[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 172 (Thursday, September 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46747-46749]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-19120]


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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Coast Guard

[Docket No. USCG-2018-1085]
RIN 1625-AA09


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Assessment and 
Finding of No Significant Impact for the Proposed Construction of 
Railroad Bridges Across Sand Creek and Lake Pend Oreille at Sandpoint, 
Bonner County, Idaho

AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The United States Coast Guard (USCG) announces the 
availability of a Final Environmental Assessment (FEA) and Finding of 
No Significant Impact (FONSI) in accordance with National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et 
seq.) for the proposed construction of railroad bridges across Lake 
Pend Oreille and Sand Creek at Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho. The 
proposed bridges will be built parallel to existing railroad bridges 
crossing the same waterbodies. As structures over navigable waters of 
the United States, the proposed bridges require a Coast Guard Bridge 
Permit. This notice provides information on where to view the FEA and 
FONSI. There is no comment period associated with this notice.

ADDRESSES: We have uploaded the FEA and FONSI to our online docket at 
http://www.regulations.gov. Additionally, the East Bonner County 
Library at 1407 Cedar Street, Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864 will maintain 
printed copies of the FEA and FONSI for public review. The documents 
will be available for inspection at this location between 9 a.m. and 7 
p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday and 
Saturday, except Sundays and Federal holidays. The Thirteenth Coast 
Guard District Bridge Office at 915 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98174-1067 
will also maintain printed copies of the FEA and FONSI for public 
review. The documents will be available for inspection at this location 
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal 
holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this 
notice please contact Mr. Steven Fischer, District Bridge Manager, 
Thirteenth

[[Page 46748]]

Coast Guard District, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 206-220-7282.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Authority

    The FEA and FONSI have been prepared in accordance with the 
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing 
NEPA (40 CFR 1500-1508) and associated CEQ guidelines: Department of 
Homeland Security Directive 5100.1, National Environmental Policy Act 
Implementing Procedures and Policy for Considering Environmental 
Impacts.

II. Viewing the FEA and FONSI

    To view the FEA and FONSI, please visit http://www.regulations.gov, 
enter ``USCG-2018-1085'' in the search field, press ``Enter,'' and then 
select the ``Open Docket Folder'' option. The FEA and FONSI are also 
available for public review at the East Bonner County Library at 1407 
Cedar Street, Sandpoint, Idaho, 83864, between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Monday 
through Thursday and 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, except 
Sundays and Federal holidays. The Thirteenth Coast Guard District 
Bridge Office at 915 2nd Avenue, Seattle, WA 98174-1067 will also 
maintain printed copies of the FEA and FONSI for public review. The 
documents will be available for inspection at this location between 8 
a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays.

III. Privacy Act

    Anyone can search the electronic form of comments received into any 
of our dockets by the name of the individual submitting the comment (or 
signing the comment, if submitted on behalf of an association, 
business, labor union, etc.). You may review a Privacy Act system of 
records notice regarding our public dockets in the January 17, 2008 
issue of the Federal Register (73 FR 3316).

IV. Background and Purpose

    The BNSF Railway Company (BNSF) has proposed to construct a second 
mainline track and associated bridges across Lake Pend Oreille and Sand 
Creek parallel to existing BNSF railroad track and bridges in and 
around Sandpoint, Bonner County, Idaho (Project). The present single-
track configuration has become a constraint to efficient rail movement, 
resulting in congestion on the BNSF main line, rail yards and sidings 
as trains await clearance to cross the existing single-track bridges. 
Moreover, trains awaiting an opportunity to cross the bridges often 
block vehicular traffic at both public and private at-grade rail 
crossings. The delays attributable to this congestion hinder the timely 
transport and delivery of people, goods and services to local and 
regional destinations. This Project is intended to relieve this 
congestion and enable more efficient movement of trains through the 
Lake Pend Oreille region. The capacity of the rail line through 
Sandpoint and across Lake Pend Oreille is approximately 79 trains per 
day while the current average rail traffic volume on that line segment 
is approximately 60 trains per day. Adding a second main line track 
along this segment would not increase capacity of the rail line because 
there are other constraints outside of the Lake Pend Oreille area.
    Alternatives considered for the Project include a ``No Action 
Alternative'' that simply preserves the status quo and a Proposed 
Action Alternative that satisfies the purpose and need of the Project. 
Several additional alternatives including (a) a second main line track 
placed east of the existing main track line, (b) alternate routes and 
(c) shifting rail traffic to other railroads were considered and 
dismissed based on infeasibility or impracticability.
    The federal bridge statutes, including the River and Harbors Act of 
1899, as amended, the Act of March 23, 1906, as amended, and the 
General Bridge Act of 1946 (33 U.S.C. 525 et seq.), require that the 
location and plans for bridges in or over navigable waters of the 
United States be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security, who 
has delegated that responsibility to the Coast Guard. Lake Pend Oreille 
and Sand Creek are navigable waters of the U.S. as defined in 33 CFR 
2.36(a). In exercising these bridge authorities, the Coast Guard 
considers navigational and environmental impacts, which include 
historic and tribal effects. The Coast Guard's primary responsibility 
regarding BNSF's proposed railroad bridges is to ensure these 
structures do not unreasonably obstruct navigation.
    Because the intent of the bridge statutes is to preserve 
navigation, the Coast Guard's permit authority is limited to the bridge 
and its essential components including approaches and abutments. 
Consequently, the Coast Guard does not have the authority to approve or 
disapprove broader aspects of a project beyond the bridges themselves. 
For example, if a project sponsor proposes to build a new highway or 
rail line and the project includes a bridge, the Coast Guard's permit 
authority is limited to the bridge and its effect upon navigation, but 
does not extend to the connecting highway or rail line.
    As lead federal agency for this Project, the Coast Guard is 
responsible for the review of its potential effects on the human 
environment, including historic properties and tribal impacts, pursuant 
to NEPA and the NHPA. The Coast Guard is therefore required by law to 
ensure potential environmental effects are carefully evaluated in each 
bridge permitting decision.
     On July 13, 2018, as part of this evaluation process, the 
Coast Guard solicited comments from State and Federal agencies with 
expertise in, and authority over, particular resources that may be 
impacted by the project. Additionally, the Coast Guard sought input 
from all tribes that may be affected or otherwise have expertise or 
equities in the Project. Following tribal and expert agency outreach, 
the Coast Guard revised its evaluation, and then sought comments from 
the general public. Agencies that have participated in the 
environmental review of this Project include the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers (USACE), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Idaho Department of Lands (IDL) 
and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ).
    On February 6, 2019, the USCG issued a notice in the Federal 
Register announcing the availability of a Draft Environmental 
Assessment for public review and comment (FR USCG-2018-1085). The Coast 
Guard then held Public Meetings in Ponderay, Idaho on March 13, 2019. 
During the comment period, the USCG received comments in favor of and 
opposed to the Project. The comments in favor of the Project generally 
spoke to economic benefits and requests to expedite the environmental 
review and issue required permits. The comments in opposition to the 
Project identified a variety of concerns including, but not limited to, 
(a) requests to elevate the level of federal environmental review to an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS); (b) concern regarding derailments 
within the Lake Pend Oreille region and preparedness for response to a 
derailment causing a spill of coal or petroleum products; (c) fugitive 
coal dust emissions and the effects upon air and water quality; and (d) 
the potential for increased rail traffic through the Lake Pend Oreille 
rail corridor.
    With regard to derailments, the Federal Railroad Administration 
accident statistics and additional detail regarding BNSF's plan to 
prevent derailments has been added to Section 3.14 (Hazardous Materials 
and Wastes)

[[Page 46749]]

to better characterize derailment risk. Additional details regarding 
spill response planning for different types of spills under various 
weather conditions have been added to Section 3.14. In addition, the 
Lake Pend Oreille Geographic Response Plan, which is to be implemented 
in the event of a rail accident, is included in Appendix N of the Final 
EA.
    With regard to fugitive coal dust emissions and the effects upon 
air and water quality, Section 3.1 of the Final EA explains that the 
current use of load profiling and dust suppressants has been shown to 
achieve at least an 85 percent reduction in fugitive coal dust and 
allow only trace amounts to be lost during transit, which are well 
below levels that could be harmful to human or ecological health. 
Section 3.1 also references several NEPA documents from the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers and the Surface Transportation Board supporting this 
determination.
    With regard to concern for increased rail traffic through the Lake 
Pend Oreille rail corridor, the maximum capacity of the rail line 
through Sandpoint and across Lake Pend Oreille is approximately 79 
trains per day while the current average rail traffic volume on that 
line segment is approximately 60 trains per day. This Project does not 
add any origin or destination facilities; therefore, it would not 
induce increases or decreases in rail traffic, but rather is designed 
to increase efficiency of rail current rail transportation. The market 
conditions influencing rail train traffic growth in the study area 
exist with or without construction of a second main line track and 
associated bridges. Adding a second main line track along this segment 
would not increase overall capacity of the rail line because there are 
other constraints on the main lines leading into the Sandpoint and Lake 
Pend Oreille area.
    Based on the information examined through the study of this 
Project, the USCG has determined that an Environmental Assessment is 
the appropriate level of environmental documentation. The USCG has 
determined that there are no significant impacts associated with the 
Project and has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact.
    This notice is being provided for information purposes only, and as 
such, there is no public comment period associated with this notice.
    This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).

    Dated: August 29, 2019.
Brian L. Dunn,
Chief, Office of Bridge Programs, U.S. Coast Guard.
[FR Doc. 2019-19120 Filed 9-4-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 9110-04-P


