Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement; Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties, Minnesota

Topics:  Federal Highway Administration

Philip Forst
Federal Register
August 10, 2011

[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 154 (Wednesday, August 10, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 49527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20347]



[[Page 49527]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement; Cottonwood and 
Watonwan Counties, Minnesota

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 a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be prepared to 
address operational and safety issues on three sections of Trunk 
Highway (TH) 60.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Philip Forst, Environmental 
Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, 380 Jackson Street, Suite 
500, Saint Paul, Minnesota 55101, Telephone (651) 291-6110; or Peter 
Harff, Project Manager, Minnesota Department of Transportation 
(District 7), 2151 Bassett Drive, Mankato, Minnesota 56001-6888, 
Telephone: (507) 304-6165.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Minnesota Department of Transportation 
completed a Final Environmental Impact Statement for TH 60 from 
Worthington to St. James in 1983 (FHWA-MN-EIS-82-02-F). A Record of 
Decision (ROD) was issued by the Federal Highway Administration in 
1984. The preferred alternative outlined in the 1983 EIS and 1984 ROD 
consisted of constructing a four-lane facility on a mix of new and 
existing alignment for a distance of approximately 52 miles. Portions 
of the project have been constructed, however, there are three segments 
of the 1983 EIS preferred alternative that have not been constructed as 
a four-lane facility: (1) Just west of the City of St. James to the 
eastern edge of the City of Butterfield, (2) western edge of the City 
of Butterfield to just east of the city of Mountain Lake, and (3) just 
west of the City of Mountain Lake to the northeast edge of the City of 
Windom. These three segments are approximately 5.3 miles, 4.2 miles, 
and 7.5 miles long, respectively.
    It has been more than three years since the last major Federal 
action on this project. Because the original NEPA process was completed 
in 1984, a Supplemental EIS will be prepared to address changes in the 
project area, proposed changes to the preferred alternative identified 
in the 1983 EIS, and changes to regulations and Minnesota Statutes 
since the ROD was issued in 1984.
    The Supplemental EIS will evaluate the social, economic, 
transportation and environmental impacts of alternatives, including (1) 
No-build, and (2) constructing a four-lane expressway.
    The draft Supplemental EIS is anticipated to be published in late 
2011. A press release will be published to inform the public of the 
document's availability. Copies of the draft Supplemental EIS will be 
posted on a MnDOT web site as well as distributed to agencies, 
interested persons and libraries for review to aid in identifying 
issues and analyses to be contained in the EIS. A thirty-day comment 
period for review of the document will be provided to afford an 
opportunity for all interested persons, agencies and groups to comment 
on the proposed action. A public hearing will also be held during the 
comment period. Public notice will be give for the time and place of 
the hearing.
    A final Supplemental EIS will be prepared based on the outcome of 
public and agency responses to the draft Supplemental EIS. The final 
Supplemental EIS will be available for agency and public review and 
comment. Coordination has been initiated and will continue with 
appropriate Federal, State and local agencies and private organizations 
and citizens who have previously expressed or are known to have an 
interest in the proposed action.
    The Federal Highway Administration is the lead Federal Agency for 
this NEPA effort. The United States Army Corps of Engineers and the 
United States Fish and Wildlife Service are Cooperating Agencies for 
this NEPA process.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are addressed and all significant issues identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Comments or 
questions concerning the proposed action and the Supplemental EIS 
should be directed to the FHWA 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: August 1, 2011.
Philip Forst,
Environmental Specialist, Federal Highway Administration, Saint Paul, 
Minnesota 55101.
[FR Doc. 2011-20347 Filed 8-9-11; 8:45 am]
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