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Environmental Impact Statement: Mendocino, California Publication: Federal Register Agency: Federal Highway Administration Byline: Christina Leach Date: 19 April 2022 Subjects: American Government  , Roads & Highways
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 75 (Tuesday, April 19, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23313-23314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08270]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Mendocino, California
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (DOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS).
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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public
that a DEIS and Section 4(f) evaluation will be prepared for the Albion
River Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation Project (Project) on State
Route (SR) 1, in Mendocino County, California, from post mile 43.3 to
post mile 44.2.
DATES: This notice will be accompanied by a 30-day public scoping
comment period from April 15, 2022, to May 16, 2022. The deadline for
public comments is Monday, May 16, 2022.
Virtual Scoping Meeting: The virtual scoping meeting will be held
on Thursday, May 5, 2022, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. via WebEx by
accessing the following online meeting information below: To attend the
Virtual Public Scoping Meeting online, enter this WebEx address into
your web browser:
bit.ly/Albion_Public_Meeting and enter this password:
albionriver1
To attend the Virtual Public Scoping Meeting by phone, call this
WebEx dial-in phone number:
+1-408-418-9388 and enter this meeting code at the prompt:
2484 877 6866
ADDRESSES: To submit comments on the NOI, please submit them by one of
the following means to ensure you do not duplicate your submissions:
Mail: California Department of Transportation, Attention:
Liza Walker, Caltrans District 1, 1656 Union Street, Eureka, CA 95501.
Email: albionbridge@dot.ca.gov.
The comments received during this 30-day comment period will be
published in the DEIS without change, including any personal
information provided.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Liza Walker, Environmental Branch
Chief, Caltrans District 1, 1656 Union Street, Eureka, CA 95501,
telephone (707) 441-5672 or email albionbridge@dot.ca.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned,
and Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for this project
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans as the assigned National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) agency, will prepare a DEIS and Section
(4f) evaluation on a proposal for a bridge replacement/rehabilitation
project in Mendocino County, California. The proposed project would
involve either the replacement or rehabilitation of the existing
bridge, as well as a no-action alternative, on SR 1 between post mile
43.3 to post mile 44.2.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action: The purpose of this
Project is to either replace or rehabilitate the seismically and
structurally deficient Albion River Bridge with a structure that would
ensure the safety and reliability of this critical link on SR 1 of the
state highway system. The Project is needed to address several critical
deficiencies associated with the existing bridge. Correcting these
deficiencies would improve safety for all users and reduce the chance
of catastrophic bridge failure.
[[Page 23314]]
Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives: A
reasonable range of alternatives for detailed study in the DEIS is
currently being considered and will be refined in consideration of
agency and public comments received during the 30-day NOI comment
period. In addition to the No Action Alternative, potential project
alternatives include bridge replacement and bridge rehabilitation. A
preliminary description of these potential alternatives is provided
below.
The No Action Alternative assumes no improvements other than those
implemented as part of routine maintenance. The Bridge Replacement
Alternatives would replace the existing Albion River Bridge with a new
bridge. Various bridge replacement concepts will be considered during
the scoping process, including a west alignment constructed to the west
of the existing bridge, an east alignment constructed to the east of
the existing bridge, and on-alignment constructed slightly west of the
existing alignment. The Bridge Rehabilitation Alternatives would
require major work to extend the service life of the existing Albion
River Bridge. The Bridge Rehabilitation Alternatives would include
rehabilitation of the bridge for motor vehicle use by widening the
bridge and upgrading the bridge rails, or rehabilitation of the bridge
as a pedestrian-only bridge alongside one of the bridge replacement
alternatives. The operability of the bridge would need to be maintained
while addressing structural deficiencies, geometric deficiencies, and
operational reliability of the bridge.
Summary of Expected Impacts: The DEIS will include an evaluation of
the potential social, economic, and environmental effects resulting
from the implementation of the Project. Based on preliminary review of
existing conditions within and in proximity to the Project location,
the implementation of the Project could result in effects to cultural
and historic resources; community resources; parks and recreational
areas; threatened and endangered species; wetlands; coastal resources;
navigable waters; hazardous waste and contaminated materials;
floodplains; noise; air quality; and visual resources. The analyses and
evaluations conducted for the DEIS will identify the potential for
effects; whether the anticipated effects would be adverse; and
mitigation measures for adverse effects. Evaluations under Section 4(f)
of the USDOT Act of 1966, 23 CFR part 774, will be prepared, and
consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966, 54 U.S.C. 300101-307108, will be undertaken concurrently
with the NEPA/CEQA environmental review processes.
Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations: Potential permits and
approvals for the Project include: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)
permits under section 404 of the Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. 1344, and
section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, 33 U.S.C. 403, for
construction in the Albion River and potential wetland impacts; U.S.
Coast Guard (USCG) Bridge Permit, which establishes allowable
clearances for bridges over navigable waterways such as the Albion
River; National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) section 7 Endangered
Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1536, NMFS Essential Fish Habitat Consultation
for potential impacts to species due to construction in the Albion
River, consultation for potential impacts on threatened and/or
endangered species; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) section 7
Endangered Species Act, 16 U.S.C. 1536, consultation for potential
impacts to federally-listed threatened species; as well as any other
relevant California State and Local Agency permits and authorizations.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process: The Project schedule will
be established as part of the requirements of the environmental review
process under 23 U.S.C. 139 Efficient environmental reviews for project
decision-making.
The anticipated project schedule is outlined below:
Public Scoping Meetings (May 2022)
Scoping Report Publication (June 2022)
Notice of Availability of the DEIS (May 2023)
Public Hearing (June 2023)
End of DEIS Comment Period (July 2023)
Publish Single Final EIS (FEIS)/ROD (March 2024)
A Description of the Public Scoping Process: Public and agency
outreach will include a formal Public Scoping Meeting scheduled in May
2022. Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments
will be sent to appropriate Federal, State, Native American Tribes and
local agencies, and to private organizations and citizens who have
previously expressed or are known to have interest in this proposal. A
Public Hearing on the DEIS will also be scheduled during circulation of
the environmental document.
To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments,
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or
questions concerning this proposed action and the DEIS should be
directed to Caltrans 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.)
Dated: April 12, 2022.
Christina Leach,
Acting Director, Planning, Environment and Right of Way, Federal
Highway Administration, California Division.
[FR Doc. 2022-08270 Filed 4-18-22; 8:45 am]
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