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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, referred to as the Northern Rail Extension, 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) determined that the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is appropriate.

On December 12, 2008, SEA issued the Draft EIS for the proposed Northern Rail Extension project. The Draft EIS analyses the potential environmental impacts of the proposed action and alternatives, including the no-action alternative.

Eight cooperating agencies assisted SEA in the preparation of the Draft EIS. The cooperating agencies include the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Alaska State Office; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska District; U.S. Department of Defense, Alaskan Command; U.S. Air Force 354 th Fighter Wing, Eielson Air Force Base; Federal Transit Administration; Federal Railroad Administration; U.S. Coast Guard, Seventeenth District; and Alaska Department of Natural Resources.

In addition to analyzing the proposed action and alternatives, the Draft EIS sets forth SEA’s preliminary recommended mitigation and ARRC’s voluntary mitigation measures, and encourages mutually acceptable negotiated agreements to mitigate adverse environmental impacts should the Board approve the proposal.

SEA and the cooperating agencies invite public comment on all aspects of the Draft EIS and are providing a 45-day public comment period, which begins upon the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s issuance of a notice of availability in the Federal Register on December 19, 2008. Comments on the Draft EIS must be postmarked by February 2, 2009. Instructions on how to submit comments, and a list of the locations, dates, and times of public meetings are provided below.

After the close of the public comment period on the Draft EIS, SEA and the cooperating agencies will prepare a Final EIS in response to comments on the Draft EIS. The Board will then issue a final decision, based on the entire record, including the record on the transportation merits, the Draft EIS, the Final EIS, and all public and agency comments received. The Board could decide to approve the proposal, deny it, or approve it with mitigating conditions, including environmental conditions. The cooperating agencies may also issue separate decisions, approvals or denials related to the proposed project.

SEA has distributed the Draft EIS widely for public review and comment. Approximately 1,700 copies of the Draft EIS have been distributed to parties on SEA’s environmental distribution list, which includes interested Federally recognized tribes, key governmental agencies, and persons expressing an interest in receiving a copy of the Draft EIS or participating in the environmental review process for this proceeding. SEA has also distributed the Draft EIS to all parties of record (official participants), as well as making additional print copies of the Draft EIS available for review in three public libraries in the project area.

Public and Agency Outreach: SEA is implementing a public and agency outreach effort to ensure that the public, agencies, and communities have the opportunity to actively participate and comment on the Draft EIS and the Board’s environmental review process.

Beginning on January 12, 2009, SEA and the cooperating agencies will host four public meetings in the project area to receive public comments on the Draft EIS. At the beginning of each meeting, SEA will give a brief overview of the environmental review process and will invite interested parties to make oral comments in an orderly fashion before meeting participants. SEA will have a transcriber present to record these oral comments. Written comments can also be submitted during the meeting. The dates, locations and times of the meetings are shown below:

Written Comments: Comment forms will be provided at the public meetings and will be accepted at the meetings or the forms can be submitted later by mail. Comment forms or written letters may be mailed to:

David Navecky
STB Finance Docket No. 34658
Surface Transportation Board
395 E Street SW
Washington , DC 20423

Recorded Comments: A court reporter will be at the public meetings to transcribe the oral comments.

Electronic Comments: Comments may be filed electronically on the Board’s web site, www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking on the E-FILING link. Then select “Environmental Comments,” which does not require a Login Account. Please refer to STB Finance Docket No. 34658 when filing. E-filed comments must be received at the STB by February 2, 2008.

Library Distribution: SEA has also distributed the Draft EIS to the repositories listed below and requested that the entire Draft EIS be made publicly available in their reference sections.

Delta Community Library
Delta Junction, AK 99737
(907) 895-4656

Noel Wein Public Library
1215 Cowles Street
Fairbanks, AK 99701
(907) 459-1020

North Pole Branch Library
601 Snowman Lane
North Pole, AK 99705
(907) 488-6101

Deadline: Comments must be postmarked by February 2, 2009. E-filed comments must be received at the STB by February 2, 2008.

All comments received – written, e-filed, or transcribed – will carry equal weight in helping to complete the EIS process and guide the Board in its decision-making on this matter.

Additional Information: For lands under state ownership that are crossed by the proposed Northern Rail Extension, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) would consult with ARRC and potentially affected parties to determine whether the location of the rail line would minimize adverse effects on existing and potential rights-of-way and land uses associated within the location, construction, and operation of a potential gas pipeline in a manner that is in the best interest of the state, pursuant to Alaska Statute (AS) 42.40.460, Extension of the Alaska Railroad. ADNR will be present at SEA’s public meetings for the proposed Northern Rail Extension, to hear comments about the project, and, in particular, how the proposed project may affect public access to state lands along and adjacent to the proposed transportation corridor. ADNR will provide additional opportunities for potentially affected parties to comment on its process for meeting obligations under AS 42.40.460. For additional information, please contact ADNR Division of Mining, Land and Water at 907-451-2740.

The link below provides access to the full text of the Draft EIS issued on December 12, 2008.

December 12, 2008 Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Availability of Final Scope of Study for the Environmental Impact Statement

Links to accompanying figures