Notice of Final Actions for the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sonoran Corridor Between Interstate 19 (I-19) and Interstate 10 (I-10), South of the Tucson International Airport in Pima County, Arizona

Notice of Final Actions for the Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sonoran Corridor Between Interstate 19 (I-19) and Interstate 10 (I-10), South of the Tucson International Airport in Pima County, Arizona

Publication: Federal Register
Agency: Federal Highway Administration
Byline: Karla S. Petty
Date: 15 November 2021
Subjects: American Government

, Roads & Highways
Topic: Interstate Highway System

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 217 (Monday, November 15, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63087-63089]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-24627]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces actions taken by the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) and the Arizona Department of Transportation
(ADOT) that are final. The actions relate to the Tier 1 EIS study
associated with the Sonoran Corridor between I-19 and I-10, south of
the Tucson International Airport in Pima County, Arizona. The public is
advised that FHWA issued a ROD which signifies the conclusion of the
Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS study. The ROD is combined with the Tier 1
Final EIS prepared by FHWA and ADOT.

DATES: By this notice, FHWA is advising the public of final agency
actions subject to 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1). A claim seeking judicial review
of the Federal agency actions on the Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS will
be barred unless the claim is filed on or before April 14, 2022. If
this date falls on a Saturday or Sunday, or legal holiday, parties are
advised to file their claim no later than the business day preceding
this date. If the Federal law that authorizes judicial review of a
claim provides a time period of less than 150 days for filing such
claim, then that shorter time period still applies.

ADDRESSES: The single Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD document is
now available online at: https://azdot.gov/planning/transportation-studies/sonoran-corridor-tier-1-environmental-impact-statement. Hard
copies of the single Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD document is
also available at the following locations during normal business hours:
ADOT Southcentral District Office, 1221 South 2nd Avenue, Tucson,
Arizona 85713, please call (520) 388-4200 to make an appointment; Joel
D. Valdez Main Library, 101 North Stone Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85701,
(520) 594-5500; Joyner-Green Valley Library, 601 North La Canada Drive,
Green Valley, Arizona 85614, (520) 594-5295; and Town of Sahuarita
Clerk's Office, 375 West Sahuarita Center Way, Sahuarita, Arizona
85629, (520) 822-8801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For FHWA, contact Mr. Ammon Heier,
Area Engineer, Federal Highway Administration, 4000 North Central
Avenue, Suite 1500, Phoenix, Arizona 85012, Email: ammon.heier@dot.gov,
Telephone: (602) 382-8983. Regular office hours are from 7:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for Federal holidays. For
ADOT, contact Mr. Samuel Patton, Project Manager, Arizona Department of
Transportation, 206 South 17th Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85007, Email:
spatton@azdot.gov, Telephone: (602) 712-6168. Regular office hours are
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for Federal
holidays. Project information can be obtained from the project website
at: https://azdot.gov/planning/transportation-studies/sonoran-corridor-tier-1-environmental-impact-statement.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FHWA and ADOT, in cooperation with the
Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the
Arizona Game and Fish Department, prepared a

[[Page 63088]]

Tier 1 EIS for the Sonoran Corridor between I-19 and I-10, south of the
Tucson International Airport in Pima County, Arizona in accordance with
the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); the Council on
Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500
through 1508), FHWA's regulations implementing NEPA (23 CFR part 771),
and Section 4(f) (23 CFR part 774). The Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS
identified Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita Road as the
Preferred Alternative. Subsequently, FHWA concurred with the selection
of Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita Road and issued a ROD
for the Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS study. The ROD, combined with the
Tier 1 EIS pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 304a(b), 23 U.S.C. 139(n)(2), and 23
CFR 771.124, identifies and discusses all such factors that FHWA and
ADOT balanced in making the decision for the Tier 1 EIS study.
Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita Road effectively
addresses transportation deficiencies that were identified in the Tier
1 EIS, and meets the overall purpose of the study, which is to identify
a high priority, high-capacity, access-controlled transportation
corridor that will improve the existing transportation network by
affording better access to service growth areas and existing activity
centers; reduce congestion and improve the Level of Service that is
predicted for the study area in 2045; and provide a system linkage that
improves mobility associated with regional, interstate, and
international travel. Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita
Road is approximately 20.47 miles long and extends from the west at I-
19 in Sahuarita, near El Toro Road, to I-10 at Rita Road. From I-19, it
will travel east along a new alignment for approximately 2 miles, then
travel north along an extension of Alvernon Way to Old Vail Connection
Road, and then follow Old Vail Connection Road east to I-10 at Rita
Road.
FHWA and ADOT initiated the Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS study in
May 2017. The Tier 1 EIS evaluated three Build corridor alternatives
and the No-Build Alternative. The three Build corridor alternatives
were 2000-ft corridors, in which a future specific 400-ft highway
alignment would be identified, evaluated, and constructed during Tier 2
if selected. The Tier 1 EIS considered the evaluation of environmental,
social, and economic effects of the Sonoran Corridor at a programmatic
level. Since Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita Road is
identified as the Selected Alternative in the ROD issued by FHWA,
future Tier 2 studies will discuss and address the site-specific
details on project impacts, costs, and identify specific mitigation
measures once funding to construct a highway alignment within the 2000-
ft corridor area of Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita Road
is identified. Since Corridor Alternative 7: El Toro South to Rita Road
is a long-term improvement that will likely be implemented in segments
over time at a level of detail sufficient to move elements of the plan
toward construction, a Phased Implementation Plan was included in the
single Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD document.
The actions by FHWA, ADOT, and other relevant Federal agencies and
the laws under which such actions were taken, are described in the Tier
1 Draft EIS approved on October 27, 2020, the Tier 1 Final EIS/ROD
approved on October 27, 2021, and in other documents in the project's
file. This notice applies to all Federal agency decisions as of the
issuance date of this notice and all laws under which such actions were
taken, including but not limited to: National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) [42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.]; Federal-Aid Highway Act [23 U.S.C. 101
set seq]; Clean Air Act [42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.]; Section 4(f) of the
US Department of Transportation Act of 1966 [49 U.S.C. 303, 23 U.S.C.
138]; Endangered Species Act [16 U.S.C. 1531-1544, 1536]; Migratory
Bird Treaty Act [16 U.S.C. 703-712]; The National Historic Preservation
Act of 1966, [54 U.S.C. 300101 et seq.]; Archeological Resources
Protection Act [16 U.S.C. 16 U.S.C. 470aa-mm ]; Archeological and
Historic Preservation Act [16 U.S.C. 469]; Native American Grave
Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) [25 U.S.C. 3001-3013]; Title
VI of Civil Rights Act [42 U.S.C. 2000d et seq.]; American Indian
Religious Freedom Act [42 U.S.C. 1996]; Farmland Protection Policy Act
(FPPA) [7 U.S.C. 4201 et seq.]; Clean Water Act [33 U.S.C. 1251 et
seq.]; E.O. 11990 Protection of Wetlands; E.O. 11988 Floodplain
Management; E.O. 12898 Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice
in Minority Populations and Low Income Populations; E.O. 11593
Protection and Enhancement of Cultural Resources; E.O. 13007 Indian
Sacred Sites; E.O. 13287 Preserve America; E.O. 13175 Consultation and
Coordination with Indian Tribal Governments; E.O. 11514 Protection and
Enhancement of Environmental Quality; E.O. 13112 Invasive Species.
The Tier 1 EIS, ROD, and other documents in the project file are
available online at: https://azdot.gov/planning/transportation-studies/sonoran-corridor-tier-1-environmental-impact-statement. Please contact
either FHWA or ADOT at the addresses provided above if you would like
further documentation.
For the Sonoran Corridor Tier 1 EIS study, FHWA served as the Lead
Agency while ADOT served as the Local Sponsoring Agency. For future
Sonoran Corridor activities and Tier 2 studies, ADOT has assumed FHWA's
responsibility for carrying out NEPA under two separate Memorandums of
Understanding (MOU) that have been executed by FHWA and ADOT:
Responsibility for Categorical Exclusions MOU pursuant to 23 U.S.C 326
(326 MOU), and Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program MOU
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 (327 MOU). Under these assignments, ADOT is
responsible for carrying out federal environmental review
responsibilities and complying with all applicable federal
environmental laws, regulations, Executive Orders and policies. ADOT is
solely liable for environmental decisions made on projects in Arizona
funded under the Federal-aid Highway Program pursuant to either the 326
MOU or the 327 MOU.
Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other nondiscrimination laws and
authorities, ADOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color,
national origin, sex, age, or disability. Persons that require a
reasonable accommodation based on language or disability should contact
Joanna Bradley, ADOT Community Relations Project Manager, at (520) 388-
4257. Requests should be made as early as possible to ensure the State
has an opportunity to address the accommodation.
De acuerdo con el T[iacute]tulo VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de
1964, la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA por sus siglas
en ingl[eacute]s) y otras normas y leyes antidiscriminatorias, el
Departamento de Transporte de Arizona (ADOT) no discrimina por motivos
de raza, color, origen nacional, sexo, edad o discapacidad. Las
personas que requieran asistencia (dentro de lo razonable) ya sea por
el idioma o discapacidad deben ponerse en contacto con Joanna Bradley,
ADOT Community Relations Project Manager, (520) 388-4257. Las
solicitudes deben hacerse lo m[aacute]s antes posible para asegurar que
el Estado tenga la oportunidad de hacer los arreglos necesarios.

(Authority: 23 U.S.C. 139(l)(1))

[[Page 63089]]

Issued on: November 4, 2021.
Karla S. Petty,
Arizona Division Administrator, Phoenix, Arizona.
[FR Doc. 2021-24627 Filed 11-12-21; 8:45 am]
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