Rescinding the Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement: South Kohala, Hawaii

Ralph Rizzo
Federal Highway Administration
5 June 2020

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 109 (Friday, June 5, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 34714]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-12115]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Rescinding the Notice of Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact 
Statement: South Kohala, Hawaii

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice to rescind notice of intent (NOI) to prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS).

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public that the 
FHWA is rescinding its NOI and will not be preparing an EIS to evaluate 
alternatives to realign and/or widen an existing highway in South 
Kohala in the County of Hawaii. An NOI to prepare an EIS was published 
in the Federal Register on November 29, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ralph Rizzo, Division Administrator, 
Federal Highway Administration, 300 Ala Moana Boulevard, Box 50206, 
Honolulu, Hawaii 96850, Telephone: (808) 541-2700.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the State of 
Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT), initiated an EIS with an 
NOI published in the Federal Register on November 29, 2002, at 67 FR 
71231, to prepare an EIS.
    The study area begins near the intersection of Mud Lane and the 
Hawaii Belt Road (State Route 19) and terminates along Mamalahoa 
Highway (State Route 190) near the Waimea-Kohala Airport. The study 
also included a 1.7 mile spur to connect with Lindsey Road. 
Improvements were considered necessary to improve highway safety and 
reduce congestion, while preserving the character and ambience of the 
historic Waimea village. The Project would impact a sizable number of 
historic and archaeological resources due to the sheer number of 
archaeological sites identified during the survey. Avoidance of all 
these sites would be difficult and may not be feasible. Also, the 
County recently completed intersection improvements on the existing 
highway that improved congestion. Finally, the cost for the estimated 
right-of-way and construction would likely be substantial because of 
limited funding availability. Therefore, HDOT has decided not to 
proceed with the project and the preparation of the EIS is being 
terminated.

(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.)

(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139, 23 CFR 771, and 40 CFR 1500-1508)

    Issued on: May 29, 2020.
Ralph Rizzo,
Division Administrator, Honolulu, HI.
[FR Doc. 2020-12115 Filed 6-4-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-RY-P