Environmental Impact Statement; Interstate 15: Farmington to Salt Lake City, Utah, 17406-17408 [2022-06449]

Agencies

• Federal Highway Administration
• DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 59 (Monday, March 28, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17406-17408]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-06449]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Interstate 15: Farmington to Salt 
Lake City, Utah

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (USDOT).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY:  FHWA, on behalf of the Utah Department of Transportation 
(UDOT), is issuing this notice to advise the public that an EIS will be 
prepared for proposed transportation improvements on the Interstate 15 
corridor from Farmington to Salt Lake City, Utah. Persons or agencies 
who might be affected by the proposed project are encouraged to comment 
on the information in this Notice of Intent (NOI). All comments 
received in response to this NOI will be considered, and any 
information presented in this NOI, including the preliminary purpose 
and need, preliminary alternatives, and identified impacts, might be 
revised in consideration of the comments.

DATES:  Comments must be received by May 13, 2022.

ADDRESSES:  This NOI is available on the project website 
(i15eis.udot.utah.gov). Interested parties are invited to submit 
comments by any of the following methods:
    Website: For access to the documents and instructions for 
submitting comments, go to the project website (i15eis.udot.utah.gov).
    Mailing address or for hand delivery or courier: UDOT Environmental 
Services Division, 4501 South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84114-8450.
    Email address: [email protected].
    A summary of the comments received will be included in the Draft 
EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Brandon Weston, Director of 
Environmental Services, UDOT Environmental Services Division, 4501 
South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-8450; 
telephone: (801) 965-4603; email: [email protected]. Tiffany 
Pocock, PE, I-15 EIS Project Manager, UDOT Region One, 166 W Southwell 
Street, Ogden, Utah 84404-4194; telephone: (801) 965-4612 email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:  The environmental review, consultation, and 
other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for 
this project are being or have been carried out by UDOT pursuant to 23 
U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated January 17, 2017, 
extended to April 29, 2022, and executed by FHWA and UDOT. UDOT, as the 
assigned National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) agency, will prepare 
an EIS to evaluate transportation solutions along I-15 from Farmington 
to Salt Lake City. The proposed project study area extends on I-15 from 
the Park Lane interchange (I-15 milepost 325) in Farmington to the 400 
South interchange (I-15 milepost 308) in Salt Lake City. The EIS will 
be conducted in accordance with the requirements of NEPA, as amended 
(42 United States Code [U.S.C.] Section 4321, et seq.), 23 U.S.C. 139, 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations implementing NEPA 
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), FHWA regulations implementing NEPA (23 CFR 
771.101-771.139), and all applicable federal, state, and local 
governmental laws and regulations. This project is considered a ``major 
project'' pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 139.

(a) The Preliminary Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The preliminary purpose of this project as identified by UDOT is to 
improve safety, replace aging infrastructure, provide better mobility 
for all travel modes, strengthen the state and local economy, and 
better connect communities along I-15 from Farmington to Salt Lake 
City. Between Farmington and Salt Lake City, I-15 has aging 
infrastructure and worsening operational characteristics for the 
current and projected 2050 travel demand which contribute to decreased 
safety, increased congestion, lost productivity, and longer travel 
times. East-west streets that access or cross I-15 are important to 
connect communities and support other travel modes such as biking, 
walking, and transit. When I-15 and its interchanges do not support 
travel demand, traffic is added to the local streets impacting both the 
regional and local transportation system, and the safe, comfortable, 
and efficient travel by other modes. Agencies and the public are 
invited to comment on the purpose and need statement. The purpose and 
need statement and supporting documentation, including data and public 
input summary, will be available in the Draft EIS. The purpose and need 
statement might be revised based on comments received during the 
comment period on this NOI.

(b) A Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives 
the Environmental Impact Statement Will Consider

    The currently contemplated range of alternatives proposed to be 
considered in the EIS consists of the following: (1) Taking no action; 
(2) capacity improvements to I-15 such as adding general-purpose, high-
occupancy, or auxiliary lanes and interchange improvements; (3) 
additional or modified accesses to and from I-15; (4) additional or 
modified road, bicycle and pedestrian crossings of I-15; (5) additional 
or modified multimodal connections to FrontRunner stations and regional 
trails; (6) Transportation System Management (TSM); (7) combinations of 
any of the above, and (8) other reasonable alternatives identified 
during the EIS process. Alternatives that do not meet the project's 
purpose and need or that are otherwise not reasonable will not be 
carried forward for detailed consideration in the EIS. The alternatives 
to be retained will be finalized after UDOT considers the comments 
received during the comment period on this NOI, and the comments will 
be documented in the Draft EIS. The alternatives might be revised based 
on UDOT's consideration of public comments. The concepts not retained

[[Page 17407]]

will also be documented in the Draft EIS.

(c) Brief Summary of Expected Impacts

    The EIS will evaluate the expected social, economic, and 
environmental effects resulting from the implementing the action 
alternatives and the no action alternative. The following resources are 
the most sensitive resources in the project area and will be evaluated 
closely by UDOT:
     Wetlands and Waters of the United States: Project 
alternatives could require placing fill in waters of the United States 
and impacts to wetlands considered to be jurisdictional. These impacts 
would require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) 
for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the United 
States, including wetlands.
     Section 4(f) Resources: Project alternatives might use 
Section 4(f) parks, recreation resources, and eligible historic 
properties.
     Land and Water Conservation Fund Act Section 6(f) 
Resources: Project alternatives might impact several parks that 
received funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act.
     Environmental Justice Communities: Project alternatives 
might impact communities eligible for consideration as environmental 
justice communities that are low-income and minority due to right-of-
way requirements, increases in noise, or other environmental factors. 
UDOT will work closely with the community to avoid, minimize, and 
mitigate these impacts.
     Property Acquisitions: Project alternatives could require 
acquiring private properties and relocating the tenants or owners of 
the properties. UDOT will work closely with the impacted stakeholders 
and designers to reduce the number of acquisitions and relocations.
    The EIS will evaluate the expected impacts of and benefits to the 
known resources listed above as well as the following resources: Land 
use, social and community resources, traffic, economics, pedestrian and 
bicyclist considerations, air quality, noise, water quality, wildlife 
resources, floodplains, cultural resources, hazardous material sites, 
and visual resources. The level of review of the identified resources 
for the EIS will be commensurate with the anticipated effects on each 
resource from the proposed project and will be governed by the 
statutory or regulatory requirements protecting those resources.
    The analyses and evaluations conducted for the EIS will identify 
the potential for effects; avoidance measures; whether the anticipated 
effects would be adverse; and mitigation measures for adverse effects. 
UDOT welcomes comments on the expected impacts to be analyzed in the 
Draft EIS during the NOI comment period.
    Agencies, stakeholders, and the public are invited to comment on 
the expected impacts. The environmental impact analysis will not begin 
until the purpose and need, range of alternatives, and impact 
categories are finalized based on the public comments on this NOI. UDOT 
might revise the identification of impacts as a result of considering 
public comments. The studies to identify the impacts, as well as the 
analyses of impacts from the retained alternatives, will be presented 
in the Draft EIS.

(d) Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations

    The project might require a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE) under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and 
approvals from other agencies such as the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation 
(USBR) for impacts to USBR facilities in the project area and the 
National Park Service (NPS) for impacts to Land and Water Conservation 
Fund Act Section 6(f) resources in the project area. Additional state 
or local permits that may be required include stream alteration permits 
(PGP-10) from the Utah Division of Water Rights, Clean Water Act 
Section 401 Certification from the Utah Division of Water Quality, 
Clean Water Act Section 402 Utah Pollution Discharge Elimination System 
General Permit for Construction Activities from the Utah Division of 
Water Quality, floodplain development permits from local jurisdictions 
(cities or counties), and other construction related permits (such as 
Air Quality Approval Orders and Fugitive Dust Emission Control Plan 
from the Utah Division of Air Quality). This project is considered a 
``major project'' pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 139, and all authorization 
decisions necessary for construction are anticipated to be completed 
not later than 90 days after the date when a Record of Decision is 
issued.

(e) Scoping and Public Review

Agency Coordination

    A coordination plan is being prepared to define the agency and 
public participation procedures for the environmental review process. 
The plan will establish cooperating and participating agency roles and 
a review schedule and will be posted on the project website 
(i15eis.udot.utah.gov). Cooperating agencies have been preliminarily 
identified to include the USACE, the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency, the USBR, and the NPS.

Agency and Public Review

    UDOT will initiate a scoping process in April 2022 to gather 
information and solicit input after this NOI is issued. During scoping, 
UDOT will coordinate with agencies, stakeholders, and the public and 
will provide an opportunity for comment on the draft purpose and need 
statement for the project, the range of potential alternatives, the 
draft alternatives screening methodology, and potentially significant 
environmental issues that will be evaluated in the EIS. A public 
scoping period will be held between April 11 and May 13, 2022. As part 
of the scoping process, UDOT will provide an opportunity for public and 
agency comments on the draft purpose and need statement and 
alternatives screening methodology memorandum. These documents will be 
available on the project website (i15eis.udot.utah.gov) on April 11, 
2022. Final versions of these documents, along with a scoping summary 
report, will be available on the project website when they are 
completed.
    Public involvement is a critical component of the project 
development process and will continue throughout the development of the 
EIS. All individuals and organizations expressing interest in the 
project will be able to participate in the process through various 
public outreach opportunities, and they can sign up to receive email 
announcements and notifications on the project website 
(i15eis.udot.utah.gov). These opportunities include, but are not 
limited to, public meetings and hearing(s), the project website, and 
press releases. Public notice will be given regarding the time and 
place of all public meetings and hearing(s). A public scoping period 
and 30-day public comment period is planned between April 11 and May 
13, 2022. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1501.9(d), during the scoping period, all 
interested parties are requested to provide comments on the draft 
purpose and need statement, the range of potential alternatives for the 
project, the draft alternatives screening methodology memorandum, and 
resources to be considered in the EIS, and to identify any relevant 
information, studies, or analyses relevant to the project. Written 
comments or questions should be directed to UDOT representatives at the 
mail or email addresses provided above.

[[Page 17408]]

    Public hearings will be held during the course of the EIS, as 
described below. Generally, the locations, dates, and times for each 
public hearing will be publicized on the project website 
(i15eis.udot.utah.gov) and in newspapers with local and regional 
circulation, including The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret News, and the 
Davis Clipper. Materials will be available at the meetings in English 
and Spanish, and oral and written comments will be solicited.

Public Hearing on the Draft EIS

    Notice of availability of the Draft EIS for public and agency 
review will be published in the Federal Register and through other 
methods which will identify where interested parties can review a copy 
of the Draft EIS. The public hearing will be conducted by UDOT and 
announced a minimum of 15 days in advance. UDOT will provide 
information for the public hearing, including the location, date, and 
time for the meeting, through a variety of means including the project 
website (i15eis.udot.utah.gov) and by newspaper advertisement.

(f) A Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    After this NOI is issued, UDOT will coordinate with the 
participating, cooperating, and cooperating/concurring agencies to 
develop study documentation and the Draft EIS.
     The Draft EIS is anticipated to be issued in 2023.
     The combined Final EIS and Record of Decision is 
anticipated to be issued in the spring of 2024, within 24 months of the 
publication of this NOI.
     A Clean Water Act Section 404 permit decision from the 
USACE and any other federal permits, if necessary, will be obtained 
within 90 days after the Record of Decision is issued.

(g) Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, 
and Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action

    To ensure that a full range of issues related to the project are 
addressed and all potential issues are identified, UDOT invites 
comments and suggestions from all interested parties. The project team 
requests comments and suggestions regarding potential alternatives and 
impacts and the identification of any relevant information, studies, or 
analyses of any kind concerning impacts affecting the quality of the 
human environment. Any information presented in this NOI, including the 
preliminary purpose and need statement, preliminary range of 
alternatives, and identification of impacts, might be revised after 
UDOT considers the comments. The purpose of this request is to bring 
relevant comments, information, and analyses to UDOT's attention, as 
early in the process as possible, to enable UDOT to make maximum use of 
this information in decision making. Comments may be submitted 
according to the instructions in the ADDRESSES section of this NOI.

(h) Contact Information

    For more information, please visit the project website at 
i15eis.udot.utah.gov. Information requests or comments can also be 
emailed to [email protected].
    UDOT: Brandon Weston, Director of Environmental Services, UDOT 
Environmental Services Division, 4501 South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, 
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-8450; telephone: (801) 965-4603; email: 
[email protected].

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

    Dated: March 21, 2022.
Ivan Marrero,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
[FR Doc. 2022-06449 Filed 3-25-22; 8:45 am]
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