Army Department October 31, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In compliance with section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Department of the Army announces a proposed extension of a public information collection and seeks public comment on the provisions thereof. Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed information collection; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the information collection on respondents, including through the use of automated collection techniques or other forms of information technology.

Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as implemented by the Council on Environmental Quality regulations (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New England District (Corps) announces its intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to evaluate a proposed establishment of passenger rail service between Boston and New Bedford/Fall River, MA. The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation and Public Works (EOT) has submitted an application for a Department of the Army permit to discharge fill material into waters of the United States (U.S.), ranging in area from less than one acre to approximately eight acres (depending on the alternative selected), including wetlands, incidental to the establishment of the passenger rail service. The EOT has stated that the purpose of their proposed project is to more fully meet the existing and future demand for public transportation between Fall River/New Bedford and Boston, MA, and to enhance regional mobility, while supporting smart growth planning and development strategies in the affected communities. The cities of Taunton, Fall River, and New Bedford are the only cities within 50 miles of Boston that are not currently served by passenger rail. The EIS will also be prepared with the intent to serve as a joint Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) and NEPA document that will comply with the procedural requirements of both state and federal law and serve as a combined EIS/Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The MEPA review will be conducted simultaneously with the NEPA process. The EIS/EIR will evaluate a range of alternative transit routes to determine the Least Environmentally Damaging Practicable Alternative (``LEDPA''), in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Guidelines for Specification of Disposal Sites for Dredged or Fill Material (40 CFR Part 230). Alternative routes presently identified include four principal rail routes: (1) The ``Attleboro Alternative'', (2) the ``Stoughton Alternative'', (3) the ``Middleborough Alternative'', and (4) the ``Attleboro-Middleborough Hybrid Alternative''. A fifth alternative is a Rapid Bus Alternative using modified highway infrastructure. A No Build/Transportation Surface Management alternative will also be evaluated. Public scoping may identify other alternatives for evaluation in the EIS/EIR.