Environmental Impact Statement: Kern County, CA

Cindy Vigue
Federal Highway Administration
10 November 2010

[Federal Register: November 10, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 217)]
[Notices]               
[Page 69154]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr10no10-123]                         


[[Page 69154]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

 
Environmental Impact Statement: Kern County, CA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Rescind Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The FHWA, on behalf of the California Department of 
Transportation (Caltrans), is issuing this notice to advise the public 
that the Notice of Intent (NOI) published on April 23, 2008, to prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 24th Street 
Improvement Project in Kern County, California, is being rescinded.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kirsten Helton, Senior Environmental 
Planner, Southern Valley Environmental Analysis Branch, Caltrans, 2015 
E. Shields Avenue, Suite 100, Fresno, California 93726 or call (559) 
243-8224.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Effective July 1, 2007, the FHWA assigned, 
and Caltrans assumed, environmental responsibilities for this project 
pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327. Caltrans, in cooperation with the City of 
Bakersfield, is rescinding the NOI to prepare an EIS for the 24th 
Street Improvement Project in Kern County, California.
    The proposed project would improve transportation operations along 
24th Street and the Oak Street/24th Street intersection to accommodate 
existing and future traffic volumes and achieve acceptable levels of 
service within the corridor. The proposed infrastructure improvements 
would alleviate existing traffic congestion and would result in 
improvement of local circulation. Since the NOI to prepare an EIS was 
published in the Federal Register on April 23, 2008, Caltrans has 
conducted public involvement and agency coordination, developed a 
purpose and need for the project, and developed preliminary 
alternatives to be examined. The preliminary alternatives included a 
No-Build and a set of three build alternatives for the improvements to 
the Oak Street/24th Street intersection, a set of three alternatives 
for the proposed widening of 24th Street between Oak Street and D 
Street; and reconstruction of 23rd Street and 24th Street between D 
Street and M Street (approximately 1.7 miles). Preliminary screenings 
identified sensitive environmental features associated with the 
proposed alternatives that could result in potentially significant 
adverse impacts.
    Caltrans, as the assigned NEPA lead agency, has determined that a 
reduction of proposed project alternatives and upgrade improvements 
along existing State Route 178 would meet the need and purpose of the 
project and could be accomplished without potentially significant 
adverse impacts to sensitive environmental features. Caltrans will 
evaluate these improvements along the existing route within an 
Environmental Assessment. Comments and questions concerning the 
proposed action should be directed to Caltrans at the 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: November 4, 2010.
Cindy Vigue,
Director, State Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento, 
California.
[FR Doc. 2010-28342 Filed 11-9-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-P