Environmental Impact Statement; Multnomah County, Oregon

Phillip Ditzler
Federal Highway Administration
14 April 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 72 (Tuesday, April 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 20805]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-07827]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement; Multnomah County, Oregon

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that an 
environmental impact statement will be prepared for a proposed bridge 
retrofit or replacement project in Multnomah County, Oregon.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Emily Cline, Environmental Program 
Manager, Federal Highway Administration, Oregon Division, 530 Center 
Street NE, Salem, Oregon 97301, Telephone: (503) 316-2547, Email: 
emily.cline@dot.gov, or Megan Neill, Project Manager, Multnomah County 
Transportation Division, 1403 SE Water Ave., Portland, Oregon 97214, 
Telephone: (503) 988-0437, Email: megan.neill@multco.us.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, together with Multnomah County and 
the Oregon Department of Transportation (DOT), will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) on a proposal to create a 
seismically resilient Burnside Street crossing of the Willamette River 
in downtown Portland, Oregon. The purpose of this project is to create 
a seismically resilient Burnside Street lifeline crossing of the 
Willamette River that will remain fully operational and accessible for 
vehicles and other modes of transportation immediately following a 
major earthquake. The project is intended to address the need to 
support the region's ability to provide rapid and reliable emergency 
response, rescue and evacuation after a major earthquake; the need for 
long-term, multi-modal travel access across the river; and to enable 
post-earthquake economic recovery.
    The EIS will be prepared in accordance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.), 23 U.S.C. 139, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508), FHWA regulations 
implementing NEPA (23 CFR 771.101-771.139), and applicable Executive 
Orders and DOT NEPA policies. The EIS will also document compliance 
with other applicable environmental review laws, regulations, Executive 
Orders, policies, and guidance. For example, an evaluation under 
Section 4(f) of the DOT Act of 1966 may also be required due to the 
potential for impacts to public recreational areas and resources on or 
eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. The FHWA intends 
to issue a combined Final EIS/Record of Decision pursuant to 23 CFR 
771.124, unless FHWA determines the regulatory criteria or 
practicability considerations preclude issuance of a combined document.
    Analyses developed and decisions reached during the transportation 
planning stage have helped narrow the range of alternatives and focus 
the NEPA evaluation for the project. These analyses and decisions, 
captured in the 2015 Willamette River Bridges Capital Improvement 
Program and the 2018 Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Feasibility 
Study, include the purpose and need, and the identification and 
screening of alternatives.
    Multnomah County and the Oregon DOT submitted this planning work to 
extensive public involvement. This ``informal'' scoping included 
multiple public and agency meetings, held between August 2018 and 
October 2019, to invite comment on the statement of purpose and need, 
the range of alternatives, issues to be studied in the EIS, screening 
criteria, and evaluation criteria for selecting a preferred 
alternative. Multnomah County and the Oregon DOT held an online open 
house between September 3 and October 4, 2019. With the Feasibility 
Study and the informal scoping process, Multnomah County and the Oregon 
DOT evaluated over 100 potential alternatives and options, ultimately 
deciding to carry forward three build alternatives plus a No-build 
alternative for further analysis in an EIS.
    In accordance with 23 U.S.C. 168 and 23 U.S.C. 139(f)(4), FHWA 
intends to adopt the planning analyses, purpose and need, and decisions 
on the alternatives, and rely on them for the NEPA process.
    This notice begins the formal scoping period. The FHWA will use 
this opportunity to determine the scope and the significant issues to 
be analyzed in depth in the EIS, and identify and eliminate from 
detailed study the issues which are not significant or which have been 
covered by prior environmental review.
    Letters describing the proposed action and soliciting comments have 
been sent to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies; Tribes; 
and private organizations and citizens who have previously expressed or 
are known to have interest in this proposal. Agencies that were 
identified as potential Cooperating and Participating agencies are 
being invited to review and comment on the Agency Coordination Plan. In 
addition, with this notice, the lead agencies (FHWA, Multnomah County, 
and the Oregon DOT) invite comments and suggestions from all interested 
parties to ensure that the full range of issues related to this 
proposed action are considered and that all significant issues are 
identified.
    Comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS 
should be directed to FHWA at the address provided above. The lead 
agencies have developed a project website at www.burnsidebridge.org 
that includes project schedules, the Public Involvement Plan, and 
information about past and upcoming project meetings.

    Authority:  23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

Phillip Ditzler,
Oregon Division Administrator, Portland, Oregon.
[FR Doc. 2020-07827 Filed 4-13-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P