Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement in California

Rodney Whitfield
Federal Highway Administration
1 June 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 105 (Monday, June 1, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33271-33272]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-11775]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Notice To Rescind Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental 
Impact Statement in California

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of 
Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice to Rescind Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that it is rescinding its Notice of Intent (NOI), originally published 
in the Federal Register on November 7, 2019, to prepare a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement for the South County Traffic Relief 
Effort project, located in Orange and San Diego Counties, California.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For Caltrans: Smita Deshpande, Senior 
Environmental Planner, Caltrans District 12, 1750 East Fourth Street, 
Suite 100, Santa Ana, California 92705, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 
p.m., telephone (657) 328-6151, email smita.desphande@dot.ca.gov. For 
FHWA: David Tedrick at (916) 498-5024 or email david.tedrick@dot.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, 
and

[[Page 33272]]

the Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for this project 
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans as the assigned National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) agency, in cooperation with the 
Foothill/Eastern Transportation Corridor Agency (F/ETCA), published an 
NOI on November 7, 2019, to prepare an EIS on a proposal for a highway 
improvement project in Orange County and San Diego County, California. 
The proposed improvements intended to address north-south regional 
mobility and accommodation of travel demand included the extension of 
the tolled State Route (SR) 241 lanes to Interstate (I) 5, the 
extension of Crown Valley Parkway to SR 241, new connections between 
Ortega Highway, Antonio Parkway, Avery Parkway, and SR-73, new general 
purpose lanes on I-5, new managed lanes on I-5, or combinations of 
these preliminary alternatives. The formal scoping period occurred 
beginning November 8, 2019 and ended February 10, 2020. Public scoping 
meetings were held on November 20, 2019 and December 4, 2019 in Mission 
Viejo, California, and Dana Point, California, respectively. Following 
the formal scoping period, review of the public and agency input 
received, and preliminary alternatives evaluation work, Caltrans and F/
ETCA mutually agreed to discontinue project development. Therefore, the 
FHWA is rescinding the NOI as there is no effort underway to advance 
the EIS. Comments and questions concerning this action should be 
directed to Caltrans at the email address provided above.

(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.)

     Issued on: May 26, 2020.
Rodney Whitfield,
Director, Financial Services, Federal Highway Administration, 
California Division.
[FR Doc. 2020-11775 Filed 5-29-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P