80 FR 22258 - Notice of Scoping for Highway Project in Pierce County, Washington

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 76 (April 21, 2015)

The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the pubic that environmental impact scoping will be prepared for a proposed highway project in Pierce County, Washington. Based upon this scoping information, a decision will be made as to whether to prepare an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 76 (Tuesday, April 21, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22258-22259]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-09096]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration

[4910-22]


Notice of Scoping for Highway Project in Pierce County, 
Washington

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Scoping--Environmental Assessment/Environmental 
Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the pubic that 
environmental impact scoping will be prepared for a proposed highway 
project in Pierce County, Washington. Based upon this scoping 
information, a decision will be made as to whether to prepare an 
environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dean Moberg, Area Engineer, Federal 
Highway Administration, 711 South Capitol Way, Suite 501, Olympia, 
Washington 98501, Telephone: (360) 534-9344.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA, in cooperation with the Washington 
State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) will prepare either an 
Environmental Assessment (EA) or an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on a proposal to provide improvements along the I-5 corridor 
between the interchanges with Gravelly Lake Drive and Mounts Road to 
relieve chronic congestion and improve person and freight mobility. 
Improvements to the corridor are considered necessary to provide for 
the existing and projected traffic demand after receiving all public 
and private scoping comments and feedback on the project's impacts that 
will determine the appropriate environmental document.
    Alternatives under consideration include: (1) Taking no action; (2) 
a two-phased proposed action, first phase to be built upon availability 
of funding. The second phase would be implemented in the future when 
warranted by traffic demand and resulting congestion. The first phase 
would add one HOV lane both northbound and southbound, rebuild three 
interchanges (Thorne Ln.; Berkely St.; and Steilacoom DuPont Rd.), and 
include other improvements. The future phase would add an additional 
managed lane both northbound and southbound and include revisions to 
other interchanges in the corridor.
    FHWA and WSDOT are holding a public scoping meeting on May 5, 2015 
from 4-7 p.m. at the McGavick Conference Center on the campus of Clover 
Park Technical College in Lakewood to solicit public comments regarding 
issues to be addressed in the EA or EIS. The meeting will use an 
informal, open-house format. Exhibits, maps, and other pertinent 
information about this project will be displayed. Staff will be present 
to answer questions as appropriate and as time permits.
    Agencies, Tribes, and the public are encouraged to submit comments 
on the purpose and need and preliminary range of alternatives during 
the scoping period. Comments must be received by May 18, 2015 to be 
included in the

[[Page 22259]]

formal scoping record. To ensure that the full range of issues related 
to this proposed action is addressed, and all the significant issues 
identified, comments and suggestions are invited from interested 
parties during the scoping period. Comments concerning this proposal 
will be accepted at the public meeting or can be sent by mail to Bill 
Elliott, Plans Engineer, Washington State Department of Transportation, 
5720 Capitol Blvd. SE Bldg 7, Tumwater, Washington 98501, or 
[email protected].
    If significant environmental impacts are discovered during the 
environmental analysis which cannot be mitigated to a non-significant 
level an environmental impact statement (EIS) will be prepared for the 
project. If this happens, no additional scoping meetings will be held. 
However, another Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS will published in 
the Federal and SEPA registers, announcing a future deadline for 
submitting written comments on the EIS's scope of the alternatives and 
impacts to be considered. See Question 13 in the Council on 
Environmental Quality's Forty Most Asked Questions 46 FR 18026 (March 
23, 1981).

Daniel M. Mathis,
Division Administrator, Olympia, Washington.
[FR Doc. 2015-09096 Filed 4-20-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P