Alaska Railroad - Northern Rail Extension

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Alaska Railroad - Northern Rail Extension

Alaska Railroad - Northern Rail Extension Abstract

On July 6, 2007, the Alaska Railroad Corporation (ARRC) filed a petition with the Surface Transportation Board (Board) pursuant to 49 U.S.C. 10502 for authority to construct and operate a new rail line from the vicinity of North Pole to Delta Junction, Alaska. The project would involve the construction and operation of approximately 80 miles of new main line track. Because the construction and operation of this project has the potential to result in significant environmental impacts, the Board’s Section on Environmental Analysis (SEA) has determined that the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is appropriate.

To help determine the scope of the EIS, and as required by the Board’s regulations at 49 CFR 1105.10(a)(2), SEA published in the Federal Register and mailed to the public on November 1, 2005, the Notice of Availability of Draft Scope of Study for the EIS, Notice of Scoping Meetings, and Request for Comments. SEA also prepared and distributed to the public a fact sheet that introduced ARRC’s Northern Rail Extension, announced SEA’s intent to prepare an EIS, requested comments, and gave notice of three public scoping meetings to over 400 citizens, elected officials, Federal, state, and local agencies, tribal organizations, and other potentially interested organizations received this information. SEA held three public scoping meetings in North Pole, Delta Junction, and Anchorage, Alaska on December 6, 7, and 8, 2005, respectively.

The scoping comment period concluded January 13, 2006. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District (USACE); U.S. Coast Guard, Seventeenth Coast Guard District (USCG); Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office (BLM); U.S. Department of Defense, Alaskan Command (ALCOM); U.S. Department of Defense, 354 th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base (354 th); Federal Transit Administration, Region 10 (FTA); Federal Railroad Administration (FRA); and Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) requested and were granted cooperating agency status in preparation of the EIS. After review and consideration of all comments received, SEA has prepared the final scope of the EIS. The final scope reflects any changes to the draft scope as a result of the comments, summarizes and addresses the principal environmental concerns raised by the comments, and briefly discusses pertinent issues concerning this project that further clarify the final scope.

For further information, call SEA’s toll-free number for the project at 1-800-359-5142. Assistance for the hearing impaired is available through the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.

The links below provide access to the full text of the final scope and all associated figures.

Availability of Final Scope of Study for the Environmental Impact Statement

Links to accompanying figures
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