Surface Transportation Board April 3, 2008 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

On July 6, 2007, the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502 for authority to construct and operate a new rail line from the vicinity of North Pole to Delta Junction, Alaska. The project would involve the construction and operation of approximately 80 miles of new main line track. Figure 1 shows ARRC's existing track and the proposed rail line extension from North Pole to Delta Junction (All figures are available for viewing on the Board's Web site at www.stb.dot.gov by going to ``Environmental Matters,'' then selecting ``Key Cases'' in the dropdown; and then when the next page appears, clicking ``Alaska RailroadNorthern Rail Extension''). Because the construction and operation of this project has the potential to result in significant environmental impacts, the Board's Section on Environmental Analysis (SEA) has determined that the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is appropriate. To help determine the scope of the EIS, and as required by the Board's regulations at 49 CFR 1105.10(a)(2), SEA published in the Federal Register and mailed to the public on November 1, 2005, the Notice of Availability of Draft Scope of Study for the EIS, Notice of Scoping Meetings, and Request for Comments. SEA also prepared and distributed to the public a fact sheet that introduced ARRC's Northern Rail Extension, announced SEA's intent to prepare an EIS, requested comments, and gave notice of three public scoping meetings to over 400 citizens, elected officials, Federal, state, and local agencies, tribal organizations, and other potentially interested organizations received this information. SEA held three public scoping meetings in North Pole, Delta Junction, and Anchorage, Alaska on December 6, 7, and 8, 2005, respectively. The scoping comment period concluded January 13, 2006. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District (USACE); U.S. Coast Guard, Seventeenth Coast Guard District (USCG); Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office (BLM); U.S. Department of Defense, Alaskan Command (ALCOM); U.S. Department of Defense, 354th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base (354th); Federal Transit Administration, Region 10 (FTA); Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); and Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) requested and were granted cooperating agency status in preparation of the EIS. After review and consideration of all comments received, this notice sets forth the final scope of the EIS. The final scope reflects any changes to the draft scope as a result of the comments, summarizes and addresses the principal environmental concerns raised by the comments, and briefly discusses pertinent issues concerning this project that further clarify the final scope.