Environmental Impact Statement: Dallas County, Texas |
|---|
|
Michael T. Leary
Federal Highway Administration
17 March 2017
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 51 (Friday, March 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14274-14275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05370]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement: Dallas County, Texas
AGENCY: Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA), Department of Transportation.
ACTION: Federal notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: FHWA, on behalf of TxDOT, is issuing this notice to advise the
public that an EIS will be prepared for a proposed transportation
project to construct State Highway (SH) 190, from Interstate Highway
(IH) 30 to IH 20, within southeast Dallas County.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Travis Owens, P.E., Transportation
Engineer, 4777 E. Highway 80, Mesquite, Texas 75150; telephone: (214)
320-6625; email: travis.owens@txdot.gov. TxDOT's normal business hours
are 8:00 a.m.--5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review, consultation, and
other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for
this project are being, or have been, carried-out by TxDOT pursuant to
23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 16,
2014, and executed by FHWA and TxDOT. TxDOT will prepare an EIS for the
proposed SH 190, from IH 30 at the President George Bush Turnpike
interchange south to IH 20 within southeast Dallas County. The proposed
SH 190 project is listed in the Metropolitan Transportation Plan of the
North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG), Mobility 2040, as
a new location six-lane tolled facility.
Previously, a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published on
July 1, 2005, in the Federal Register and the Texas Register and
notification letters were sent to Federal, State and Tribal agencies to
inform them of the study and to request information. From 2005-2014,
TxDOT conducted planning studies that developed and evaluated several
tolled project alternatives along the 11-mile corridor. This effort has
included the involvement of the public, local municipalities, and
resource agencies, the sharing of information through stakeholder and
agency meetings, the creation of a project Web site
(www.theeastbranch.org), and conducting four public meetings. The new
NOI signifies that TxDOT will restart the work preparing the EIS. The
EIS may use and rely on the planning studies already prepared.
The project is needed to address north/south system linkage between
IH 30 and IH 20 in southeast Dallas County. Currently, the only major
transportation facility within a reasonable distance connecting these
two interstates is IH 635, which is
[[Page 14275]]
inadequate to meet future traffic volumes, resulting in congestion and
reduced north/south mobility. In addition, regional population growth
continues to increase demand for additional capacity and access in this
corridor and the region. The purpose of the project is to provide a
facility that would reduce congestion and improve mobility between IH
30 and IH 20 in southeast Dallas County, while contributing to improved
system linkage.
The EIS will develop and evaluate a range of Build Alternatives and
a No-Build Alternative within the study corridor, generally bounded to
the east by the Dallas/Kaufman County Line, and to the west by Bobtown
Road in Garland, Collins Road and Clay Road in Sunnyvale, and Clay-
Mathis Road and Lawson Road in Mesquite. The EIS will include an
analysis of tolled lanes. The EIS will analyze potential impacts from
construction and operation of the proposed roadway including, but not
limited to, the following: Transportation impacts, air quality and
noise impacts; water quality impacts including storm water runoff;
impacts to waters of the United States, including wetlands; impacts to
floodplains; impacts to historic and archeological resources;
socioeconomic impacts, including Environmental Justice and Limited
English Proficiency populations; impacts to land use, vegetation, and
wildlife, including threatened and endangered species; impacts to or
potential displacement of residents and businesses; and impacts to
aesthetic and visual resources.
TxDOT will issue a single Final Environmental Impact Statement and
Record of Decision document pursuant to Public Law 112-141, 126 Stat.
405, Section 1319(b) unless TxDOT determines statutory criteria or
practicability considerations preclude issuance of the combined
document pursuant to section 1319.
Anticipated state and federal permits, pending selection of
alternatives and field surveys, may include, but are not limited to,
the following: United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Section
404 permit; Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) Section
401 Water Quality Certification; TCEQ Texas Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System (TPDES) permit.
Public involvement is a critical component of the project
development process and will continue throughout the development of the
EIS. A draft Project Coordination Plan has been developed in accordance
with 23 U.S.C. 139, Efficient Environmental Reviews for Project
Decision Making, to identify and document opportunities for project
involvement by the public and other agencies. The Project Coordination
Plan will promote involvement from stakeholders, agencies, and the
public as well as describe the proposed project, the roles of the
agencies and the public, the project purpose and need, schedule, level
of detail for alternatives analysis, and the proposed process for
coordination and communication. The Project Coordination Plan will be
available for public review, input, and comments at the public
meetings, including scoping meetings, and hearing held in accordance
with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and upon request at
the TxDOT Dallas District Office.
In accordance with 23 U.S.C. 139, cooperating agencies,
participating agencies, and the public will be given an opportunity for
continued input on project development. Agency meetings are ongoing and
a public scoping meeting is planned for late spring of 2017. The
purpose of the public scoping meeting is to present the project studies
completed to date and identify significant and other relevant issues
related to the proposed SH 190 corridor as part of the NEPA process.
The scoping meeting will provide an opportunity for participating
agencies, cooperating agencies, and the public to review and comment on
the draft Project Coordination Plan, the project purpose and need, and
the range of alternatives developed to date to be considered and
evaluated in the EIS.
In addition to the agency and public scoping meetings, a public
hearing will be held. Public notice will be given of the time and place
of the meetings and hearing. To ensure that the full range of issues
related to this proposed action is addressed and all significant issues
are identified, comments and suggestions are invited from all
interested parties. Such comments or questions concerning this proposed
action should be directed to TxDOT at the address provided above.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205,
Highway Planning and Construction.)
Issued on: March 13, 2017.
Michael T. Leary,
Director, Planning and Program Development, Federal Highway
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2017-05370 Filed 3-16-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P