Limited-Scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: City of Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont

Matthew R. Hake
Federal Highway Administration
27 January 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 17 (Monday, January 27, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 4758]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01333]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Limited-Scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: City 
of Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Limited-Scope Supplemental 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that a 
Limited-Scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement will be 
prepared for the proposed Southern Connector/Champlain Parkway project 
in the City of Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Sikora, 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) and the City of Burlington, will 
prepare a Limited-Scope Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Burlington Southern Connector/Champlain Parkway between 
Interstate 189 and Main Street in Burlington, Vermont.
    The Southern Connector/Champlain Parkway project has a long history 
with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews dating back to 
the 1970's. The most recent NEPA document for the project was a Final 
Supplemental EIS approved by FHWA on September 22, 2009 and a Record of 
Decision (ROD) issued on January 13, 2010 identifying the Selected 
Alternative and the reasons for its selection. On October 11, 2019, the 
FHWA published a notice to rescind the ROD in order to re-evaluate the 
project's impacts to low-income and minority populations in accordance 
with 23 CFR 771.129. Based on the environmental re-evaluation, FHWA has 
determined that a Limited-Scope Supplemental EIS should be prepared for 
the project to address changes subsequent to 2010 in FHWA guidance and 
methodology for performing environmental justice analyses, updated 
demographic information contained in the latest available census data, 
and to provide additional opportunities for meaningful public 
involvement.
    The Supplemental EIS will be limited in the scope of issues, and 
only assess impacts to low-income and minority populations. Based on 
the Executive Order 12898 Federal Actions to Address Environmental 
Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations, and FHWA's 
``Guidance on Environmental Justice and NEPA,'' it is FHWA's policy to 
identify and address any disproportionately high and adverse effects of 
FHWA actions on the health or environment of low-income and minority 
populations to the greatest extent practicable and permitted by law. 
The Supplemental EIS review will also address a limited portion of the 
project along the Pine Street section of the Selected Alternative, 
between Maple Street and Main Street.
    Public involvement is a critical component of the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review and Federal-aid highway project 
development process. A Draft Limited-Scope Supplemental EIS will be 
made available for review and comment by Federal and state resource 
agencies and the public. A public hearing will be held at an accessible 
location in Burlington at the time the document is made available. In 
addition to the public hearing, and as needed during the project's NEPA 
review, FHWA will work with VTrans and the City of Burlington to plan, 
organize and provide public involvement opportunities and project 
status updates through the project website, local media, and a project 
open house. Public notice will be given of the time and place of public 
meetings and hearings through local newspapers and the project website 
at http://champlainparkway.com/. No formal scoping meeting is planned 
at this time. Following approval of the Draft Limited-Scope 
Supplemental EIS, FHWA plans to issue a combined Final Limited-Scope 
Supplemental EIS/ROD.

(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: January 16, 2020.
Matthew R. Hake,
Division Administrator, Montpelier, Vermont.
[FR Doc. 2020-01333 Filed 1-24-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P