[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 131 (Friday, July 7, 2000)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Page 41892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-17159]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
23 Parts 771, 1420, and 1430
Federal Transit Administration
23 CFR Parts 1420 and 1430
49 CFR Parts 622 and 623
[FHWA Docket No. FHWA-99-5989]
FHWA RIN 2125-AE64; FTA RIN 2132-AA43
NEPA and Related Procedures for Transportation Decisionmaking,
Protection of Public Parks, Wildlife and Waterfowl Refuges, and
Historic Sites
AGENCIES: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit
Administration (FTA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment
period.
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SUMMARY: This document extends this rulemaking's comment period until
September 23, 2000. This is in response to numerous letters received by
the FHWA and the FTA from State Departments of Transportation, transit
operators, and metropolitan planning organizations requesting an
extension of the comment period from the closing date. These groups
based their requests on the time required to assess the impact of these
rules on the nation's highway and transit systems and provide
meaningful comments.
DATES: Comments to the NPRM should be received no later than September
23, 2000. Late comments will be considered to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: All signed, written comments must refer to the docket number
appearing at the top of this document and must be submitted to the
Docket Clerk, U.S. DOT Dockets, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20590-0001. All comments received will be available for
examination at the above address between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., e.t.,
Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. To receive notification
of receipt of comments you must include a self-addressed, stamped
envelope or postcard.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For the FHWA: Mr. Fed Skaer, (202)
366-2058, Office of Planning and Environment, HEPE, or Mr. L. Harold
Aikens, (202) 366-0791, Office of the Chief Counsel, HCC-31. For the
FTA: Mr. Joseph Ossi, (202) 366-0096, Office of Planning, TPL-22, or
Mr. Scott Biehl (202) 366-0952, Office of the Chief Counsel, TCC-30.
Both agencies are located at 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC
20590. Office hours for the FHWA are from 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., e.t.,
and for the FTA are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., e.t., Monday through
Friday, except Federal holidays.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 25, 2000 (65 FR 33960), the FHWA and
the FTA published an NPRM proposing to update and revise their National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)
implementing regulation for projects funded or approved by the FHWA and
the FTA. The current regulation was issued in 1987 and experience since
that time, as well as changes in the legislation, most recently by the
Transportation Equity act for the 21st Century (TEA-21) (Pub. L. 105-
178, 112 Stat. 107), call for an updated approach to the implementation
of NEPA for FHWA and FTA projects and actions. Under this proposed
rulemaking, the FHWA/FTA regulation for implementing NEPA would be
revised to further emphasize using the NEPA process to facilitate
effective and timely decisionmaking.
The FHWA and FTA have received requests from the American
Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American
Public Transportation Association, the Association of Metropolitan
Planning Organizations, and several State Departments of Transportation
to extend the comment period. These groups voiced concerns that the
proposed rule was extremely complex and that 90 days was insufficient
time to assess the impact of the proposed rules and provide meaningful
comments. We agree that more time for an in-depth analysis of the NPRM
would be beneficial to the FHWA and the FTA in this rulemaking. For
these reasons, the FHWA and the FTA find good cause to extend this NPRM
comment period closing date by 30 days.
Authority: 23 U.S.C. 134, 135 and 315; 42 U.S.C. 7410 et seq.;
49 U.S.C. 5303-5309; 49 CFR 1.48 and 1.51.
Issued on: June 30, 2000.
Kenneth R. Wykle,
Federal Highway Administrator.
Nuria I. Fernandez,
Federal Transit Deputy Acting Administrator.
[FR Doc. 00-17159 Filed 7-6-00; 8:45 am]
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