Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement, U.S. 219 Project, Garrett County, Maryland and Somerset County, Pennsylvania

Topics:  United States Numbered Highways

Gregory Murrill
Federal Highway Administration
17 February 2016

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 31 (Wednesday, February 17, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8119-8120]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03247]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental 
Impact Statement, U.S. 219 Project, Garrett County, Maryland and 
Somerset County, Pennsylvania

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice to rescind Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration is issuing this notice to 
advise the public that FHWA is rescinding its Notice of Intent to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the U.S. 219 project in 
Garrett County, Maryland and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joy Liang, Environmental Protection 
Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Maryland Division, (410) 
779-7148, or email: joy.liang@dot.gov; Barbara Shaffer, Planning and 
Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Pennsylvania

[[Page 8120]]

Division, (717) 221-3704, or email: Barbara.shaffer@dot.gov; Barry 
Kiedrowski, MD SHA Project Manager (410) 545-8769, or email: 
BKiedrowski@sha.state.md.us; or Greg Illig, P.E., PennDOT Senior 
Project Manager, (814) 696-7179, or email: gillig@pa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A Notice of Intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement for the U.S. 219 project was published 
in the Federal Register in 2003 (68 FR 59840, October 17, 2003). No 
alternative was selected at that time. A revised Notice of Intent was 
published in the Federal Register in 2014 (79 FR 42868, July 23, 2014). 
FHWA issued the revised Notice of Intent to advise the public of 
modifications to the environmental review process for the U.S. 219 
project. These modifications included a change in the lead Federal 
agency from the FHWA Pennsylvania Division Office to the FHWA Maryland 
Division Office and intent of FHWA to utilize the environmental review 
provisions afforded under Section 6002 of the Safe, Accountable, 
Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users 
(SAFETEA-LU) and under Section 1319 of the Moving Ahead for the 
Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).
    The proposed transportation project was along Section 019 of U.S. 
219 which extends from the southern terminus of the Meyersdale Bypass 
in Somerset County, Pennsylvania to I-68 in Garrett County, Maryland. 
The project was approximately 8 miles with about 2.5 miles in Maryland 
and 5.5 miles in Pennsylvania.
    Due to Federal and State funding constraints, as well as the 
unlikelihood of adequate funding for all project phases in the 
foreseeable future, the Notice of Intent is hereby rescinded. A 
planning study is being undertaken to consider transportation needs in 
the region.

Gregory Murrill,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Baltimore, 
Maryland.
[FR Doc. 2016-03247 Filed 2-16-16; 8:45 am]
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