Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: U.S. Route 121, Section II, Wise, Dickenson, and Buchanan Counties, Virginia

Topics:  United States Numbered Highways

John Simkins
Federal Highway Administration
August 21, 2014

[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49556-49557]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-19897]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement: U.S. Route 121, 
Section II, Wise, Dickenson, and Buchanan Counties, Virginia

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of its intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (SEIS), in cooperation with the Virginia Department of 
Transportation, for Section II of the proposed U.S. Route 121 
(previously known as the Coalfields Expressway) in Wise, Dickenson, and 
Buchanan Counties, Virginia. The SEIS will evaluate an alternative that 
was not fully evaluated in the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
that was approved by FHWA in 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: John Simkins, Planning and Environment 
Team Leader, Federal Highway Administration, Post Office Box 10249, 
Richmond, Virginia 23240; email: John.Simkins@dot.gov; telephone: (804) 
775-3347.

DATES: Submit comments on or before September 22, 2014.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. Description of Proposed Action and Background: The Virginia 
Department of Transportation (VDOT) proposes to construct Section II of 
U.S. Route 121, a limited access roadway on new location for 
approximately 26 miles, which would be located to the north of and 
roughly parallel to Virginia Route 83 (VA 83) between the Town of Pound 
and the U.S. Route 460 Connector in Buchanan County.
    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in September 2001 and issued a 
Record of Decision (ROD) in November 2001 for the Coalfields Expressway 
Location Study, which evaluated alternative corridors for the new 
roadway, now designated as U.S. Route 121. The FEIS covered the full 59 
miles of the proposed roadway in Virginia from U.S. Route 23 at the 
Town of Pound to VA Route 83 at the West Virginia state line. The ROD 
identified Alternative F1 as the selected alternative, and it also 
indicated that the project would be designed and constructed in 
numerous phases.
    In June 2012, FHWA approved for public availability an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for Section II of the Coalfields 
Expressway/U.S. Route 121 that evaluated an alternative that was not 
fully evaluated in the 2001 FEIS. The EA can be accessed at: http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/resources/Bristol/CFX_SectionII_Environmental_Assessment_June2012.pdf. In August 2012, public 
hearings were held to present the findings of the environmental studies 
and to receive comments on the EA. A large volume of comments were 
received on the EA, some which suggested the preparation of a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). FHWA subsequently 
determined that a SEIS is necessary for Section II.

[[Page 49557]]

    2. Scope of the SEIS: The scope of the SEIS will be informed by the 
information in the EA and the comments received on the EA. In 
accordance with 23 CFR 771.130 and FHWA's Technical Advisory T6640.8A 
(available at http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/impta6640.asp), 
the SEIS will address the changes or new information that are the basis 
for preparing the SEIS and were not addressed in the FEIS, and will 
also summarize unchanged, but still valid, portions of the FEIS. The 
basis for preparing the SEIS is that the alternative that was not fully 
evaluated in the FEIS is likely to cause significant impacts on the 
environment; therefore, a primary focus of the SEIS will be the 
evaluation of that alternative.
    3. Public Review of SEIS: Notification of the availability of the 
Draft SEIS for public and agency review will be made in the Federal 
Register and using other methods. Those methods will identify where 
interested parties can go to review a copy of the Draft SEIS. Public 
meetings will be held after the approval of the Draft SEIS and a 45-day 
comment period will be provided on the document. The Draft SEIS will be 
available for review at least 15 days prior to the public meetings. 
VDOT will provide information regarding the public meetings, including 
date, time and location through a variety of means including VDOT's 
Internet site (http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/publicinvolvement.asp) and by newspaper advertisement.

(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. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: August 15, 2014.
John Simkins,
Planning and Environment Team Leader.
[FR Doc. 2014-19897 Filed 8-20-14; 8:45 am]
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