Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Calvert County, Cecil County, Dorchester County, Harford County, Kent County, Queen Anne's County, St. Mary's County, Somerset County, and Talbot County, Maryland

Gregory Murrill
Federal Highway Administration
11 October 2017

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 11, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47291-47292]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21916]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement for the Chesapeake Bay 
Crossing Study, Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County, Calvert County, 
Cecil County, Dorchester County, Harford County, Kent County, Queen 
Anne's County, St. Mary's County, Somerset County, and Talbot County, 
Maryland

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Maryland Transportation 
Authority (MDTA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Tier 1 Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, as the Lead Federal Agency, and MDTA, as the Local 
Project Sponsor, are issuing this notice to advise the public of our 
intention to prepare a Tier 1 EIS for the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study 
in Maryland. The Tier 1 EIS will assess the potential environmental 
impacts of addressing congestion at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, which 
could result in added capacity at the existing bridge or at a new 
location across the Chesapeake Bay. The Tier 1 EIS will be prepared in 
accordance with regulations implementing the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) and provisions of the Fixing America's Surface 
Transportation Act (FAST Act) and will include a range of reasonable 
corridor alternatives, including a ``No Build'' alternative.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeanette Mar, Environmental Program 
Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Maryland Division, 10 S. 
Howard Street, Suite 2450, Baltimore, MD 21201, (410) 779-7152, or 
email at jeanette.mar@dot.gov. Melissa Williams, Director, Division of 
Planning & Program Development, Maryland Transportation Authority, 2310 
Broening Highway, Baltimore, MD 21224, (410) 537-5650, or email at 
mwilliams9@mdta.state.md.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of this notice is to: (1) Alert 
interested parties to the FHWA and MDTA plan to prepare the Tier 1 EIS; 
(2) provide information on the nature of the proposed action; (3) 
solicit public and agency input regarding the scope of the Tier 1 EIS, 
including the purpose and need, alternatives to be considered, and 
impacts to be evaluated; and (4) announce that public and agency 
scoping meetings will be conducted.
    The Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study Tier 1 EIS will identify the 
preferred corridor alternative for addressing congestion at the 
Chesapeake Bay Bridge and evaluate its financial viability. The study 
area is a broad geographic area that includes the entire length of the 
Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, spanning approximately 100 miles from the 
northern end near Havre de Grace to the southern border with Virginia 
between St. Mary's and Somerset Counties. The study will include a 
review of existing roadway infrastructure and environmental conditions 
along both shores of the Bay to identify potential crossing corridors 
in Maryland. Each potential corridor alternative will consist of a 
corridor band approximately one mile wide. This width may be adjusted 
to accommodate the specific conditions at each crossing as the study 
progresses.
    Once the full range of potential corridor alternatives is 
developed, the study will include identification of a range of 
reasonable corridor alternatives for screening. It is assumed that 
approximately ten to fifteen corridors will be identified as reasonable 
for additional study. These corridors will then be screened based on 
measurable criteria to the corridor alternatives that will be retained 
for analysis in the Tier 1 Draft EIS. The EIS will be prepared by MDTA 
for FHWA to fulfill the requirements established in NEPA pursuant to 
current FHWA regulations and guidance.
    The EIS will be prepared as a tiered document, providing a 
systematic approach for advancing potential transportation 
improvements. The analyses undertaken during Tier 1 will result in 
identification of the preferred corridor alternative that best meets 
the study purpose and need. The FHWA intends to issue a single Final 
Tier 1 EIS and Record of Decision (ROD) unless FHWA determines 
statutory criteria or practicability considerations precluding issuance 
of a combined document. If the combined Final Tier 1 EIS/ROD identifies 
an Action (Build) alternative, MDTA will complete a Tier 2 NEPA 
document where the agency will evaluate site-specific, project level 
impacts and required mitigation commitments. The scope of future 
environmental studies will be commensurate with the proposed action and 
potential environmental consequences.
    FHWA and MDTA will undertake a scoping process for the Chesapeake 
Bay Crossing Study that will allow the public and interested agencies 
to comment on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS. This public outreach effort 
will educate and engage stakeholders, and solicit stakeholder input. 
FHWA and MDTA will invite all interested individuals, organizations, 
and public agencies to comment on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS, 
including the purpose and need, corridor alternatives to be studied, 
impacts to be evaluated, and evaluation methods to be used.
    FHWA and MDTA will develop preliminary public outreach materials 
(such as fact sheets, brochures, maps or other materials) to support 
the scoping process. A public scoping presentation in webinar format 
will be held in November 2017. The meeting will be held online and 
available for viewing at the study Web site (www.baycrossingstudy.com). 
MDTA will also provide local viewing of the presentation at multiple 
locations. Presentation times and locations will be announced on the 
project Web site, in newspaper advertisements, and by other media.
    Initial scoping will provide an opportunity for public input on 
issues relevant to the Tier 1 EIS. More information on public outreach 
activities, including future public open

[[Page 47292]]

houses, will be available in a project coordination plan on the study 
Web site. All public meetings related to the study will be held in 
locations accessible to persons with disabilities. Any person who 
requires special assistance, such as a language interpreter, should 
contact the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: Tier 1 NEPA Team at (410) 
537-5650 or via email at info@baycrossingstudy.com at least 48 hours 
before the open house or meeting.
    Letters inviting agencies to be cooperating or participating in the 
environmental review process are being sent to those agencies that have 
jurisdiction or may have an interest in the Chesapeake Bay Crossing 
Study: Tier 1 NEPA. FHWA and MDTA will notify cooperating and 
participating agencies of a separate agency scoping meeting to be held 
October 25, 2017, in Annapolis, Maryland.
    Written comments or questions on the scope of the Tier 1 EIS should 
be mailed to the Chesapeake Bay Crossing Study: Tier 1 NEPA, c/o Ms. 
Melissa Williams, Director, Division of Planning & Program Development, 
Maryland Transportation Authority, 2310 Broening Highway, Baltimore, MD 
21224; sent via email to mwilliams9@mdta.state.md.us; or submitted on 
the study Web site (www.baycrossingstudy.com).

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this 
program.)

    Issued on: October 2, 2017.
Gregory Murrill,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Baltimore, 
Maryland.
[FR Doc. 2017-21916 Filed 10-10-17; 8:45 am]
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