Environmental Impact Statement: Chittenden County, Vermont

• Published date: 11 October 2019
• Citation: 84 FR 54944
• Record Number: 2019-22306
• Section: Notices
• Court: Federal Highway Administration

Federal Register, Volume 84 Issue 198 (Friday, October 11, 2019)

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 198 (Friday, October 11, 2019)]
                [Notices]
                [Page 54944]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2019-22306]
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                DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                Federal Highway Administration
                Environmental Impact Statement: Chittenden County, Vermont
                AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
                ACTION: Notice to rescind the 2010 Record of Decision.
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                SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the
                2010 Record of Decision issued for the proposed Southern Connector/
                Champlain Parkway project is being rescinded.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kenneth R. Sikora, Jr., Environmental
                Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, 87 State Street, Room
                216, Montpelier, Vermont 05602. Telephone: (802) 828-4573.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Vermont
                Agency of Transportation (VTrans), is rescinding the Record of Decision
                (ROD) for the Southern Connector/Champlain Parkway project issued on
                January 13, 2010.
                 The Notice of Intent to prepare the Supplemental Environmental
                Impact Statement (SEIS) was published in the Federal Register on
                December 31, 2003. The ROD was issued on January 13, 2010. The FHWA, in
                conjunction with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), has
                determined that the ROD shall be rescinded for the following reason:
                Although the 2005 Draft SEIS and the 2009 Final SEIS each considered
                disproportionately high and adverse impacts on minority and low-income
                populations in accordance with Executive Order 12898, public outreach
                for that analysis was limited to the general public involvement
                associated with the NEPA process. Since the 2010 ROD, FHWA has become
                aware of new information about project impacts that may bear on the
                project decision.
                 In order to the assess the relevance of this new information, FHWA
                and VTrans have decided to perform targeted public outreach to any
                minority and low-income populations in the project study area in order
                to determine whether the conclusions reached in the 2009 Final SEIS and
                2010 ROD remain valid. FHWA and VTrans have also determined that the
                environmental justice analysis and conclusions in the NEPA review
                should be reassessed using the latest (2010) census data, and based on
                FHWA's December 16, 2011 Guidance on Environmental Justice and NEPA.
                 The reassessment of census data and public outreach will be
                performed as part of a written evaluation of the 2009 Final SEIS. The
                outcome of the written evaluation will assess all changes to the
                project as well as its setting in determining project impacts. The
                identified impacts will be compared to those disclosed in the 2009
                FSEIS. FHWA and VTrans will assess whether or not all of the project's
                environmental impacts were adequately considered, and if any of the
                impacts may rise to the level of significance. Based on the
                identification of any new impacts, and to what extent they rise to the
                level of significance, the written evaluation will recommend whether or
                not the preparation of a new Supplemental EIS would be appropriate to
                issue a new or an amended ROD for the project to move forward.
                 FHWA and VTrans continue to recognize a strong need for this
                project. The written evaluation will provide a basis for determining
                the way forward to implement this project. Any future FHWA action
                within this project study area will comply with environmental review
                requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C.
                4321), FHWA's environmental regulations (23 CFR 771) and related
                authorities, as appropriate. Comments and questions concerning this
                action should be directed to FHWA at the address provided above.
                (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
                Highway Planning and Construction. The regulations implementing
                Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental consultation on
                Federal programs and activities apply to this program.)
                 Issued on: October 7, 2019.
                Matthew R. Hake,
                Division Administrator, Montpelier, Vermont.
                [FR Doc. 2019-22306 Filed 10-10-19; 8:45 am]
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