Action
Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
Summary
This notice is to advise the public that FRA and the California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) will jointly prepare a project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and a project Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Merced to Sacramento Section of the Authority's proposed California High-Speed Train (HST) System in compliance with relevant State and Federal laws, in particular the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC) is interested in providing intercity and commuter regional rail passenger services within this section of the HST System connecting to the Altamont Corridor Rail Project. FRA is issuing this Notice to alert interested parties and solicit public and agency input into the development of the scope of the EIS and to advise the public that outreach activities conducted by the Authority and their representatives will be considered in the preparation of the combined EIR/EIS. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may serve as a cooperating agency for the preparation of the EIR/EIS. In 2001, the Authority and FRA started a tiered environmental review process for the HST System and in 2005, completed the first tier California High-Speed Train Program EIR/EIS (Statewide Program EIR/EIS) and approved the statewide HST System for intercity travel in California between the major metropolitan centers of Sacramento and the San Francisco Bay Area in the north, through the Central Valley, to Los Angeles and San Diego in the south. The approved HST System would be about 800-miles long, with electric propulsion and steel-wheel-on- steel-rail trains capable of maximum operating speeds of 220 miles per hour (mph) on a mostly dedicated system of fully grade-separated, access-controlled steel track with state-of-the-art safety, signaling, communication, and automated train control systems. In approving the HST System, the Authority and FRA also selected corridors/general alignments and station location options throughout most of the system. The Statewide Program EIR/EIS selected the Union Pacific Railroad Company (UPRR) corridor for the high-speed train route from Sacramento south to Stockton and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) railroad corridor from Stockton south to Merced. Consistent with the Clean Water Act implementing regulations and because the UPRR alignment option may have more potential impacts to waters and biological resources, the Central California Traction (CCT) alignment between Sacramento and Stockton will also be evaluated as part of the Project EIR/EIS. In 2008, the Authority and FRA completed a second program EIR/EIS to evaluate and select general alignments and station locations within the broad corridor between and including the Altamont Pass and the Pacheco Pass to connect the Bay Area and Central Valley portions of the HST System. The Authority and FRA selected the Pacheco Pass with the San Francisco and San Jose termini network alternative, as well as preferred corridor alignments and station location options. The UPRR corridor was selected as the preferred alignment through the portion of the Central Valley from south of Stockton to Merced and the BNSF corridor was recommended for further study in this area for the Project EIR/EIS. The preparation of the Merced to Sacramento HST Project EIR/EIS will involve the development of preliminary engineering designs and the assessment of potential environmental effects associated with the construction, operation, and maintenance of the HST System, including track, ancillary facilities, and stations along the preferred alternative corridors from Merced to Sacramento.