Rescinding the Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement (EIS): South Kohala, Hawaii

Ralph Rizzo
Federal Highway Administration
4 June 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 108 (Thursday, June 4, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 34487]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12118]



[[Page 34487]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Rescinding the Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS): South Kohala, Hawaii

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice to rescind notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it 
is rescinding its NOI and will not be preparing an EIS to evaluate 
alternatives that would support the increase in traffic demands and 
special needs, including the movement of military and commercial truck 
traffic between Waimea Town and Kawaihae Harbor in South Kohala in the 
County of Hawaii. An NOI to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on November 29, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph Rizzo, Division Administrator, 
Federal Highway Administration, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Box 50206, 
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850, Telephone: (808) 541-2700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the State of 
Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), initiated an EIS with an 
NOI published in the Federal Register on November 29, 2002, at 67 FR 
71231, to prepare an EIS.
    As part of the EIS, a new highway approximately 14 miles in length, 
transportation system management, and the no build alternative would 
have been studied. Improvements were considered necessary to 
accommodate the anticipated traffic demands, and special needs 
including heavy truck traffic and military vehicles. The Project would 
impact a sizable number of historic and archaeological resources due to 
the sheer number of archaeological sites identified during the survey. 
Avoidance of all of these sites would be difficult and may not be 
feasible. Additionally, the cost for the estimated right-of-way and 
construction would likely be substantial because of limited funding 
availability. Therefore, HDOT has decided not to pursue the project and 
the preparation of the EIS is being terminated.

(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.)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139, 23 CFR 771, and 40 CFR 1500-1508.

    Issued on: May 29, 2020.
Ralph Rizzo,
Division Administrator, Honolulu, HI.
[FR Doc. 2020-12118 Filed 6-3-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P