Environmental Impact Statement; Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Alabama

Topics:  Interstate Highway System

Mark D. Bartlett
Federal Highway Administration
5 June 2017

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 106 (Monday, June 5, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 25904-25905]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-11543]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Mobile and Baldwin Counties, 
Alabama

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Draft Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA in cooperation with the Alabama Department of 
Transportation (ALDOT), will prepare a limited scope Supplemental Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (SDEIS) for the I-10 Mobile River Bridge 
and Bayway Widening project in Mobile and Baldwin Counties, Alabama. 
The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was approved by FHWA on 
July 22, 2014. The purpose of the SDEIS is to evaluate new information 
regarding environmental impacts and changes in project conditions that 
have occurred since the July 2014 DEIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Mark D. Bartlett, Division 
Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 9500 Wynlakes Place, 
Montgomery, Alabama 36117; Email: mark.bartlett@dot.gov; Telephone: 
(334) 274-6350.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the ALDOT, 
will prepare a limited scope SDEIS in accordance with 23 CFR 771.130(f) 
and 40 CFR 1502.9 for the proposed project which includes increasing 
the capacity of Interstate Route 10 (I-10) by constructing a new bridge 
across the Mobile River and increasing the capacity of I-10 across 
Mobile Bay from four to eight lanes. The DEIS for the project was 
approved on July 22, 2014 (FHWA-AL-EIS-14-01-D). The DEIS evaluated a 
wide range of alternatives, including the No Build Alternative and four 
Build Alternatives. Alternative B was identified as the Preferred 
Alternative. Public Hearings were held on September 23 and September 
29, 2014, following approval of the DEIS.
    The purpose of the SDEIS is to identify changes, new information, 
and activities that have occurred in the project since the July 2014 
DEIS. Based on coordination between FHWA and ALDOT, the issues to be 
addressed in the SDEIS will include, but are not limited to: 
Refinements in Alternative B', storm surge analysis, tolling as a 
funding mechanism, Section 4(f) Evaluation, Section 106 consultation, 
bicycle/pedestrian facilities, threatened and endangered species, 
ecological resources, hazardous materials, cultural resources surveys, 
and agency coordination and public outreach activities. The SDEIS will 
review information from the original DEIS, incorporate new information 
into the SDEIS, and update the impacts and analyses where changes have 
occurred since the DEIS was approved. The DEIS is available at: 
www.mobileriverbridge.com.
    The SDEIS will follow the same process and format as the original 
DEIS, except that scoping is not required. Following approval of the 
SDEIS, FHWA plans to issue a combined Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (FEIS)/Record of Decision (ROD).
    Public involvement is a critical component of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) project development process and will 
occur throughout the development of the environmental documents. 
Environmental documents will be made available for review by resources 
agencies and the public. Notification of the availability of the SDEIS 
for public and agency review will be made in the Federal Register, the 
project's Web site (www.mobileriverbridge.com), and through other 
methods to be jointly determined by FHWA and ALDOT. Those methods will 
identify where interested parties can go to review a copy of the SDEIS. 
The agency and public comment period on the SDEIS will end no sooner 
than 45 days after the Notice of Availability is published in the 
Federal Register.
    Public Hearing(s) will be held following the availability of the 
SDEIS and as necessary. The Public Hearing(s) will be held in 
accessible locations and at convenient times. The Public Hearing(s) 
will be conducted by ALDOT and announced a minimum of 30 days in 
advance of the hearings. Individuals will be provided the opportunity 
to offer official comments by publicly expressing their views to 
representatives of ALDOT and others in attendance, privately to a court 
reporter, or by submitting written comments. The

[[Page 25905]]

ALDOT will provide FHWA with a transcript of the Public Hearing(s) and 
copies of submitted written comments.
    The SDEIS will comply with other Federal and State requirements 
including the State Water Quality Certification under Section 401 of 
the Clean Water Act; protection of water quality under the National 
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System; protection of threatened and 
endangered species under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act; and 
protection of cultural resources under Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act.
    To ensure that a full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues are identified, 
comments and suggestions are invited from interested parties. Comments 
or questions concerning this proposed action and the SDEIS should be 
directed to the FHWA representative at the address above.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 315; 23 CFR 771.

(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: May 30, 2017.
Mark D. Bartlett,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Montgomery, 
Alabama.
[FR Doc. 2017-11543 Filed 6-2-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P