[Federal Register: July 28, 1998 (Volume 63, Number 144)]
[Notices]               
[Page 40331-40332]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28jy98-127]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

 
Environmental Impact Statement: City of Chesapeake, VA

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The Federal Highway Administration is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of its intent to adopt the environmental impact 
statement prepared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to support a 
permit application for the construction of Route 168 on new location in 
the City of Chesapeake and issue their own Record of Decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Bruce Turner, Planning and Environment Program Manager, Federal Highway 
Administration, The Dale Building, Suite 205, 1504 Santa Rosa Road, 
Richmond, Virginia 23229, Telephone 804-281-5111.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The U.S. Corps of Engineers (Corps), in 
cooperation with the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), 
prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and made it 
available to the public in September 1995 for a proposed project to 
construct four lanes on new location which would alleviate traffic 
conditions on existing Route 168 in the City of Chesapeake. The Corps 
assumed responsibility as the lead agency due to their authority over 
wetlands and to support a permit application and because VDOT had no 
intention of using any Federal-aid funds in the planning, design or 
construction of the proposed project. After conducting a joint public 
hearing with VDOT, the Corps considered all comments they had received 
and issued a final environmental impact statement in September 1996. On 
December 16, 1996, the Corps issued their Record of Decision. In June 
1998, President Clinton signed authorizing legislation for the Federal 
Highway Administration known as the Transportation Equity Act of the 
21st Century (TEA-21). In TEA-21, the U.S. Congress set-aside Federal-
aid funds for the construction of Route 168 in the City of Chesapeake. 
In response to this set-aside, VDOT has requested that the FHWA accept 
the Corps' environmental impact statement to support the approval and 
authorization of these Federal-aid funds for construction of Route 168.
    The FHWA has reviewed the Corps' environmental impact statement to 
determine if it can be readily adopted as

[[Page 40332]]

their own for purposes of complying with NEPA. FHWA will coordinate 
with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation on cultural 
resources and develop a Section 4(f) Evaluation as appropriate. In 
addition, FHWA will solicit comments by circulating the final 
environmental impact statement and send out letters describing our 
intentions and changes that have occurred to the project to the 
appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies, private organizations, 
and citizens who have previously been involved or are known to have an 
interest in this proposal. Finally, notice of the document's 
availability will be published in local newspapers.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action are identified and addressed, comments and suggestions are 
invited from all interested parties. Comments or questions concerning 
the proposed action 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 proposed action)

    Authority: 23 U.S.C. 315; 49 CFR 1.48.

    Issued on: July 20, 1998.
Edward S. Sundra,
Environmental/Air Quality Engineer, Richmond, Virginia.
[FR Doc. 98-20049 Filed 7-27-98; 8:45 am]
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