Notice2022-17446
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Highway Project; Idaho Falls, Idaho
Primary source
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Published
August 15, 2022
Issuing agencies
Transportation DepartmentFederal Highway Administration
Abstract
The FHWA, in coordination with the Idaho Department of Transportation (ITD), is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to solicit comment and advise the public, agencies, and stakeholders that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for transportation improvements to Interstate 15 (I-15) and United States Highway 20 (US20) in Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho. Persons and agencies who may be interested in or affected by the proposed project are encouraged to comment on the information in this NOI and the NOI Supplementary Information document. All comments received in response to this Notice of Intent will be considered and any information presented herein, including the preliminary purpose and need, preliminary alternatives and identified impacts, may be revised in consideration of the comments.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 156 (Monday, August 15, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 156 (Monday, August 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50159-50162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-17446]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
[Docket No. FHWA-2022-0022]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
a Proposed Highway Project; Idaho Falls, Idaho
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
Transportation (USDOT).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The FHWA, in coordination with the Idaho Department of
Transportation (ITD), is issuing this Notice of Intent (NOI) to solicit
comment and advise the public, agencies, and stakeholders that an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared for
transportation improvements to Interstate 15 (I-15) and United States
Highway 20 (US20) in Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho. Persons and
agencies who may be interested in or affected by the proposed project
are encouraged to comment on the information in this NOI and the NOI
Supplementary Information document. All comments received in response
to this Notice of Intent will be considered and any information
presented herein, including the preliminary purpose and need,
preliminary alternatives and identified impacts, may be revised in
consideration of the comments.
DATES: Comments on the NOI or the NOI Supplementary Information
documents must be received on or before September 14, 2022.
ADDRESSES: This NOI and the NOI Supplementary Information document are
available in the docket referenced above at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>
and on the project website located at <a href="http://i15us20connector.com">http://i15us20connector.com</a>. The
NOI Supplementary Information document will also be mailed upon
request. All interested parties are invited to submit comments by any
of the following methods:
<bullet> Website: For access to the documents, go to the Federal
eRulemaking Portal located at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or the project
website located at <a href="http://i15us20connector.com">http://i15us20connector.com</a>. Follow the online
instructions for submitting comments.
<bullet> Phone: Lisa Applebee at (208) 334-9180.
<bullet> Mailing address or for hand delivery or courier: FHWA
Idaho Division, 3050 N Lakeharbor Lane, Boise, ID 83703.
[[Page 50160]]
<bullet> Email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a7cbced4c689c6d7d7cbc2c5c2c2e7c3c8d389c0c8d1"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d8b4b1abb9f6b9a8a8b4bdbabdbd98bcb7acf6bfb7ae">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Project email address: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#5635393b3b33382225163f676323256466353924243f3239247835393b"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="abc8c4c6c6cec5dfd8ebc29a9eded8999bc8c4d9d9c2cfc4d985c8c4c6">[email protected]</span></a>.
All submissions should include the agency name and the docket
number that appears in the heading of this Notice. All comments
received will be posted without change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a> or
<a href="http://i15us20connector.com">http://i15us20connector.com</a>, including any personal information
provided.
The Draft EIS will include a summary of the comments received.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to get
on the project mailing list, contact Lisa Applebee, Operations
Engineer, FHWA Idaho Division, 3050 N Lakeharbor Lane, Boise, ID 83703,
(208) 334-9180, <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#167a7f6577387766667a737473735672796238717960"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="d3bfbaa0b2fdb2a3a3bfb6b1b6b693b7bca7fdb4bca5">[email protected]</span></a>; or Karen Hiatt, Program
Engineer, Idaho Transportation Department District 6, 206 North
Yellowstone Highway, Rigby, ID 83442, (208) 745-7781;
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#402b2132252e6e2829213434002934246e292421282f6e272f36"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a4cfc5d6c1ca8acccdc5d0d0e4cdd0c08acdc0c5cccb8ac3cbd2">[email protected]</span></a>.
Persons interested in receiving project information can also use
the project email address referenced above to be added to the project
mailing list.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA and ITD are committed to public
involvement for this project. All public comments received in response
to this notice will be considered and potential revisions will be made
to the information presented herein as appropriate. The FHWA, as the
lead Federal agency, and ITD as joint lead agency/project sponsor, are
preparing an EIS to evaluate transportation solutions on I-15 and US20
in Idaho Falls and Bonneville County, Idaho. The EIS will be prepared
in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 United States Code [U.S.C.]
4321, et seq.); 23 U.S.C. 139, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
regulations implementing NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR]
1500-1508); FHWA regulations implementing NEPA (23 CFR 771.101-
771.139); and applicable Federal, State, and local laws and
regulations. Pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 168(d) and FHWA regulations
regarding incorporation of the results of transportation planning
studies as part the overall project development process consistent with
NEPA, the results of the I-15/US-20 Planning and Environment Linkages
(PEL) Study completed in December 2020 will be incorporated by
reference into the EIS. The NOI Supplementary Information document
includes additional details about how the PEL study met the statutory
conditions in 23 U.S.C. 168. The PEL study report and related documents
are available on the project website at <a href="http://i15us20connector.com">http://i15us20connector.com</a>.
After completion of the PEL study in December 2020, ITD coordinated
with appropriate agencies and major stakeholders to obtain concurrence
that the purpose and need, preliminary alternatives, and potentially
environmental issues included in the PEL study would be incorporated
into the EIS by reference. The interagency planning process for the PEL
study has coordination points for the Cooperating Agencies. These
coordination points are intended to signify that the information is
sufficient for each agency's purpose in the fulfillment of their
respective statutory requirements. All public comments will be
considered and changes may be made to the proposed project as a result.
To ensure that a full range of issues are addressed in the EIS and
potential issues are identified, comments and suggestions are invited
from all interested parties. The FHWA requests comments and suggestions
on the purpose and need, potential project alternatives and impacts,
and the identification of any relevant information, studies, or
analyses of any kind concerning impacts to the quality of the human and
natural environment. The purpose of this request is to bring relevant
comments, information, and analyses to the attention of FHWA and ITD,
as early in the process as possible, to enable the agency to make
maximum use of this information in decision making.
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The purpose of this project is to address safety, congestion,
mobility, and travel time reliability for efficient movement of people,
goods, and services on I-15 and US20 in or near Bonneville County and
Idaho Falls. Improvements are necessary to address the following needs:
unsafe travel conditions caused by substandard weave/merge distances,
unacceptable level of service at signalized ramp terminals, and poor
pedestrian and bicycle mobility along and across the corridors. The
purpose and need may be revised based on comments received during the
comment period on this Notice.
Preliminary Description of the Proposed Action and Alternatives the EIS
Will Consider
The proposed action is to reconfigure portions of I-15 and US20
through Idaho Falls, including reconfiguration of the interchange
connecting the two highways at Exit 119.
The FHWA/ITD proposes to evaluate two build alternatives and the no
action alternative in the EIS. The first build alternative (E3) moves
the existing Exit 119 interchange north approximately 2,000 feet and
realigns approximately 3,000 feet of US20. The second build alternative
(H2) adds a new I-15/US20 interchange approximately two miles north of
the existing Exit 119 interchange and realigns approximately three
miles of US20. The No Action Alternative assumes no improvements other
than those planned by others or implemented as part of routine
maintenance.
Additional information on the alternatives, as well as maps and
figures illustrating the project location, are provided in the NOI
Supplementary Information document available for review in the docket
established for this project and on the project website noted in the
ADDRESSES section. The alternatives may be revised based on the
consideration of public comments. The range of reasonable alternatives
will be finalized after consideration of comments received during the
comment period on this Notice, and will be documented in the Draft EIS
(DEIS).
Summary of Expected Impacts
The EIS will evaluate the potential social, economic, and
environmental impacts resulting from the implementation of the build
alternatives and the no action alternative. During the PEL study, the
public and agencies identified which environmental issues and
considerations will require the most attention by ITD to minimize
project impacts during the environmental review process, as described
below.
<bullet> Wetlands and Waters of the United States (U.S.). Both
build alternatives would require fill and removal from Waters of the
U.S. considered jurisdictional by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE) and also impacts to wetlands considered to be jurisdictional by
the Idaho Department of Water Resources and Idaho Department of Lands.
<bullet> Sections 106 and 4(f) Historic Resources. Both build
alternatives have the potential to adversely affect historic properties
within the study area. Both alternatives would impact the historic
Antares Park neighborhood. In Alternative E3, the relocated I-15/US20
Interchange would impact the historic grain elevators and associated
industrial properties adjacent to the Eastern Idaho Railroad. Whereas
the Alternative H2 may impact the historic farmstead located near 900 E
49th N and its
[[Page 50161]]
historic grain elevators and associated agricultural property.
<bullet> Section 4(f) Public Parks and Recreational Areas. There is
a potential for noise and visual impacts from both build alternatives
to public parks and recreational areas that are subject to Section 4(f)
protection, including Antares Park, Idaho Falls Greenbelt, and Johns
Hole Forebay Park. Both build alternatives would also likely cross the
Idaho Falls Riverwalk. However, impacts to the trail would be temporary
in nature and include trail detours during construction. Alternative E3
may have minimal impacts to John's Hole Forebay Park and Antares Park.
Potential effects to the Section 4(f) properties will be evaluated,
avoided or minimized where possible as the project design is refined
during the NEPA process and the Section 4(f) evaluation. Based on the
preliminary design, it appears that the build alternatives would avoid
direct impacts and uses of Russ Freeman Park.
<bullet> Environmental Justice. There is the potential for adverse
impacts to environmental justice communities due to potential
relocations as well as noise and visual impacts. Alternative E3 has the
potential for direct and indirect impacts to AH Bush Elementary, the
Kingdom Hall Jehovah's Witnesses Church and Antares Park, which are
located within the environmental justice communities within the study
area of the proposed project. Additional analysis and public
involvement will be conducted during the NEPA review to assess if
either of the two build alternatives would result in any
disproportionately high and adverse impacts on the low-income and
minority communities.
The EIS will evaluate the expected impacts and benefits to the
resources identified above as well as the following other resources:
land use and right-of-way, farmland, social and community resources,
economics, air quality, transportation, traffic noise, ecosystem
resources (wildlife and threatened and endangered species), hazardous
waste sites, and visual resources. The level of review of the
identified resources for the EIS will be commensurate with the
anticipated impacts to each resource from the proposed project and will
be governed by the statutory or regulatory requirements protecting
those resources. The analyses and evaluations conducted for the EIS
will identify the potential for impacts; whether the anticipated
impacts would be adverse; and the appropriate environmental mitigation
measures. Additional information on the expected impacts is provided in
the NOI Supplementary Information document available for review in the
docket established for this project and on the project website as noted
in the ADDRESSES section. The FHWA and ITD are inviting public input
during the NOI comment period. The identification of impacts for
analysis in the DEIS may be revised due to the consideration of public
comments.
Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations
Permits and authorizations anticipated for the project include a
USACE Section 404 permit under the Clean Water Act (33 U.S.C. 1344) and
Section 401 water quality certification (33 U.S.C. 1341). There is a
potential that a Land Release Permit may be required from the Federal
Aviation Administration under both of the build alternatives. The USACE
has agreed to be a Cooperating Agency, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency has agreed to be a Participating Agency, and the
Federal Aviation Administration has agreed to be a Cooperating Agency.
The FHWA and ITD will prepare evaluations under Section 4(f) of the
USDOT Act of 1966, 23 CFR part 774, and Section 6(f) of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965, 54 U.S.C. 200302; will perform
consultation under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966, 54 U.S.C. 300101-307108 concurrently with the NEPA
environmental review processes; and will consult with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service in accordance with Section 7 of the Endangered Species
Act of 1973, to determine if additional permits or authorizations are
required under any of these authorities.
For the Idaho Falls Regional Airport, a short segment of
Alternative E3 would encroach into the Runway 17-35 Protection Zone
(RPZ), and Alternative H2 would impact a section of the Runway 20-2 RPZ
and the navigable airspace to the northeast of the airport. The ITD
will coordinate with the airport sponsor and the FAA to assess and
mitigate any impacts to airport safety, and facilitate the required
airport land release to ensure the airport sponsor's compliance with
all applicable FAA grant assurances.
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
and will comply with 40 CFR 1501.10(b)(2), which requires that
environmental reviews and authorization decisions for major
infrastructure projects occur within two years (from the date of
publication of the NOI to the date of issuance of the Record of
Decision (ROD), and all necessary authorizations be issued efficiently
and in a timely manner, in cooperation with the FHWA. A current draft
of the Agency Coordination Plan, the Public Involvement Plan, and a
milestone schedule are included with the NOI Supplementary Information
document, which is available for review in the docket established for
this project and on the project website as noted in the ADDRESSES
section.
The anticipated project schedule is outlined below:
<bullet> Agency Scoping Meeting: October 12, 2022
<bullet> Public Scoping Meetings: October 18, 2022
<bullet> Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS (DEIS): September 2023
<bullet> Public Hearing: October 2023
<bullet> End of DEIS Comment Period: November 2023
<bullet> Issue FEIS/ROD: August 2024
<bullet> Issue all Project Permits and Authorization Decisions:
December 2024 (if a build alternative is selected)
Description of the Public Scoping Process
Project scoping includes the information developed during the PEL
study through agency coordination and public outreach and through
coordination activities with resource agencies since the PEL study.
During the PEL study process, resource agencies were consulted
regarding potential environmental impacts of the alternatives under
consideration and in identifying issues to be addressed during a
subsequent NEPA study. In addition, ITD conducted a robust program to
involve the community and the public. Public input was requested and
received at the following key PEL study milestones:
<bullet> Project visioning
<bullet> Purpose and Need and project goals
<bullet> Screening criteria used for the three levels of screening
<bullet> Alternatives development
<bullet> Results of Level One, Two, and Three screenings
<bullet> Final PEL study recommendations
After the PEL study was published, FHWA and ITD held an early
coordination meeting with potential Cooperating and Participating
Agencies on June 21, 2021. During the meeting, the agencies reviewed
the PEL study findings, including the project purpose and need, the
recommended alternatives for NEPA, a summary of key environmental
topics, and the study area. The meeting included a discussion
[[Page 50162]]
of the anticipated roles and responsibilities of Cooperating or
Participating agencies, planned pre-NOI activities, and a NEPA
milestone schedule. Following the meeting, the draft Agency
Coordination Plan with a project schedule and permitting timetable, the
draft Public Involvement Plan, and draft resource analysis
methodologies were distributed to the agencies for review and comment.
A formal agency scoping meeting will be held October 12, 2022, and
public scoping meeting is scheduled for October 18, 2022. Comments will
be received from the agencies and the public during a 30-day comment
period following the publication of this NOI. Monthly meetings with
Cooperating Agencies and periodic meetings with Participating Agencies
will be held throughout the environmental review process. The draft
Public Involvement Plan and the draft Agency Coordination Plan included
with the NOI Supplementary Information document describe how the public
and agencies will continue to be engaged during the EIS. The DEIS will
be available for public and agency review and comment prior to the DEIS
Public Hearing.
Request for Identification of Potential Alternatives, Information, and
Analyses Relevant to the Proposed Action
The NOI Supplementary Information document includes the draft
statement of purpose and need; a description of the alternatives to be
considered; the Agency Coordination Plan and permitting timetable; the
Public Involvement Plan; and a NEPA Milestone Schedule. With this
Notice, FHWA and ITD request and encourage State, Tribal, and local
agencies, and the public to review the NOI and NOI Supplementary
Information document and submit comments on any aspect of the project.
Specifically, agencies and the public are asked to identify and submit
potential alternatives for consideration and any information, such as
anticipated significant issues or environmental impacts and analyses,
relevant to the proposed action for consideration by the lead and
cooperating agencies in developing the DEIS. Any information presented
herein, including the preliminary purpose and need, preliminary range
of alternatives and identification of impacts may be revised after
consideration of the comments. Comments must be received by September
14, 2022.
There are several methods to submit comments as described in the
Addresses section of this Notice. Any questions concerning this
proposed action, including comments relative to potential alternatives,
information, and analyses, should be directed to FHWA at the physical
address, email address, or phone number provided in the For Further
Information Contact section of this Notice.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 23 CFR part 771.
Peter J. Hartman,
Division Administrator, Boise, Idaho.
[FR Doc. 2022-17446 Filed 8-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
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