
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64183-64184]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-25763]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Railroad Administration


Notice of Availability of a Final General Conformity 
Determination for the California High-Speed Train System Merced to 
Fresno Section

AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), United States Department 
of Transportation (DOT).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: FRA is issuing this notice to advise the public that it issued 
a Final General Conformity Determination for the Merced to Fresno 
Section of the California High-Speed Train (HST) System on September 
18, 2012. FRA is the lead Federal agency for compliance with federal 
environmental review requirements including the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) and is also the Federal agency with responsibility 
for complying with the Clean Air Act General Conformity requirements. 
The California High Speed Rail Authority (Authority), as the Project-
proponent, is the lead state agency for the environmental review 
process for the Project. This environmental review includes completing 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) required under NEPA and an 
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in compliance with the California 
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and CEQA Guidelines.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. David Valenstein, Chief, 
Environment and Systems Planning Division, Office of Railroad Policy 
and Development, Federal Railroad Administration, U.S., Department of 
Transportation, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE., MS-20, Washington, DC 20590 
(telephone: 202-493-6368).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FRA prepared a Draft General Conformity

[[Page 64184]]

Determination pursuant to 40 CFR part 93, subpart B, which establishes 
the process for complying with the general conformity requirements of 
the Clean Air Act. Consistent with those regulations, FRA published a 
notice in the Federal Register on April 20, 2012 advising the public of 
the availability of the Draft Conformity Determination for a 30-day 
review and comment period. Copies of the Draft Conformity Determination 
were made available with the Final EIR/EIS at various locations in the 
Project area and were also posted to the Authority and FRA's Web sites. 
The comment period on the Draft Conformity Determination closed on May 
29, 2012. FRA received one comment from the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (USEPA), a response to which was included in the 
Final General Conformity Determination published on September 18, 2012.
    The Final General Conformity Determination was developed after 
extensive consultation with the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution 
Control District (SJVAPCD), the Authority, and the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency. The analysis found that the Project's potential 
emissions during the Project construction period would exceed the 
General Conformity de minimis threshold for two precursor criteria 
pollutants, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), 
a precursor for ozone. However, operation of the Project (i.e., 
operation of the high-speed train, once the infrastructure was 
constructed) would result in an overall reduction of regional emissions 
of all applicable air pollutants and would not cause a localized 
exceedence of an air quality standard. Since the Project will result in 
the exceedence of the de minimus thresholds for the precursor criteria 
pollutants listed above during the construction phase, Project 
conformity with the applicable emission standards will be accomplished 
through a combination of efforts to use cleaner-than-average 
construction equipment and a Voluntary Emissions Reduction Agreement 
(VERA) between the Authority and the SJVAPCD. The VERA will offset the 
NOx and VOC emissions, consistent with applicable regulatory 
requirements, by funding (by the Project) local emissions reductions 
projects such as replacement and/or retrofit of existing diesel 
agricultural pumps, farm tractors, heavy trucks, etc. The Final General 
Conformity Determination is available for public review on FRA's Web 
site at http://www.fra.dot.gov/rpd/freight/fp_California_HST_%20Merced_to_Fresno.shtml.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2012.
Karen J. Hedlund,
Deputy Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2012-25763 Filed 10-17-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-06-P


