Environmental Impact Statement: Summit County, Utah, 78190-78193 [2022-27728]
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78190
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 244 / Wednesday, December 21, 2022 / Notices
PM Measure 3: Maintain Public Flight
Tracking Portal—Approved.
PM Measure 4: Maintain Noise
Complaint Management System—
Approved.
PM Measure 5: Maintain Noise Office
website—Approved.
PM Measure 6: Continue Community
Outreach Activities—Approved.
PM Measure 7: Establish and Manage
a Fly Quiet Program—Approved as
Voluntary.
PM Measure 8: Make Aircraft Noise
Contours Available in a Geographic
Information System (GIS)—Approved.
PM Measure 9: Update the Noise
Exposure Map—Approved.
PM Measure 10: Update the Noise
Compatibility Program—Approved.
PM Measure 11: Post Monthly ColorCoded DNL Values on Port Authority
website—Approved.
PM Measure 12: The Port Authority to
Coordinate with the FAA on
Development and Implementation of
NextGen Procedures—Approved.
These determinations are set forth in
detail in the Record of Approval signed
by the FAA Airports Eastern Division
Director on December 15, 2022. The
Record of Approval, as well as other
evaluation materials and the documents
comprising the submittal, are available
for review at the FAA office listed
above. The Record of Approval also will
be available on the internet on the
FAA’s website at https://www.faa.gov/
airports/environmental/airport_noise/
part_150/states/ and the Port Authority
of New York and New Jersey’s website
at https://panynjpart150.com/LGA_
documents.asp.
Issued in Jamaica, NY, on December 16,
2022.
David A. Fish,
Director, Airports Division, Eastern Region.
[FR Doc. 2022–27702 Filed 12–20–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–13–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement:
Summit County, Utah
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (USDOT), Utah
Department of Transportation (UDOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
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AGENCY:
The FHWA, on behalf of the
Utah Department of Transportation
(UDOT), is issuing this Notice of Intent
(NOI) to solicit comment and advise the
public, agencies, and stakeholders that
SUMMARY:
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an EIS will be prepared for
transportation improvements in the
Kimball Junction area which includes
the I–80 and SR–224 interchange and
SR–224 through the two at-grade
intersections to the south of I–80 (Ute
Boulevard and Olympic Parkway) in
Summit County, Utah. Persons and
agencies who may be interested in or
affected by the proposed project are
encouraged to comment on the
information in this NOI and the NOI
Supplemental Information document.
All comments received in response to
this NOI will be considered, and any
information presented herein, including
the draft purpose and need, preliminary
alternatives, and identified impacts,
may be revised in consideration of the
comments.
DATES: Comments on the NOI must be
received on or before January 27, 2023.
ADDRESSES: This NOI is available in the
docket referenced above at
www.regulations.gov and on the project
website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov).
Interested parties are invited to submit
comments by any of the following
methods:
Website: For access to the documents,
go to the Federal eRulemaking Portal
located at www.regulations.gov or the
project website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov).
Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
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: kimballjunctioneis@
utah.gov.
All submissions should include the
agency name and the docket number
that appears in the heading of this
Notice. All comments received will be
posted without change to
www.regulations.gov or
kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov.
The Draft EIS will include a summary
of the comments received.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Carissa Watanabe, Environmental
Program Manager, UDOT Environmental
Services Division, 4501 South 2700
West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake City,
Utah 84114–8450; telephone: (503) 939–
3798; email: cwatanabe@utah.gov. Grant
Farnsworth, PE, Kimball Junction EIS
Project Manager, UDOT Region Two,
2010 South 2760 West, Salt Lake City,
UT 84104; telephone: (801) 663–9985
email: gfarnsworth@utah.gov.
Persons interested in receiving the
project information can also use the
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project email address referenced above
to be added to the project mailing list.
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 May 26, 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 in
the Kimball Junction area which
includes the Interstate 80 (I–80) and
State Route (SR) 224 interchange and
SR–224 through the two at-grade
intersections to the south (Ute
Boulevard and Olympic Parkway). The
proposed project study area extends on
I–80 from the Jeremy Ranch interchange
(I–80 milepost 142) to the US–40
interchange (I–80 milepost 147). 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.
In 2021, UDOT, in partnership with
Summit County, published the Kimball
Junction and SR–224 Area Plan (Area
Plan) that was prepared to identify and
evaluate future transportation
improvements at the interchange of I–80
and SR–224 and through the two atgrade intersections on SR–224 (Ute
Boulevard and Olympic Parkway) in
Summit County, Utah. The Area Plan
was conducted using UDOT’s Solutions
Development process which is a local
planning process that seeks to capture
the unique context of an area or corridor
and develop a set of solutions to meet
its transportation needs. The Area Plan
evaluated multimodal improvements to
address congestion, mobility, safety,
access, and travel time reliability at the
Kimball Junction interchange and on
SR–224 in the Kimball Junction area.
Transportation problems as well as
opportunities to solve the problems
were established in the study area via
input from study partners and the
public. Other criteria were developed to
balance transportation and
environmental goals and objectives.
Further input from the study partners
and the public was incorporated to
develop the goals. The problems and
opportunities developed during the
Area Plan process informed the draft
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purpose and need of this EIS. The Area
Plan process analyzed several solutions
(30) and narrowed the options down to
three alternatives, including intersection
and pedestrian improvements and
larger, more complex transportation
solutions that will be evaluated in the
EIS. The alternatives evaluation process
included developing screening criteria
based on addressing the problems and
opportunities and study goals,
developing a full range of alternatives,
and documenting the elimination of
alternatives. The 2021 Area Plan may be
viewed at the project website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov).
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Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The purpose of this project as
identified by UDOT is to improve
operations and travel time on SR–224
from the I–80 interchange through
Olympic Parkway; improve safety by
reducing queues on I–80 off-ramps;
improve pedestrian and bicyclist
mobility and accessibility throughout
the study area; and maintain or improve
transit travel times. The need for the
project is based on future (2050) failing
conditions at the SR–224 and the I–80,
Ute Boulevard, and Olympic Parkway
intersections create delay and unreliable
travel times; off-ramp queues extending
onto mainline I–80 resulting in unsafe
travel conditions; and growing east-west
active transportation demand across
SR–224. Agencies and the public are
invited to comment on the draft purpose
and need statement and technical
memorandum available on the project
website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). 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.
Preliminary Description of the
Proposed Action and Alternatives the
EIS 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–80 and SR–224 such
as adding general-purpose or auxiliary
lanes and interchange improvements;
(3) modified accesses to and from I–80
and SR–224; (4) additional or modified
road, bicycle and pedestrian crossings
on I–80 and SR–224; (5) combinations of
any of the above, and (6) other
reasonable alternatives identified during
the EIS process. Three alternatives
identified in the Area Plan meet the
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range of alternatives listed above and
include Alternative A: a split-diamond
interchange with intersection
improvements; Alternative B: an
alternative that has grade-separated
intersections with one-way frontage
roads to the I–80 interchange; and
Alternative C: an alternative that
combines HOV-focused improvements.
Additional information on the
alternatives, as well as maps and figures
illustrating the project location, are
available for review on the project
website noted in the ADDRESSES section.
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. The alternatives
might be revised based on UDOT’s
consideration of public comments. The
concepts not retained will also be
documented in the Draft EIS.
Alternatives carried forward in the EIS
process will be evaluated along with the
No Action alternative. The No Action
alternative assumes all transportation
improvements identified in the current
long-range transportation plan would be
built except the interchange
improvements proposed in this study.
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 as identified in the Area
Plan and will be evaluated by UDOT in
the EIS:
Water Quality and Water Resources
including Wetlands and other 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)
recreation resources and eligible historic
properties. Section 4(f) is in reference to
the U.S. Department of Transportation
Act of 1966.
Environmental Justice Communities:
Project alternatives might impact
communities eligible for consideration
as environmental justice communities
that are low-income and minority due to
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78191
right-of-way requirements, increases in
noise, or other environmental factors.
Additional analysis and public
involvement will be conducted during
the NEPA process to assess if the
potential action alternatives would
result in any disproportionately high
and adverse impacts on the low-income
and minority communities.
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,
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 resources and anticipated
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.
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. 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
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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). A section 4(f)
de minimis impact and/or section 106
affected properties would require
concurrence from the official with
jurisdiction.
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
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov).
Cooperating agencies that have been
preliminarily identified include the
USACE and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
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Agency and Public Review
UDOT will initiate a scoping process
in December 2022 to gather information
and solicit input after this NOI is issued.
To ensure that a full range of issues are
addressed in the EIS and potential
issues are identified, comments and
suggestions are invited from all
interested parties. During Scoping,
UDOT requests comments and
suggestions on the draft purpose and
need, potential project alternatives and
impacts, the draft alternatives screening
methodology, and the identification of
any relevant information, studies, or
analyses of any kind concerning impacts
to the quality of the human and natural
environment. The purpose of this
request is to bring relevant comments,
information, and analyses to the
attention of UDOT, as early in the
process as possible, to enable the agency
to make maximum use of this
information in decision making.
A public scoping period will be held
between December 27, 2022 and January
27, 2023. As part of the scoping process,
UDOT will provide an opportunity for
public and agency comments on the
draft purpose and need statement and
technical memorandum, and
preliminary alternatives screening
methodology. These documents will be
available on the project website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) on
December 27, 2022. Final versions of
these documents, along with a scoping
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summary report, will be available on the
project website when they are
completed.
Public scoping meetings will be held
in-person and virtually. An in-person
public scoping meeting will be held on
January 10, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00
p.m. at Ecker Hill Middle School, 2465
Kilby Road, Park City, Utah. A virtual
public scoping meeting will be held on
January 11, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30
p.m. via Zoom. To register for the
virtual public meeting or to obtain
information regarding the scoping
meetings, please visit the project
website.
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
(kimballjunctioneis.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
December 27, 2022 and January 27,
2023. 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
preliminary alternatives screening
methodology, 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.
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
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) and
in newspapers with local and regional
circulation, including The Salt Lake
Tribune, the Deseret News, the Park
Record, and Townlift. 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
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through other methods which will
identify where interested parties can
review a copy of the Draft EIS. A public
hearing will be conducted by UDOT and
announced a minimum of 15 days in
advance of the scheduled hearing date.
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 (kimballjunctioneis.udot
.utah.gov) and by newspaper
advertisement.
Schedule for the Decision-Making
Process
After this NOI is issued, UDOT will
coordinate with the participating and
cooperating agencies to develop study
documentation and the Draft EIS.
The Draft EIS is anticipated to be
issued in Winter 2023.
The combined Final EIS and Record
of Decision is anticipated to be issued
in the Fall of 2024, within 24 months of
the publication of this NOI.
Any other federal permits, if
necessary, will be obtained within 90
days after the Record of Decision is
issued.
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
draft 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
kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov.
Information requests or comments can
also be emailed to kimballjunctioneis@
utah.gov.
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UDOT: Carissa Watanabe,
Environmental Program Manager, UDOT
Environmental Services Division, 4501
South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt
Lake City, Utah 84114–8450; telephone:
(503) 939–3798; email: cwatanabe@
utah.gov.
(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: December 14, 2022.
Ivan Marrero,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway
Administration, Salt Lake City, Utah.
[FR Doc. 2022–27728 Filed 12–20–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA–2022–0013]
Revision of Stewardship and Oversight
Agreement Template
Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of revised Stewardship
and Oversight Agreement template,
request for comments.
AGENCY:
The FHWA has completed a
revision to the Federal-State
Stewardship and Oversight (S&O)
Agreement template. The revised S&O
Agreement template that is the subject
of this notice is an updated version of
a template issued by FHWA in 2015.
The revisions address such issues as
changes in applicable laws and the
evolution of FHWA’s risk-based
stewardship and oversight program. The
FHWA is requesting comments on the
revised S&O Agreement template. The
FHWA will publish a Federal Register
notice announcing the final S&O
Agreement template, including any
changes FHWA makes in response to
public comments.
DATES: The public comment period
closes on February 21, 2023.
ADDRESSES: All comments should
include the docket number that appears
in the heading of this document and
may be submitted in any of the
following ways:
• Electronically through the Federal
eRulemaking Portal:
www.regulations.gov. This website
allows the public to enter comments on
any Federal Register notice issued by
any agency. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
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SUMMARY:
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• Fax: 1–202–493–2251.
• Mail: U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M–
30, West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590–0001.
• Hand Delivery: U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations,
West Building Ground Floor, Room
W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20590 between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
Instructions: You should identify the
docket number at the beginning of your
comments. If you submit your
comments by mail, submit two copies.
To receive confirmation that DOT
received your comments, include a selfaddressed stamped postcard. Late
comments will be considered to the
extent practicable. Note that all
comments received will be posted
without change to www.regulations.gov,
including any personal information
provided.
Mr.
Lloyd Rue, Office of Infrastructure, (202)
366–6125, office hours are from 8 a.m.
to 4:30 p.m., MT, Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays, or Ms.
Alla Shaw, Office of the Chief Counsel,
(202) 366–1042, office hours are from 8
a.m. to 4:30 p.m., ET, Federal Highway
Administration, 1200 New Jersey
Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590.
Offices are open Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Electronic Access
This document and the revised S&O
Agreement template may be viewed
online under the docket number noted
above through the Federal eRulemaking
portal at: www.regulations.gov.
Electronic submission and retrieval help
and guidelines are available on the
website. Please follow the online
instructions.
In addition to being available in the
electronic docket, the revised S&O
Agreement template may also be viewed
online at: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/
federalaid/stewardship/Draft_
stewardship_and_oversight_
template.docx.
An electronic copy of this document
may also be downloaded from the Office
of the Federal Register’s website at:
https://www.archives.gov/federal-register
and the U.S. Government Publishing
Office’s website at: https://
www.govinfo.gov/.
Physical access to the docket is
available at the U.S. Department of
Transportation, Docket Operations, M–
30, West Building Ground Floor, Room
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78193
W12–140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE,
Washington, DC 20950, between 9 a.m.
and 5 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays.
All comments received before the
close of business on the comment
closing date indicated above will be
considered and will be available for
examination in the docket at the above
address. Comments received after the
comment closing date will be filed in
the docket and will be considered to the
extent practicable. In addition to late
comments, FHWA will also continue to
file relevant information in the docket
as it becomes available after the
comment period closing date and
interested persons should continue to
examine the docket for new material.
Background
In enacting 23 United States Code
(U.S.C.) 106(c), as amended, Congress
established authority for States to enter
into agreements with FHWA under
which the States carry out certain
project responsibilities traditionally
handled by FHWA. Congress also
recognized the importance of a riskbased approach to FHWA oversight of
the Federal-aid highway program
(FAHP), establishing requirements in 23
U.S.C. 106(g). The S&O Agreement is a
key element of FHWA’s risk-based S&O
approach. The S&O Agreements are
formal instruments executed between
each FHWA Division Office and its
corresponding State department of
transportation (State DOT). The S&O
Agreement defines the roles and
responsibilities of FHWA and the State
DOT with respect to Title 23, U.S.C.
project approvals and related
responsibilities, and documents
methods that will be used for FAHP
oversight activities.
In response to Office of Inspector
General recommendations,1 FHWA
revised its national S&O procedures to
require use of a uniform template for
developing an S&O Agreement and
instituted a legal review of each S&O
Agreement. In 2015, FHWA issued the
template currently in use. Each of the 52
FHWA Division Offices and their
respective State DOTs executed a new
S&O Agreement based on the 2015 S&O
Agreement template.
Since the issuance of the 2015 S&O
Agreement template and
implementation of the new S&O
Agreements, statutes and regulations
applicable to the FAHP have changed.
1 ‘‘Improvements to Stewardship and Oversight
Agreements Are Needed to Enhance Federal-aid
Highway Program Management,’’ OIG, DOT, Report
Number MH–2013–001 (October 1, 2012), available
online at https://www.oig.dot.gov/library-item/
28742.
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 244 (Wednesday, December 21, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78190-78193]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27728]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Summit County, Utah
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (USDOT), Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS).
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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the Utah Department of Transportation
(UDOT), is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to solicit comment and
advise the public, agencies, and stakeholders that an EIS will be
prepared for transportation improvements in the Kimball Junction area
which includes the I-80 and SR-224 interchange and SR-224 through the
two at-grade intersections to the south of I-80 (Ute Boulevard and
Olympic Parkway) in Summit County, Utah. Persons and agencies who may
be interested in or affected by the proposed project are encouraged to
comment on the information in this NOI and the NOI Supplemental
Information document. All comments received in response to this NOI
will be considered, and any information presented herein, including the
draft purpose and need, preliminary alternatives, and identified
impacts, may be revised in consideration of the comments.
DATES: Comments on the NOI must be received on or before January 27,
2023.
ADDRESSES: This NOI is available in the docket referenced above at
www.regulations.gov and on the project website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). Interested parties are invited to
submit comments by any of the following methods:
Website: For access to the documents, go to the Federal eRulemaking
Portal located at www.regulations.gov or the project website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). Follow the online instructions for
submitting comments.
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].
All submissions should include the agency name and the docket
number that appears in the heading of this Notice. All comments
received will be posted without change to www.regulations.gov or
kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov.
The Draft EIS will include a summary of the comments received.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carissa Watanabe, Environmental
Program Manager, UDOT Environmental Services Division, 4501 South 2700
West, P.O. Box 148450, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-8450; telephone:
(503) 939-3798; email: [email protected]. Grant Farnsworth, PE,
Kimball Junction EIS Project Manager, UDOT Region Two, 2010 South 2760
West, Salt Lake City, UT 84104; telephone: (801) 663-9985 email:
[email protected].
Persons interested in receiving the project information can also
use the project email address referenced above to be added to the
project mailing list.
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 May 26, 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 in the Kimball Junction area which includes
the Interstate 80 (I-80) and State Route (SR) 224 interchange and SR-
224 through the two at-grade intersections to the south (Ute Boulevard
and Olympic Parkway). The proposed project study area extends on I-80
from the Jeremy Ranch interchange (I-80 milepost 142) to the US-40
interchange (I-80 milepost 147). 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.
In 2021, UDOT, in partnership with Summit County, published the
Kimball Junction and SR-224 Area Plan (Area Plan) that was prepared to
identify and evaluate future transportation improvements at the
interchange of I-80 and SR-224 and through the two at-grade
intersections on SR-224 (Ute Boulevard and Olympic Parkway) in Summit
County, Utah. The Area Plan was conducted using UDOT's Solutions
Development process which is a local planning process that seeks to
capture the unique context of an area or corridor and develop a set of
solutions to meet its transportation needs. The Area Plan evaluated
multimodal improvements to address congestion, mobility, safety,
access, and travel time reliability at the Kimball Junction interchange
and on SR-224 in the Kimball Junction area.
Transportation problems as well as opportunities to solve the
problems were established in the study area via input from study
partners and the public. Other criteria were developed to balance
transportation and environmental goals and objectives. Further input
from the study partners and the public was incorporated to develop the
goals. The problems and opportunities developed during the Area Plan
process informed the draft
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purpose and need of this EIS. The Area Plan process analyzed several
solutions (30) and narrowed the options down to three alternatives,
including intersection and pedestrian improvements and larger, more
complex transportation solutions that will be evaluated in the EIS. The
alternatives evaluation process included developing screening criteria
based on addressing the problems and opportunities and study goals,
developing a full range of alternatives, and documenting the
elimination of alternatives. The 2021 Area Plan may be viewed at the
project website (kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov).
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of this project as identified by UDOT is to improve
operations and travel time on SR-224 from the I-80 interchange through
Olympic Parkway; improve safety by reducing queues on I-80 off-ramps;
improve pedestrian and bicyclist mobility and accessibility throughout
the study area; and maintain or improve transit travel times. The need
for the project is based on future (2050) failing conditions at the SR-
224 and the I-80, Ute Boulevard, and Olympic Parkway intersections
create delay and unreliable travel times; off-ramp queues extending
onto mainline I-80 resulting in unsafe travel conditions; and growing
east-west active transportation demand across SR-224. Agencies and the
public are invited to comment on the draft purpose and need statement
and technical memorandum available on the project website
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). 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.
Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives the EIS
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-80 and SR-224 such as adding general-
purpose or auxiliary lanes and interchange improvements; (3) modified
accesses to and from I-80 and SR-224; (4) additional or modified road,
bicycle and pedestrian crossings on I-80 and SR-224; (5) combinations
of any of the above, and (6) other reasonable alternatives identified
during the EIS process. Three alternatives identified in the Area Plan
meet the range of alternatives listed above and include Alternative A:
a split-diamond interchange with intersection improvements; Alternative
B: an alternative that has grade-separated intersections with one-way
frontage roads to the I-80 interchange; and Alternative C: an
alternative that combines HOV-focused improvements. Additional
information on the alternatives, as well as maps and figures
illustrating the project location, are available for review on the
project website noted in the ADDRESSES section. 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.
The alternatives might be revised based on UDOT's consideration of
public comments. The concepts not retained will also be documented in
the Draft EIS. Alternatives carried forward in the EIS process will be
evaluated along with the No Action alternative. The No Action
alternative assumes all transportation improvements identified in the
current long-range transportation plan would be built except the
interchange improvements proposed in this study.
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 as identified in the
Area Plan and will be evaluated by UDOT in the EIS:
Water Quality and Water Resources including Wetlands and other
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)
recreation resources and eligible historic properties. Section 4(f) is
in reference to the U.S. Department of Transportation Act of 1966.
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.
Additional analysis and public involvement will be conducted during the
NEPA process to assess if the potential action alternatives would
result in any disproportionately high and adverse impacts on the low-
income and minority communities.
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, 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 resources and anticipated 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.
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. 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
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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). A section 4(f) de minimis impact and/or section 106 affected
properties would require concurrence from the official with
jurisdiction.
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
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov). Cooperating agencies that have been
preliminarily identified include the USACE and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency.
Agency and Public Review
UDOT will initiate a scoping process in December 2022 to gather
information and solicit input after this NOI is issued. To ensure that
a full range of issues are addressed in the EIS and potential issues
are identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all
interested parties. During Scoping, UDOT requests comments and
suggestions on the draft purpose and need, potential project
alternatives and impacts, the draft alternatives screening methodology,
and the identification of any relevant information, studies, or
analyses of any kind concerning impacts to the quality of the human and
natural environment. The purpose of this request is to bring relevant
comments, information, and analyses to the attention of UDOT, as early
in the process as possible, to enable the agency to make maximum use of
this information in decision making.
A public scoping period will be held between December 27, 2022 and
January 27, 2023. As part of the scoping process, UDOT will provide an
opportunity for public and agency comments on the draft purpose and
need statement and technical memorandum, and preliminary alternatives
screening methodology. These documents will be available on the project
website (kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) on December 27, 2022. Final
versions of these documents, along with a scoping summary report, will
be available on the project website when they are completed.
Public scoping meetings will be held in-person and virtually. An
in-person public scoping meeting will be held on January 10, 2023 from
5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Ecker Hill Middle School, 2465 Kilby Road,
Park City, Utah. A virtual public scoping meeting will be held on
January 11, 2023 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. To register for
the virtual public meeting or to obtain information regarding the
scoping meetings, please visit the project website.
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
(kimballjunctioneis.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 December 27,
2022 and January 27, 2023. 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 preliminary alternatives
screening methodology, 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.
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
(kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov) and in newspapers with local and
regional circulation, including The Salt Lake Tribune, the Deseret
News, the Park Record, and Townlift. 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. A public hearing will be conducted by UDOT and
announced a minimum of 15 days in advance of the scheduled hearing
date. 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 (kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov)
and by newspaper advertisement.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
After this NOI is issued, UDOT will coordinate with the
participating and cooperating agencies to develop study documentation
and the Draft EIS.
The Draft EIS is anticipated to be issued in Winter 2023.
The combined Final EIS and Record of Decision is anticipated to be
issued in the Fall of 2024, within 24 months of the publication of this
NOI.
Any other federal permits, if necessary, will be obtained within 90
days after the Record of Decision is issued.
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
draft 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
kimballjunctioneis.udot.utah.gov. Information requests or comments can
also be emailed to [email protected].
[[Page 78193]]
UDOT: Carissa Watanabe, Environmental Program Manager, UDOT
Environmental Services Division, 4501 South 2700 West, P.O. Box 148450,
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-8450; telephone: (503) 939-3798; 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: December 14, 2022.
Ivan Marrero,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Salt Lake City,
Utah.
[FR Doc. 2022-27728 Filed 12-20-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
