Revised Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the California High-Speed Rail System, Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section, CA, 52406-52409 [2020-18610]
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 25, 2020 / Notices
time to review and comment on the
exemption applications.
Larry W. Minor,
Associate Administrator for Policy.
[FR Doc. 2020–18578 Filed 8–24–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–EX–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Revised Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the California High-Speed Rail System,
Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section, CA
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
The Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), on behalf of the
California High-Speed Rail Authority
(Authority) as the federal lead agency
under the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) Assignment (July
2019), is issuing this notice to advise
other federal, state, local, and tribal
agencies and the public that the
Authority intends to revise the scope of
the analysis of the combined projectlevel Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
and project-level Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) for the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section of the
Authority’s proposed California HighSpeed Rail (HSR) System from the Los
Angeles Union Station (LAUS) in the
City of Los Angeles, California, to the
Anaheim Regional Transportation
Intermodal Center (ARTIC) in the City of
Anaheim, California, in compliance
with relevant state and federal laws, in
particular the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and NEPA. Since
publication of the notice of intent (NOI),
the Authority has identified the
proposed BNSF Colton Intermodal
Facility Component (Colton
Component) and BNSF Lenwood
Staging Track Component (Lenwood
Component) as necessary components of
the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section of the HSR system. This Revised
NOI is being issued to solicit additional
public and agency input into the
development of the scope of the EIR/EIS
for the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section with respect to the Colton and
Lenwood Components. Public input
received during outreach activities
conducted by the Authority and its
representatives will be considered in the
preparation of the combined EIR/EIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope
of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
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SUMMARY:
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Section EIR/EIS should be provided to
the Authority starting on August 25,
2020 and must be received by the
Authority on or before September 24,
2020, as noted below. Public scoping
meetings are scheduled for the
following dates and times.
The Authority expects these meetings
to occur via webinar or other virtualonly mechanism (please consult
www.hsr.ca.gov for up-to-date
information). Scoping meetings are open
to participants from any geographic area
of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section.
• Virtual Scoping Meeting #1:
Thursday, September 10, 2020, 5:00
p.m.–7:30 p.m.
• Virtual Scoping Meeting #2:
Saturday, September 12, 2020, 10:00
a.m.–12:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the
scope of the Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section EIR/EIS in response to
this Revised NOI should be sent to Mark
A. McLoughlin, Director of
Environmental Services, ATTN: Los
Angeles—Anaheim, California HighSpeed Rail Authority, 770 L Street,
Suite 620, MS–2, Sacramento, CA
95814, or via email with the subject line
‘‘Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section HSR’’ to: Los.Angeles_
Anaheim@hsr.ca.gov. Comments may
also be provided orally via the public
scoping meetings described above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For the Authority: Mark A.
McLoughlin, Director of Environmental
Services, California High-Speed Rail
Authority, (telephone: 916–403–6934;
email: mark.mcloughlin@hsr.ca.gov).
For FRA: Stephanie B. Perez-Arrieta,
Regional Lead, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Federal Railroad
Administration, (telephone: 202–493–
0388; email: s.perez-arrieta@dot.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Authority was established by the
California State Legislature in 1996 and
is authorized and directed by statute to
undertake the planning for the
development of a proposed statewide
HSR network that is fully coordinated
with other public transportation
services.
In 2005, the Authority and FRA
completed a Final Program EIR/EIS for
the Proposed California High-Speed
Train System (statewide program EIR/
EIS), as a first-tier environmental
document. The Statewide Program EIR/
EIS established the purpose and need
for the HSR system, analyzed a HSR
alternative, and compared it with a No
Project Alternative and a modal
alternative that involved expanding
airports, freeways, and conventional rail
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to meet the state’s future transportation
needs. The Authority certified the
Statewide Program EIR under CEQA and
approved the proposed HSR system, and
FRA issued a Record of Decision under
NEPA for the statewide program EIS.
The Authority and FRA made the
following first-tier programmatic
decisions: Selected the HSR alternative
for intercity passenger travel in
California between the major
metropolitan centers of Sacramento and
the San Francisco Bay Area in the north,
through the Central Valley, to the cities
of Los Angeles and San Diego in the
south; selected very high-speed,
electrified steel-wheel-on-steel-rail
technology; selected certain general
alignment corridors and general station
locations to be studied in more detail in
second-tier environmental documents,
including a corridor between LAUS and
ARTIC; and adopted programmatic
mitigation strategies and design
practices.
This EIR/EIS is one of a number of
second-tier environmental documents
for sections of the HSR system. It is
tiered from and incorporates by
reference the statewide program EIR/EIS
in accordance with Council on
Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations (40 CFR 1508.28) and State
of California CEQA Guidelines (Cal.
Code Regs. tit. 14, 15168[b]). Tiering
ensures that the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS builds
upon all previous work prepared for and
incorporated in the statewide program
EIR/EIS.
The Authority and FRA previously
conducted scoping for the Los Angeles
to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS in
the spring of 2007. FRA published an
NOI in the Federal Register on March
15, 2007 (72 FR 12250). Since
publication of the NOI, the Authority
has identified the proposed BNSF
Colton Intermodal Facility Component
(Colton Component) and BNSF
Lenwood Staging Track Component
(Lenwood Component) as necessary
components of the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section of the HSR
system. This Revised NOI is being
issued to solicit additional public and
agency input into the development of
the scope of the EIR/EIS for the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
with respect to the Colton and Lenwood
Components. Public input received
during outreach activities conducted by
the Authority and its representatives
will be considered in the preparation of
the combined EIR/EIS. The 2007
scoping and environmental
development process remains valid;
information learned in and since 2007
will be used, supplemented by
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Federal Register / Vol. 85, No. 165 / Tuesday, August 25, 2020 / Notices
information learned through this
additional scoping, in development of
the Draft EIR/EIS. Most of the
information contained in this Revised
NOI is the same as was contained in the
2007 NOI but is repeated here for ease
of review. The Authority held three
scoping meetings: In Los Angeles on
April 5, 2007, in Anaheim on April 11,
2007, and in Norwalk on April 12, 2007,
to engage agency and public input on
the project. In addition to formal
scoping meetings, the Authority has
maintained ongoing outreach to public
agencies and consistently engaged the
public to provide input during project
development. During the alternatives
analysis process phase of the project,
the Authority held seven community
meetings between 2010 and 2015, as
well as four agency meetings in 2017.
The Authority held 11 open house
meetings between 2016 and 2018 to
engage public input on the project.
The FRA and the State of California
executed a Memorandum of
Understanding pursuant to 23 U.S.C.
327 dated July 23, 2019, through which
the State of California, acting through
the California State Transportation
Agency and the Authority, has assumed
FRA’s responsibilities under NEPA and
other Federal environmental laws for
projects necessary for the design,
construction, and operation of the
California HSR System, including the
Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
and any ancillary facilities (including,
but not limited to, electrical
interconnections and network
upgrades). Accordingly, the Authority is
the project sponsor and lead federal
agency for complying with NEPA and
other federal environmental laws for the
Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section.
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section corridor runs through a narrow
and constrained urban environment,
with other existing rail operators in the
area, including trains operated by the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation
(Amtrak), Metrolink (governed by the
Southern California Regional Rail
Authority), the Union Pacific Railroad,
and BNSF Railway. Projected
cumulative passenger (commuter diesel
and electric HSR) and freight train
volumes require additional facilities be
added outside the corridor to maintain
existing and anticipated freight and
passenger train operations during
project construction and operation.
Since FRA published the initial NOI,
the Authority has identified the Colton
and Lenwood Components, which are
located outside the HSR corridor, as
necessary components of the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section that
are required to maintain freight and
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passenger train performance at existing
levels during project construction and
accommodate currently projected freight
and passenger growth during project
operation within the corridor.
The Authority is issuing this Revised
NOI to solicit additional public and
agency input into the scope of issues to
be addressed for the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS with
respect to the Colton and Lenwood
Components.
The preparation of this Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS will
involve development of preliminary
engineering designs and assessment of
environmental effects associated with
the construction, operation, and
maintenance of the HSR system,
including track and ancillary facilities
and stations along the previously
selected Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section corridor between LAUS and
ARTIC, as well as the Colton and
Lenwood Components.
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS addresses CEQA and
NEPA, as well as other applicable
statutes, regulations, and executive
orders, including (but not limited to) the
Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act,
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act of 1966, Section 4(f) of
the Department of Transportation Act of
1966, the Endangered Species Act, and
Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions
to Address Environmental Justice in
Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations).
Implementation of the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section of the
California HSR System is a federal
undertaking with the potential to affect
historic properties. As such, it is subject
to the requirements of Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act of
1966. In accordance with regulations
issued by the Advisory Council on
Historic Preservation, 36 CFR part 800,
the Authority intends to coordinate
compliance with Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act of
1966 with the preparation of the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
EIR/EIS, beginning with the
identification of consulting parties in a
manner consistent with the standards
set out in 36 CFR 800.8. Pursuant to a
Programmatic Agreement, phased
review of effects on historic properties
is being conducted as provided by 36
CFR 800.4(b)(2).
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS will examine a HSR
Project Alternative, as well as a No
Action Alternative. This project level
EIR/EIS will describe site-specific
environmental impacts, will identify
specific mitigation measures to address
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those impacts, and will incorporate
design practices to avoid and minimize
potential adverse environmental
impacts. The Authority will assess the
site characteristics, size, nature, and
timing of proposed site-specific projects
to determine whether impacts can be
avoided or mitigated. The EIR/EIS will
identify and evaluate the impacts from
construction, operation, and
maintenance of the HSR system.
Information and documents regarding
this HSR environmental review process
will be available through the Authority’s
internet site: https://www.hsr.ca.gov/.
Purpose and Need
The need for a HSR system is directly
related to the expected growth in
population and increase in intercity
travel demand in California over the
next twenty years and beyond. With
growth in travel demand, there will be
an increase in travel delays arising from
the growing congestion on California’s
highways and at airports. In addition,
there will be negative effects on the
economy, quality of life, and air quality
in and around California’s metropolitan
areas from a transportation system that
will become less reliable as travel
demand increases. The intercity
highway system, commercial airports,
and conventional passenger rail serving
the intercity travel market are currently
operating at or near capacity and will
require large public investments for
maintenance and expansion to meet
existing demand and future growth.
The purpose of the statewide HSR
system is to provide a reliable highspeed electric-powered train system that
links the major metropolitan areas of the
state, and that delivers predictable and
consistent travel times. A further
objective is to provide an interface with
commercial airports, mass transit, and
the highway network and to relieve
capacity constraints of the existing
transportation system as increases in
intercity travel demand in California
occur, in a manner sensitive to and
protective of California’s unique natural
resources.
Alternatives
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS will consider a No
Action Alternative and a HSR Project
Alternative.
No Action Alternative
The No Action alternative is defined
to serve as the baseline for assessment
of the HSR Project Alternative. The No
Action Alternative represents the
region’s transportation system (highway,
air, and conventional rail) as it currently
exists, and as it would exist after
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completion of programs or projects
currently planned for funding and
implementation by 2040. The No Action
Alternative defines the existing and
future intercity transportation system
for the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section corridor based on programmed
and funded improvements to the
intercity transportation system through
2040.
HSR Project Alternative
The Authority envisions the HSR
system as an electric-powered, highspeed, steel-wheel-on-steel-rail
technology, which would employ the
latest technology, safety, signaling, and
automated train control systems,
approximately 800 miles long. The Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
alignment that was selected for further
project-level study by the Authority and
FRA with the statewide program EIR/
EIS follows the Los Angeles-San DiegoSan Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail corridor
as the feasible route option along with
a connection between LAUS and the
existing LOSSAN rail corridor. The Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section of
the HSR system would extend
approximately 30 miles between LAUS
in Los Angeles and ARTIC in Anaheim.
The HSR alignment in this project
section would cross the cities of Los
Angeles, Vernon, Bell, Commerce,
Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe
Springs, Norwalk, La Mirada, Buena
Park, Fullerton, and Anaheim, as well as
the unincorporated area of Los Angeles
County known as West Whittier.
Station location options were selected
for further project-level study by the
Authority and FRA with the statewide
program EIR/EIS considering travel
time, train speed, cost, local access
times, potential connections with other
modes of transportation, ridership
potential and the distribution of
population and major destinations along
the route, and local planning
constraints/conditions. Potential station
locations to be evaluated in the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
EIR/EIS include: City of Los Angeles,
LAUS; Cities of Norwalk and Santa Fe
Springs, Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs
Transportation Center; City of Fullerton,
Fullerton Transportation Center; and
City of Anaheim, ARTIC.
The LOSSAN corridor alignment
selected by the Authority in 2005 for
further project-level study in the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
EIR/EIS is a shared corridor in a builtout urban environment hosting both
passenger and freight operations across
a range of rail operators. The Authority
is proposing to build additional track(s)
for HSR and other passenger train
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operations in the right-of-way owned by
BNSF Railway. However, in this
constrained and complex transportation
environment, even the construction and
operation of additional track for HSR
and other passenger rail operations
would prevent passenger and freight
mainline track between Redondo
Junction and Fullerton Junction from
reaching planned cumulative mainline
passenger and freight volumes.
Therefore, to accommodate HSR
construction activities between
Redondo Junction and Fullerton
Junction, as well as projected
cumulative 2040 passenger and freight
volumes in the LOSSAN corridor, the
EIR/EIS will evaluate additional
facilities located outside the primary
LOSSAN rail corridor. These facilities
would relieve potential congestion
sufficiently to allow passenger and
freight volumes to reach projected
cumulative 2040 levels and would
include the Lenwood Staging Tracks
(Lenwood Component) and Colton
Intermodal Facility (Colton
Component).
The Lenwood Component would be
required as a new freight train staging
track facility outside and east of the
LOSSAN Corridor, to allow freight
trains to be staged or held outside and
east of the corridor, so that windows in
corridor rail activity may be provided to
accommodate project construction.
Additionally, operation of a new staging
track facility outside and east of the
corridor would be needed during project
operational phases to permit adequate
service windows for routine
maintenance in the corridor. It would
consist of the following main elements:
Staging tracks, staging track leads,
circulation and roadway modifications,
and utility modifications. The Lenwood
Component site would generally be
located along the existing BNSF main
line tracks and south and west of State
Route 58 (SR–58) within the city of
Barstow and unincorporated San
Bernardino County, California.
The Colton Component would
accommodate future freight train
volumes (an average of 10 freight trains
per day) that could not be
accommodated in the LOSSAN corridor
due to the corridor’s use by future
volumes of HSR and other passenger
trains. It would consist of the following
main elements: Intermodal rail yard,
railroad lead tracks, circulation and
roadway modifications, and utility
modifications. The Colton Component is
in the southwest part of San Bernardino
County, California, mostly within an
unincorporated area of the County,
while the remainder is primarily in the
City of Colton with a small portion of
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the site’s southern extent in the City of
Grand Terrace. The Colton Component
is generally south of Interstate 10 and
the Union Pacific Railroad rail lines and
north of the Santa Ana River.
Both the Lenwood Component and
Colton Component are required to
implement HSR service under the HSR
Project Alternative by resolving
potential freight and passenger rail
congestion in the LOSSAN corridor
between LAUS and Fullerton.
Probable Effects
The purpose of the EIR/EIS process is
to explore in a public setting the effects
of the proposed project on the physical,
human, and natural environment. The
Authority will continue the tiered
evaluation of the potential
environmental, social, and economic
impacts of the construction and
operation of the HSR system. Impact
topics to be addressed include:
Transportation; air quality and
greenhouse gases; noise and vibration;
electromagnetic fields and
electromagnetic interference; public
utilities and energy; biological and
aquatic resources; hydrology and water
resources; geology, soils, seismicity, and
paleontological resources; hazardous
materials and wastes; safety and
security; socioeconomics and
communities; station planning, land
use, and development; agricultural
farmland and forest land; parks,
recreation and open space; aesthetics
and visual quality; cultural resources;
regional growth; and environmental
justice. Measures to avoid, minimize,
and mitigate all adverse impacts will be
identified and evaluated.
Scoping and Comments
The Authority has previously carried
out scoping for the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS and
identified a Preferred Alternative for the
HSR Project Alternative for the HSR
passenger rail corridor between Los
Angeles and Anaheim. Since
publication of the NOI and the
identification of the Preferred
Alternative, the Authority has identified
the Colton and Lenwood Components as
necessary components of the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section of
the HSR system. The Authority is
issuing this Revised NOI to solicit
additional public and agency input into
the development of the scope of the EIR/
EIS for the Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section with respect to the
Colton and Lenwood Components and
to advise the public that the Authority
will consider public and agency input it
receives in the preparation of the
combined EIR/EIS. Comments and
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suggestions on the additional scope
elements described in this Revised NOI
are invited from all interested agencies,
Native American Tribes, and the public
to ensure the full range of issues related
to the proposed action and all
reasonable alternatives are addressed. In
particular, the Authority is interested in
determining whether there are areas of
environmental concern where there
might be a potential for impacts
identifiable at a project level. In
response to this Revised NOI, public
agencies with jurisdiction are requested
to advise the Authority 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.
Currently, the Surface Transportation
Board and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers are participating as
cooperating agencies in the preparation
of the EIS. Public scoping meetings have
been scheduled as an important
component of the scoping process for
both the state and federal environmental
review. The scoping meetings described
above in this Revised NOI will also be
advertised locally and included in
additional public notification.
The environmental review,
consultation, and other actions required
by applicable federal environmental
laws for this project are being or have
been carried out by the State of
California pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and
a Memorandum of Understanding dated
July 23, 2019, and executed by the FRA
and the State of California.
Issued in Washington, DC.
Jamie P. Rennert,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2020–18610 Filed 8–24–20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Notice of Final Agency Actions on
Proposed Railroad Project in
California, on Behalf of the California
High-Speed Rail Authority
Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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AGENCY:
The FRA, on behalf of the
California High-Speed Rail Authority
(Authority), is issuing this notice to
announce actions taken by the
Authority that are final. By this notice,
the FRA is advising the public of the
SUMMARY:
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time limit to file a claim seeking judicial
review of the actions. The actions relate
to a proposed railroad project, the
California High-Speed Rail Project
Fresno to Bakersfield Section: Locally
Generated Alternative in Kern County,
California. The Fresno to Bakersfield
Locally Generated Alternative (F–B
LGA) provides an alternative alignment
for a 23.13-mile segment of the Fresno
to Bakersfield Section between the City
of Shafter and the City of Bakersfield.
The F–B LGA station will be located at
the intersection of State Route (SR) 204
and F Street in Bakersfield. A
maintenance of infrastructure facility
will be located along the F–B LGA in
northern Shafter between Poplar
Avenue and Fresno Avenue. These
actions grant approvals for project
implementation pursuant to the
National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA).
DATES: A claim seeking judicial review
of the agency actions on the railroad
project will be barred unless the claim
is filed August 25, 2022. If Federal law
authorizes judicial review of a claim
that provides a time period of less than
two-years for filing such claim, then that
shorter time period applies.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For the Authority: Dan McKell, NEPA
Assignment Manager, Environmental
Services, California High-Speed Rail
Authority, (telephone: 916–324–1541;
email: dan.mckell@hsr.ca.gov).
For FRA: Stephanie Perez-Arrieta,
Lead Environmental Protection
Specialist, Federal Railroad
Administration, (telephone: 202–493–
0388; email: s.perez-arrieta@dot.gov).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective
July 23, 2019, FRA assigned, and the
State of California acting through the
Authority assumed, environmental
responsibilities for this project pursuant
to 23 U.S.C. 327. Notice is hereby given
that the Authority has taken final
agency actions subject to 23 U.S.C.
139(l)(1) by issuing approvals for the
following railroad project in California:
California High-Speed Rail Project
Fresno to Bakersfield Section: Locally
Generated Alternative.
The purpose of the California HSR
System is to provide a reliable highspeed electric-powered train system that
links the major metropolitan areas of
California, delivering predictable and
consistent travel times. A further
objective is to provide an interface with
commercial airports, mass transit, and
the highway network and to relieve
capacity constraints of the existing
transportation system as increases in
intercity travel demand in California
occur, in a manner sensitive to and
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52409
protective of California’s unique natural
resources. For the portion of the Fresno
to Bakersfield Section from just north of
Poplar Avenue to and including the F
Street Station (specifically to the
intersection of 34th Street and L Street
in Bakersfield), the Authority approves
the F–B LGA and the F Street Station.
As part of the California HSR System,
the F–B LGA will provide the public
with electric-powered HSR service that
provides predictable and consistent
travel times between major urban
centers and connectivity to airports,
mass transit, and the highway network
in the south San Joaquin Valley, and
that connects the northern and southern
portions of the system. The F–B LGA
supports the purpose and need of the
Project. The Authority has selected this
alternative and corresponding station
because: (1) It best satisfies the Purpose,
Need, and Objectives for the proposed
action; and (2) it minimizes impacts on
the natural and human environment by
utilizing an existing transportation
corridor where practicable and
incorporating mitigation measures.
Accordingly, from just north of Poplar
Avenue to and including the F Street
Station (specifically to the intersection
of 34th Street and L Street in
Bakersfield), the F–B LGA and the F
Street Station have been selected and
approved for project implementation.
This conclusion does not change FRA’s
conclusions and decision in the 2014
ROD north of Poplar Avenue.
The actions by the Authority, and the
laws under which such actions were
taken, are described in the Combined
Supplemental Record of Decision (ROD)
and Final Supplemental Environmental
Impact Statement (Final Supplemental
EIS) on the Locally Generated
Alternative of the Fresno to Bakersfield
Project Section (F–B) of the California
High-Speed Rail Project, approved on
October 31, 2019. The Combined
Supplemental ROD and Final
Supplemental EIS and other documents
are available online in PDF format at the
Authority website: www.hsr.ca.gov and
on CD–ROM by calling (916) 324–1541.
The notice applies to all Federal
agency decisions as of the issuance date
of this notice and all laws under which
such actions were taken, including but
not limited to:
1. Council on Environmental Quality
regulations;
2. NEPA;
3. Fixing America’s Surface
Transportation Act (FAST Act);
4. Department of Transportation Act
of 1966, Section 4(f);
5. Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF) Act of 1965, Section 6(f);
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 165 (Tuesday, August 25, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52406-52409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-18610]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Railroad Administration
Revised Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement for the California High-Speed Rail System, Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section, CA
AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), on behalf of the
California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) as the federal lead
agency under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Assignment
(July 2019), is issuing this notice to advise other federal, state,
local, and tribal agencies and the public that the Authority intends to
revise the scope of the analysis of the combined project-level
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and project-level Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section
of the Authority's proposed California High-Speed Rail (HSR) System
from the Los Angeles Union Station (LAUS) in the City of Los Angeles,
California, to the Anaheim Regional Transportation Intermodal Center
(ARTIC) in the City of Anaheim, California, in compliance with relevant
state and federal laws, in particular the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA) and NEPA. Since publication of the notice of intent
(NOI), the Authority has identified the proposed BNSF Colton Intermodal
Facility Component (Colton Component) and BNSF Lenwood Staging Track
Component (Lenwood Component) as necessary components of the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section of the HSR system. This Revised NOI
is being issued to solicit additional public and agency input into the
development of the scope of the EIR/EIS for the Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section with respect to the Colton and Lenwood Components.
Public input received during outreach activities conducted by the
Authority and its representatives will be considered in the preparation
of the combined EIR/EIS.
DATES: Written comments on the scope of the Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section EIR/EIS should be provided to the Authority starting on
August 25, 2020 and must be received by the Authority on or before
September 24, 2020, as noted below. Public scoping meetings are
scheduled for the following dates and times.
The Authority expects these meetings to occur via webinar or other
virtual-only mechanism (please consult www.hsr.ca.gov for up-to-date
information). Scoping meetings are open to participants from any
geographic area of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section.
Virtual Scoping Meeting #1: Thursday, September 10, 2020,
5:00 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
Virtual Scoping Meeting #2: Saturday, September 12, 2020,
10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
ADDRESSES: Written comments on the scope of the Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section EIR/EIS in response to this Revised NOI should be sent
to Mark A. McLoughlin, Director of Environmental Services, ATTN: Los
Angeles--Anaheim, California High-Speed Rail Authority, 770 L Street,
Suite 620, MS-2, Sacramento, CA 95814, or via email with the subject
line ``Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section HSR'' to:
[email protected]. Comments may also be provided orally
via the public scoping meetings described above.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For the Authority: Mark A. McLoughlin, Director of Environmental
Services, California High-Speed Rail Authority, (telephone: 916-403-
6934; email: [email protected]).
For FRA: Stephanie B. Perez-Arrieta, Regional Lead, Environmental
Protection Specialist, Federal Railroad Administration, (telephone:
202-493-0388; email: [email protected]).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Authority was established by the
California State Legislature in 1996 and is authorized and directed by
statute to undertake the planning for the development of a proposed
statewide HSR network that is fully coordinated with other public
transportation services.
In 2005, the Authority and FRA completed a Final Program EIR/EIS
for the Proposed California High-Speed Train System (statewide program
EIR/EIS), as a first-tier environmental document. The Statewide Program
EIR/EIS established the purpose and need for the HSR system, analyzed a
HSR alternative, and compared it with a No Project Alternative and a
modal alternative that involved expanding airports, freeways, and
conventional rail to meet the state's future transportation needs. The
Authority certified the Statewide Program EIR under CEQA and approved
the proposed HSR system, and FRA issued a Record of Decision under NEPA
for the statewide program EIS. The Authority and FRA made the following
first-tier programmatic decisions: Selected the HSR alternative for
intercity passenger travel in California between the major metropolitan
centers of Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area in the north,
through the Central Valley, to the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego
in the south; selected very high-speed, electrified steel-wheel-on-
steel-rail technology; selected certain general alignment corridors and
general station locations to be studied in more detail in second-tier
environmental documents, including a corridor between LAUS and ARTIC;
and adopted programmatic mitigation strategies and design practices.
This EIR/EIS is one of a number of second-tier environmental
documents for sections of the HSR system. It is tiered from and
incorporates by reference the statewide program EIR/EIS in accordance
with Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations (40 CFR
1508.28) and State of California CEQA Guidelines (Cal. Code Regs. tit.
14, 15168[b]). Tiering ensures that the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS builds upon all previous work prepared for and
incorporated in the statewide program EIR/EIS.
The Authority and FRA previously conducted scoping for the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS in the spring of 2007. FRA
published an NOI in the Federal Register on March 15, 2007 (72 FR
12250). Since publication of the NOI, the Authority has identified the
proposed BNSF Colton Intermodal Facility Component (Colton Component)
and BNSF Lenwood Staging Track Component (Lenwood Component) as
necessary components of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section of
the HSR system. This Revised NOI is being issued to solicit additional
public and agency input into the development of the scope of the EIR/
EIS for the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section with respect to the
Colton and Lenwood Components. Public input received during outreach
activities conducted by the Authority and its representatives will be
considered in the preparation of the combined EIR/EIS. The 2007 scoping
and environmental development process remains valid; information
learned in and since 2007 will be used, supplemented by
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information learned through this additional scoping, in development of
the Draft EIR/EIS. Most of the information contained in this Revised
NOI is the same as was contained in the 2007 NOI but is repeated here
for ease of review. The Authority held three scoping meetings: In Los
Angeles on April 5, 2007, in Anaheim on April 11, 2007, and in Norwalk
on April 12, 2007, to engage agency and public input on the project. In
addition to formal scoping meetings, the Authority has maintained
ongoing outreach to public agencies and consistently engaged the public
to provide input during project development. During the alternatives
analysis process phase of the project, the Authority held seven
community meetings between 2010 and 2015, as well as four agency
meetings in 2017. The Authority held 11 open house meetings between
2016 and 2018 to engage public input on the project.
The FRA and the State of California executed a Memorandum of
Understanding pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 dated July 23, 2019, through
which the State of California, acting through the California State
Transportation Agency and the Authority, has assumed FRA's
responsibilities under NEPA and other Federal environmental laws for
projects necessary for the design, construction, and operation of the
California HSR System, including the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section and any ancillary facilities (including, but not limited to,
electrical interconnections and network upgrades). Accordingly, the
Authority is the project sponsor and lead federal agency for complying
with NEPA and other federal environmental laws for the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section.
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section corridor runs through a
narrow and constrained urban environment, with other existing rail
operators in the area, including trains operated by the National
Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), Metrolink (governed by the
Southern California Regional Rail Authority), the Union Pacific
Railroad, and BNSF Railway. Projected cumulative passenger (commuter
diesel and electric HSR) and freight train volumes require additional
facilities be added outside the corridor to maintain existing and
anticipated freight and passenger train operations during project
construction and operation. Since FRA published the initial NOI, the
Authority has identified the Colton and Lenwood Components, which are
located outside the HSR corridor, as necessary components of the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section that are required to maintain
freight and passenger train performance at existing levels during
project construction and accommodate currently projected freight and
passenger growth during project operation within the corridor.
The Authority is issuing this Revised NOI to solicit additional
public and agency input into the scope of issues to be addressed for
the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS with respect to the
Colton and Lenwood Components.
The preparation of this Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/
EIS will involve development of preliminary engineering designs and
assessment of environmental effects associated with the construction,
operation, and maintenance of the HSR system, including track and
ancillary facilities and stations along the previously selected Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section corridor between LAUS and ARTIC, as
well as the Colton and Lenwood Components.
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS addresses CEQA
and NEPA, as well as other applicable statutes, regulations, and
executive orders, including (but not limited to) the Clean Air Act, the
Clean Water Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
of 1966, Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966,
the Endangered Species Act, and Executive Order 12898 (Federal Actions
to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations).
Implementation of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section of the
California HSR System is a federal undertaking with the potential to
affect historic properties. As such, it is subject to the requirements
of Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966. In
accordance with regulations issued by the Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation, 36 CFR part 800, the Authority intends to coordinate
compliance with Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act
of 1966 with the preparation of the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS, beginning with the identification of consulting
parties in a manner consistent with the standards set out in 36 CFR
800.8. Pursuant to a Programmatic Agreement, phased review of effects
on historic properties is being conducted as provided by 36 CFR
800.4(b)(2).
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS will examine a
HSR Project Alternative, as well as a No Action Alternative. This
project level EIR/EIS will describe site-specific environmental
impacts, will identify specific mitigation measures to address those
impacts, and will incorporate design practices to avoid and minimize
potential adverse environmental impacts. The Authority will assess the
site characteristics, size, nature, and timing of proposed site-
specific projects to determine whether impacts can be avoided or
mitigated. The EIR/EIS will identify and evaluate the impacts from
construction, operation, and maintenance of the HSR system. Information
and documents regarding this HSR environmental review process will be
available through the Authority's internet site: https://www.hsr.ca.gov/.
Purpose and Need
The need for a HSR system is directly related to the expected
growth in population and increase in intercity travel demand in
California over the next twenty years and beyond. With growth in travel
demand, there will be an increase in travel delays arising from the
growing congestion on California's highways and at airports. In
addition, there will be negative effects on the economy, quality of
life, and air quality in and around California's metropolitan areas
from a transportation system that will become less reliable as travel
demand increases. The intercity highway system, commercial airports,
and conventional passenger rail serving the intercity travel market are
currently operating at or near capacity and will require large public
investments for maintenance and expansion to meet existing demand and
future growth.
The purpose of the statewide HSR system is to provide a reliable
high-speed electric-powered train system that links the major
metropolitan areas of the state, and that delivers predictable and
consistent travel times. A further objective is to provide an interface
with commercial airports, mass transit, and the highway network and to
relieve capacity constraints of the existing transportation system as
increases in intercity travel demand in California occur, in a manner
sensitive to and protective of California's unique natural resources.
Alternatives
The Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS will consider a
No Action Alternative and a HSR Project Alternative.
No Action Alternative
The No Action alternative is defined to serve as the baseline for
assessment of the HSR Project Alternative. The No Action Alternative
represents the region's transportation system (highway, air, and
conventional rail) as it currently exists, and as it would exist after
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completion of programs or projects currently planned for funding and
implementation by 2040. The No Action Alternative defines the existing
and future intercity transportation system for the Los Angeles to
Anaheim Project Section corridor based on programmed and funded
improvements to the intercity transportation system through 2040.
HSR Project Alternative
The Authority envisions the HSR system as an electric-powered,
high-speed, steel-wheel-on-steel-rail technology, which would employ
the latest technology, safety, signaling, and automated train control
systems, approximately 800 miles long. The Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section alignment that was selected for further project-level
study by the Authority and FRA with the statewide program EIR/EIS
follows the Los Angeles-San Diego-San Luis Obispo (LOSSAN) rail
corridor as the feasible route option along with a connection between
LAUS and the existing LOSSAN rail corridor. The Los Angeles to Anaheim
Project Section of the HSR system would extend approximately 30 miles
between LAUS in Los Angeles and ARTIC in Anaheim. The HSR alignment in
this project section would cross the cities of Los Angeles, Vernon,
Bell, Commerce, Montebello, Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk, La
Mirada, Buena Park, Fullerton, and Anaheim, as well as the
unincorporated area of Los Angeles County known as West Whittier.
Station location options were selected for further project-level
study by the Authority and FRA with the statewide program EIR/EIS
considering travel time, train speed, cost, local access times,
potential connections with other modes of transportation, ridership
potential and the distribution of population and major destinations
along the route, and local planning constraints/conditions. Potential
station locations to be evaluated in the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS include: City of Los Angeles, LAUS; Cities of Norwalk
and Santa Fe Springs, Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Transportation Center;
City of Fullerton, Fullerton Transportation Center; and City of
Anaheim, ARTIC.
The LOSSAN corridor alignment selected by the Authority in 2005 for
further project-level study in the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project
Section EIR/EIS is a shared corridor in a built-out urban environment
hosting both passenger and freight operations across a range of rail
operators. The Authority is proposing to build additional track(s) for
HSR and other passenger train operations in the right-of-way owned by
BNSF Railway. However, in this constrained and complex transportation
environment, even the construction and operation of additional track
for HSR and other passenger rail operations would prevent passenger and
freight mainline track between Redondo Junction and Fullerton Junction
from reaching planned cumulative mainline passenger and freight
volumes. Therefore, to accommodate HSR construction activities between
Redondo Junction and Fullerton Junction, as well as projected
cumulative 2040 passenger and freight volumes in the LOSSAN corridor,
the EIR/EIS will evaluate additional facilities located outside the
primary LOSSAN rail corridor. These facilities would relieve potential
congestion sufficiently to allow passenger and freight volumes to reach
projected cumulative 2040 levels and would include the Lenwood Staging
Tracks (Lenwood Component) and Colton Intermodal Facility (Colton
Component).
The Lenwood Component would be required as a new freight train
staging track facility outside and east of the LOSSAN Corridor, to
allow freight trains to be staged or held outside and east of the
corridor, so that windows in corridor rail activity may be provided to
accommodate project construction. Additionally, operation of a new
staging track facility outside and east of the corridor would be needed
during project operational phases to permit adequate service windows
for routine maintenance in the corridor. It would consist of the
following main elements: Staging tracks, staging track leads,
circulation and roadway modifications, and utility modifications. The
Lenwood Component site would generally be located along the existing
BNSF main line tracks and south and west of State Route 58 (SR-58)
within the city of Barstow and unincorporated San Bernardino County,
California.
The Colton Component would accommodate future freight train volumes
(an average of 10 freight trains per day) that could not be
accommodated in the LOSSAN corridor due to the corridor's use by future
volumes of HSR and other passenger trains. It would consist of the
following main elements: Intermodal rail yard, railroad lead tracks,
circulation and roadway modifications, and utility modifications. The
Colton Component is in the southwest part of San Bernardino County,
California, mostly within an unincorporated area of the County, while
the remainder is primarily in the City of Colton with a small portion
of the site's southern extent in the City of Grand Terrace. The Colton
Component is generally south of Interstate 10 and the Union Pacific
Railroad rail lines and north of the Santa Ana River.
Both the Lenwood Component and Colton Component are required to
implement HSR service under the HSR Project Alternative by resolving
potential freight and passenger rail congestion in the LOSSAN corridor
between LAUS and Fullerton.
Probable Effects
The purpose of the EIR/EIS process is to explore in a public
setting the effects of the proposed project on the physical, human, and
natural environment. The Authority will continue the tiered evaluation
of the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts of the
construction and operation of the HSR system. Impact topics to be
addressed include: Transportation; air quality and greenhouse gases;
noise and vibration; electromagnetic fields and electromagnetic
interference; public utilities and energy; biological and aquatic
resources; hydrology and water resources; geology, soils, seismicity,
and paleontological resources; hazardous materials and wastes; safety
and security; socioeconomics and communities; station planning, land
use, and development; agricultural farmland and forest land; parks,
recreation and open space; aesthetics and visual quality; cultural
resources; regional growth; and environmental justice. Measures to
avoid, minimize, and mitigate all adverse impacts will be identified
and evaluated.
Scoping and Comments
The Authority has previously carried out scoping for the Los
Angeles to Anaheim Project Section EIR/EIS and identified a Preferred
Alternative for the HSR Project Alternative for the HSR passenger rail
corridor between Los Angeles and Anaheim. Since publication of the NOI
and the identification of the Preferred Alternative, the Authority has
identified the Colton and Lenwood Components as necessary components of
the Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section of the HSR system. The
Authority is issuing this Revised NOI to solicit additional public and
agency input into the development of the scope of the EIR/EIS for the
Los Angeles to Anaheim Project Section with respect to the Colton and
Lenwood Components and to advise the public that the Authority will
consider public and agency input it receives in the preparation of the
combined EIR/EIS. Comments and
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suggestions on the additional scope elements described in this Revised
NOI are invited from all interested agencies, Native American Tribes,
and the public to ensure the full range of issues related to the
proposed action and all reasonable alternatives are addressed. In
particular, the Authority is interested in determining whether there
are areas of environmental concern where there might be a potential for
impacts identifiable at a project level. In response to this Revised
NOI, public agencies with jurisdiction are requested to advise the
Authority 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. Currently,
the Surface Transportation Board and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
are participating as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the
EIS. Public scoping meetings have been scheduled as an important
component of the scoping process for both the state and federal
environmental review. The scoping meetings described above in this
Revised NOI will also be advertised locally and included in additional
public notification.
The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required
by applicable federal environmental laws for this project are being or
have been carried out by the State of California pursuant to 23 U.S.C.
327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated July 23, 2019, and executed
by the FRA and the State of California.
Issued in Washington, DC.
Jamie P. Rennert,
Director, Office of Program Delivery.
[FR Doc. 2020-18610 Filed 8-24-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P
