Notice To Rescind a Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement: Orange and San Diego Counties, CA

Larry Vinzant
Federal Highway Administration
April 8, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 67 (Tuesday, April 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Page 19411]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-07803]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice To Rescind a Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement: Orange and San Diego Counties, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTION: Notice to rescind a Notice of Intent To Prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it 
is rescinding two Notices of Intent (NOI) to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposal to construct the extension of 
State Route 241 to Interstate 5 (I-5) in southern Orange County and 
northern San Diego County. The FHWA published the initial NOI in the 
Federal Register on February 20, 2001 and a supplemental NOI in the 
Federal Register on March 14, 2001. These rescissions are due in part 
to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce's December 2008 decision upholding 
the California Coastal Commission's (CCC) objection to the Foothill/
Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency's (TCA) consistency 
determination for the proposed project. This NOI rescinds both NOIs.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tay Dam, Senior Transportation 
Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, California Division, Cal 
South Office, 888 S. Figueroa, Ste. 750, Los Angeles, California 90017, 
or Adnan Maiah, Project Manager, Caltrans-District 12, 3347 Michelson 
Drive, Suite 100, Irvine, CA. 92612.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in coordination with the 
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and TCA, issued two 
NOIs on February 20, 2001 and March 14, 2001, to prepare an EIS for the 
proposed project. The project purpose was to alleviate future traffic 
congestion on I-5 and the arterial network in the southern Orange 
County area. The supplemental NOI provided notice of the preparation of 
a joint EIS pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act and an 
Environmental Impact Report pursuant to the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA).
    In February 2008, the CCC objected to TCA's consistency 
determination for its Preferred Alternative under the federal Coastal 
Zone Management Act of 1972. TCA appealed the objection to the U.S. 
Secretary of Commerce, which upheld the CCC's decision in December 
2008. Subsequently, TCA began exploring possible modifications and/or 
alternatives to the Southern Orange County Transportation 
Infrastructure Improvement Plan (SOCTIIP).
    After consultation with TCA and Caltrans, the FHWA is rescinding 
the initial and supplemental NOIs based, in part, on the U.S. Secretary 
of Commerce's December 2008 decision. Continued operational and 
environmental studies conducted after the December 2008 decision did 
not result in a resolution of CCC concerns regarding the locally 
preferred alternative. Any future transportation improvements would be 
treated as a new project and would need to be initiated and proceed 
under separate environmental review processes, in accordance with all 
applicable laws and regulations.

(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: April 2, 2014.
Larry Vinzant,
Senior Environmental Protection Specialist, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2014-07803 Filed 4-7-14; 8:45 am]
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