Collection The FHWA has forwarded the information collection request described in this notice to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for approval of a new information collection. We published a Federal Register Notice with a 60-day public comment period on this information collection on February 19, 2015. We are required to publish this notice in the Federal Register by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. DATES: Please submit comments by August 31, 2015. ADDRESSES: You may send comments within 30 days to the Office of asabaliauskas on DSK5VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:44 Jul 30, 2015 Jkt 235001 Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20503, Attention DOT Desk Officer. You are asked to comment on any aspect of this information collection, including: (1) Whether the proposed collection is necessary for the FHWA’s performance; (2) the accuracy of the estimated burden; (3) ways for the FHWA to enhance the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the collected information; and (4) ways that the burden could be minimized, including the use of electronic technology, without reducing the quality of the collected information. All comments should include the Docket number FHWA–2015–0007. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Adella Santos, 202–366–5021, NHTS Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Office of Policy, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., Room E83–426, Washington, DC 20590, Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title: 2015 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS). Type of Request: Renewal request for periodic information collection requirement. Background: Title 23, United States Code, section 502 authorizes the USDOT to carry out advanced research and transportation research to measure the performance of the surface transportation systems in the US, including the efficiency, energy use, air quality, congestion, and safety of the highway and intermodal transportation systems. The USDOT is charged with the overall responsibility to obtain current information on national patterns of travel, which establishes a data base to better understand travel behavior, evaluate the use of transportation facilities, and gauge the impact of the USDOT’s policies and programs. The NHTS is the USDOT’s authoritative nationally representative data source for daily passenger travel. This inventory of travel behavior reflects travel mode (e.g., private vehicles, public transportation, walk and bike) and trip purpose (e.g., travel to work, school, recreation, personal/ family trips) by U.S. household residents. Survey results are used by federal and state agencies to monitor the performance and adequacy of current facilities and infrastructure, and to plan for future needs. The collection and analysis of national transportation data has been of critical importance for nearly half a century. Previous surveys were conducted in 1969, 1977, 1983, 1990, 1995, 2001, and 2009. The current PO 00000 Frm 00064 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 survey will be the eighth in this series, and allow researchers, planners, and officials at the state and federal levels to monitor travel trends. Data from the NHTS are widely used to support research needs within the USDOT, and State and local agencies, in addition to responding to queries from Congress, the research community and the media on important issues. Current and recent topics of interest include: • Travel to work patterns by transportation mode for infrastructure improvements and congestion reduction, • Access to public transit, paratransit, and rail services by various demographic groups, • Measures of travel by mode to establish exposure rates for risk analyses, • Support for Federal, State, and local planning activities and policy evaluation, • Active transportation by walk and bike to establish the relationship to public health issues, • Vehicle usage for energy consumption analysis, • Traffic behavior of specific demographic group such as Millennials and the aging population. Within the USDOT, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) holds responsibility for technical and funding coordination. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) are also primary data users, and have historically participated in project planning and financial support. Proposed Data Acquisition Methodology NHTS data are collected from a stratified random sample of households that represent a broad range of geographic and demographic characteristics. Letters and a brief household survey are sent to selected households requesting some basic demographic and contact information and inviting them to participate in the survey. The recruitment surveys are returned in business reply envelopes to the survey contractor. Participating households are subsequently sent a package containing travel logs for each member of the household age 5 and older. The household is assigned to record their travel on a specific day, and asked to note every trip taken during a 24 hour period. Based upon their preferences, the travel information is then reported either through the use of a survey Web site, or through a telephone interview. E:\FR\FM\31JYN1.SGM 31JYN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 147 (Friday, July 31, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45701-45702]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-18815]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Rescinding the Notice of Intent for an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS): Blair Bypass, Washington County, Nebraska

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the 
Notice of Intent (NOI) for the preparation of an Environmental Impact 
Statement to study a bypass route around the City of Blair, in 
Washington County, Nebraska, is being rescinded [project number S-
89(17)]. The NOI was published in the Federal Register on June 2, 2004. 
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement was not released. This 
rescission is based on a lack of available funding for the full 
corridor proposal, which has led to the reduction in the scope of the 
study and a refinement of the methods to identify and assess 
alternatives.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Melissa Maiefski, Program Delivery 
Team Lead, FHWA, Nebraska Division, 100 Centennial Mall North, Room 
220, Lincoln, Nebraska 68508, Telephone: (402) 742-8473.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in 
cooperation with the City of Blair, Nebraska and the Nebraska 
Department of Roads (NDOR) initiated

[[Page 45702]]

an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to study a bypass route around 
the City of Blair with a Notice of Intent on June 2, 2004. The project 
studied the causes of traffic congestion, delays, and accidents where 
State Highway 91 and U.S. Highways 30 and 75 share the same alignment 
within Blair on Washington Street from 19th Street to 13th Street. 
Traffic studies indicated that a bypass route around the south, east, 
and north parts of Blair could reduce truck traffic through downtown 
Blair.
    The NOI for the previous study is being rescinded due to funding 
constraints that have led to a reduced scope of study. The decision to 
rescind the NOI and to reduce the scope of the study was a joint 
decision by FHWA, the City of Blair, and NDOR. The new study will focus 
on alleviating traffic congestion within downtown Blair, but will 
refine the needs to be addressed and the methods for assessing 
alternatives. Given the reduction in scope, FHWA intends to proceed 
with an Environmental Assessment for the new study. If potentially 
significant impacts are identified during the new study, a new NOI to 
prepare an EIS will be published.
Comments or questions concerning the rescission of this proposed action 
and the EIS should be directed to the FHWA at the address provided 
above.

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48

    Dated: June 30, 2015.
Joseph A. Werning,
Division Administrator, Nebraska.
[FR Doc. 2015-18815 Filed 7-30-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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