Environmental Impact Statement; Maui, Hawaii

Published date22 November 2022
Record Number2022-25368
Citation87 FR 71392
CourtFederal Highway Administration
SectionNotices
Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 2022)
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 224 (Tuesday, November 22, 2022)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 71392-71397]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2022-25368]
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                DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
                Federal Highway Administration
                Environmental Impact Statement; Maui, Hawaii
                AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of
                Transportation (DOT).
                ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
                -----------------------------------------------------------------------
                SUMMARY: The FHWA, in coordination with the Hawaii Department of
                Transportation (HDOT), is issuing this notice to invite comment and
                advise the public that an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be
                prepared to study potential improvements to the Honoapiilani Highway
                (State Route No. 30) between Ukumehame and Launiupoko in West Maui.
                Improvements are needed to provide a reliable transportation facility
                that would not be inundated by the predicted 3.2-foot sea level rise
                and undermined by coastal erosion. The FHWA, as the Federal lead
                agency, and HDOT as the project sponsor and joint lead agency, will
                prepare an EIS for the Honoapiilani Highway Improvements Project,
                Ukumehame to Launiupoko, covering the 6-mile segment between
                [[Page 71393]]
                milepost 11 in the vicinity of Papalaua Wayside Park in Ukumehame
                (southeastern terminus) and milepost 17 in Launiupoko, where
                Honoapiilani Highway currently connects with the existing southern
                terminus of the Lahaina Bypass (northwestern terminus of the project).
                DATES: Comments must be received by December 31, 2022. Written comments
                received by the submittal deadline will be published in the Draft EIS.
                 Public meetings will be held on December 14, 2022, and December 15,
                2022. Meetings will be virtual and/or in-person. Please refer to the
                project website for meeting information. For public scoping information
                and requests, including special assistance requirements to participate
                fully in the meeting, please contact HDOT using the contact information
                in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section below by December 7,
                2022.
                FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: This NOI and Supplementary NOI
                Document are available on the project website:
                www.HonoapiilaniHwyImprovements.com.
                 Please refer to the website for the latest information about public
                meetings and to submit written comments and questions on the project's
                preliminary Purpose and Need, scope, design alternatives, and other
                details pertinent to the EIS, as described in this NOI.
                 In addition, comments and questions may also be submitted via the
                following methods:
                 Mail: Federal Highway Administration, Hawaii Division Attention:
                Richelle Takara, Division Administrator Box 50206, 300 Ala Moana Blvd.,
                Room 3-229 Honolulu, HI 96850. Email: [email protected],
                Telephone: (808) 541-2700.
                 Mail: Hawaii Department of Transportation, Highways Division
                Attention: Genevieve Sullivan 869 Punchbowl Street, Room 301 Honolulu,
                HI 96813. Email: [email protected], Telephone: (808) 587-
                1834.
                 Comments may also be offered during the public scoping meetings.
                Interested persons may request to be added to the project mailing list
                to receive notices of future project information. The Project website
                has a link to join the mailing list.
                SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
                 The purpose of this Notice of Intent (NOI) is to:
                 1. Alert interested parties regarding the plan to prepare the EIS;
                 2. Provide information on the nature of the proposed project;
                 3. Invite participation in the EIS process, including comments on
                the Purpose and Need for the project and the scope of the EIS proposed
                in this notice; and
                 4. Announce public scoping meetings.
                 As public involvement is crucial to the success of transportation
                projects, the FHWA and HDOT will consider all comments received in
                response to this notice and make revisions as appropriate. The EIS will
                be prepared in accordance with the requirements of the National
                Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321, et
                seq.), 23 U.S.C. 139 regarding efficient environmental reviews for
                project decision making and One Federal Decision, CEQ regulations
                implementing NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), FHWA regulations
                implementing NEPA (23 CFR part 771), and all applicable Federal, State,
                and local laws and regulations.
                1. Project History
                 On June 7, 2007, FHWA published a NOI for an EIS in the Federal
                Register (72 FR 31649) to realign Honoapiilani Highway in West Maui.
                Project objectives for that proposal, involving a longer 11-mile
                segment of Honoapiilani Highway, were to increase roadway capacity,
                safety, and reliability. In addition, the previous Federally funded
                proposal sought to address the eroding shoreline between Maalaea on the
                southern end of West Maui and Launiupoko. However, the EIS was never
                completed, and FHWA rescinded the NOI on June 5, 2020 (85 FR 34712),
                citing the difficult terrain and the estimated high project
                construction cost.
                 In contrast with that rescinded project, HDOT's current proposal is
                a more focused project to address a shorter, 6-mile segment of the
                highway, which does not include the areas of steep terrain that
                previously proved to be cost prohibitive. The currently proposed
                project has been awarded a United States Department of Transportation
                (U.S. DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and
                Equity (RAISE) Grant to assist with funding. The RAISE Grant funding
                does not predetermine the alternative selection.
                 In addition to the standard cardinal direction terms north, south,
                east, and west, this NOI uses common local naming conventions such as
                mauka/makai (towards the mountains/ocean) which correspond to generally
                easterly/westerly directions in this project area, the pali (cliff, but
                also refers to a specific place of steep topography south of the
                project area), and West Maui place names, such as Lahaina (a town to
                the north of the project area). Additional project background, maps,
                and information to support the following NOI sections are provided in
                the Supplementary NOI Document.
                2. Preliminary Purpose and Need
                 Public input received prior to developing this NOI supports the
                primary purpose of this project, which is to provide a reliable
                transportation facility in West Maui and improve Honoapiilani Highway's
                resilience by reducing the highway's vulnerability to coastal hazards.
                Specifically, the project is intended to address existing coastal
                erosion and flooding, as well as future coastal erosion and flooding
                caused by anticipated sea level rise, as delineated by the Hawaii
                Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Commission (HCCC)'s Sea Level
                Rise Exposure Area (SLR-XA), along the stretch of highway from
                Ukumehame to Launiupoko, approximately milepost 11 to milepost 17.
                Areas within the SLR-XA boundary, including Honoapiilani Highway, are
                considered exposed and potentially vulnerable to sea level rise. The
                3.2-foot SLR-XA encroaches on roughly four (4) miles out of the six (6)
                miles of the existing highway in the project area. Therefore, the
                primary purpose of the project is to reduce the highway's exposure to
                the SLR-XA, where feasible. Secondary objectives include: (1) Provide
                Regional Transportation System Linkages that Support the Safe Movement
                of People and Goods, and (2) Conform with Regional Land Use and
                Transportation Plans. The project preliminary Purpose and Need, along
                with secondary objectives, and the range of reasonable alternatives may
                be modified, based on public input and interagency coordination during
                the NEPA review.
                 Highway service disruptions are expected to increase as the
                frequency and magnitude of flood occurrences are exacerbated by climate
                change and sea level rise. HCCC's SLR-XA boundary delineates the
                statewide footprint where passive flooding, annual high wave flooding,
                and coastal erosion has been modeled for the 0.5-foot, 1.1-foot, 2.0-
                foot, and 3.2-foot sea level rise (SLR) scenarios for the year 2100.
                Any references to the SLR-XA boundary throughout project documentation
                assumes the 3.2-foot SLR scenario unless otherwise noted. Areas and
                assets, including Honoapiilani Highway, within the SLR-XA boundary are
                considered exposed and potentially vulnerable to SLR. Therefore, the
                primary purpose of the project is to avoid the SLR-XA where feasible.
                The FHWA and HDOT will determine feasibility by considering basic
                design and engineering limitations as described
                [[Page 71394]]
                in the Alternatives Screening Criteria section of the Supplementary NOI
                Document. Where highway improvements cannot be conducted entirely
                beyond the SLR-XA, HDOT may seek design solutions to elevate the
                highway by a height to be determined by technical evaluations conducted
                as part of this NEPA review.
                 Although we know that Honoapiilani Highway is vulnerable to
                flooding and coastal erosion, there may be other reasons to improve
                road conditions. Agencies and the public are invited to comment on the
                Purpose and Need. The FHWA and HDOT will finalize the Purpose and Need
                after the public scoping review period is complete. The Draft EIS will
                present supporting documentation for the finalized Purpose and Need.
                Please see the scoping comment period deadline in the DATES section of
                this NOI.
                3. Preliminary Description of Project Alternatives
                 The proposed action is anticipated to include improvements to
                Honoapiilani Highway for six (6) miles from Papalaua Wayside Park in
                Ukumehame to the Lahaina Bypass in Launiupoko. Alternatives include the
                No-Build Alternative and multiple Build Alternatives. The Supplementary
                NOI Document describes alternatives screening or evaluation criteria,
                which will be used to filter and prioritize a reasonable number of
                Build Alternatives to analyze in the Draft EIS. Agencies and the public
                are invited to comment on the project alternatives and screening
                criteria. The FHWA and HDOT may modify project alternatives and
                screening or evaluation criteria based on public scoping input received
                during the comment period associated with this notice. See below for
                the range of alternatives currently under consideration.
                Build Alternatives
                 The proposed Build Alternatives are based on alternatives that were
                proposed in the Maui County 2005 Pali to Puamana Parkway Master Plan,
                which examined possible realignments of Honoapiilani Highway between
                Ukumehame and Launiupoko. Early scoping meetings and exchanges
                conducted in the first half of 2022 with Native Hawaiian descendants of
                Olowalu, Ukumehame, and Lahaina, as well as developers and landowners,
                and Maui County staff have yielded input critical to refining these
                alternatives. Adjustments were made with specific consideration for
                natural resources (water, wetlands, terrain) and the human environment
                (land use, ownership, cultural and archaeological resources). Build
                Alternatives 1 through 4 are presented below. The Supplementary NOI
                Document contains maps and additional information on the alternatives.
                For portions of alignments that remain within the SLR-XA boundary, the
                FHWA and HDOT will conduct additional evaluations to determine the
                depths of inundation at those locations and appropriate design
                solutions, such as whether the road should be elevated.
                 The Supplementary NOI Document also describes other alternatives
                that were previously considered but have not been retained for
                consideration in the EIS either because they do not meet the
                preliminary Purpose and Need or they had been eliminated due to
                technical challenges, such as drilling a tunnel through the pali
                (cliff) or constructing an ocean causeway.
                Build Alternative 1
                 Build Alternative 1 was adapted from the Maui County Pali to
                Puamana Parkway 2005 coastal or makai concept. A key element of this
                alternative is to maximize use of the existing Honoapiilani Highway
                right-of-way (ROW), particularly through Launiupoko and a portion of
                Olowalu. The Olowalu section of this Alternative was modified to move
                the Highway further inland near Kapaiki Place neighborhood on Olowalu
                Village Road (shown on Figure 1) to avoid cultural resources based on
                recommendations from the community during early scoping meetings. As
                the alignment proceeds toward Ukumehame Stream, it stays primarily
                within County and State-owned properties. At Ukumehame Stream, the
                alignment returns closer to the existing highway to minimize potential
                impacts to land uses, which may be considered cultural practices,
                occurring on a property identified as a Land Commission Award (LCA) at
                the makai end of Ukumehame Stream. At the Ukumehame Firing Range, this
                alternative crosses through the SLR-XA, but avoids a sediment basin,
                which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands Inventory
                Mapper (NWI) identifies as a potential wetland area, mauka of the
                existing Honoapiilani Highway. Alternative 1 would avoid approximately
                84 percent of the SLR-XA encroachment area on the existing highway.
                Roughly 0.6 mile (about 3,330 feet) of this alignment would remain
                inside the SLR-XA.
                Build Alternative 2
                 Build Alternative 2 was adapted from the Maui County Pali to
                Puamana Parkway 2005 ``middle'' concept. In Launiupoko, this alignment
                would remain close to the existing Honoapiilani Highway. As this
                alignment crosses Olowalu, it would require the acquisition of private
                property, including a number of LCA lands in Olowalu. However, the
                Alternative would avoid the Kapaiki Place residential neighborhood. In
                Ukumehame, this alignment follows a more makai route to maximize use of
                County and State-owned property like Alternative 1 and stays closer to
                the existing Honoapiilani Highway, thereby avoiding impacts to the LCA
                at the makai end of Ukumehame Stream. Unlike Alternative 1, this
                alignment would not avoid the SLR-XA at Ukumehame Stream, because it
                seeks to keep as close to the existing Honoapiilani Highway as
                possible. This alignment would remain in the SLR-XA until it reaches
                the sediment basin below Ukumehame Firing Range. This sediment basin
                contains an area identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's NWI
                as a potential wetland area.
                 Alternative 2 traverses the makai side of the sediment basin
                roughly following the mauka edge of the SLR-XA. As a result, this
                alignment does not avoid as much of the SLR-XA as Alternative 1.
                Alternative 2 would avoid approximately 71 percent of the SLR-XA on the
                existing highway. Roughly 1.1 miles (about 6,000 feet) of this
                alignment would remain inside the SLR-XA.
                Build Alternative 3
                 Build Alternative 3 was adapted from the Maui County Pali to
                Puamana Parkway 2005 ``mauka'' concept. It is identical to Alternative
                2, except in Olowalu where the alignment is further inland or mauka. At
                Olowalu, adjustments were made to this alignment to avoid affecting
                properties with permitted building plans that are near to beginning
                construction and to be more cohesive with the private subdivision's
                greenway and existing roadway and utility easements. Preliminary
                engineering investigations and comments from early scoping suggest that
                the terrain underlying Alternative 3 may be more variable and
                challenging than Alternative 2. The alignment would also require
                acquisition of private property and avoid the Kapaiki Place residential
                neighborhood. Alternative 3 would avoid approximately 71 percent of the
                SLR-XA on the existing highway, similar to Alternative 2. Roughly 1.1
                miles (about 6,000 feet) of this alignment would remain inside the SLR-
                XA.
                [[Page 71395]]
                Build Alternative 4
                 Build Alternative 4 was also adapted from the Maui County Pali to
                Puamana Parkway 2005 mauka concept. The alignment for Alternative 4 was
                selected to realign the highway as much as possible away from the SLR-
                XA, without as much consideration for property ownership as other Build
                Alternatives. The route through Olowalu town that distinguishes this
                alignment is based on preliminary landowner input provided in 2007.
                This alignment was further adjusted in 2022 to minimize the creation of
                remnant parcels by following proposed roads and property boundaries
                where possible. In doing so, it provides opportunities for multimodal
                connectivity between the private subdivision's greenway and the
                realigned highway. In Olowalu, Alternative 4 avoids the Kapaiki Place
                neighborhood but comes close to the Kipuka Olowalu Cultural Reserve,
                the site of the Olowalu Petroglyphs. Alternative 4 proposes to span a
                No Build Archaeological Buffer along Ukumehame Stream with a bridge, to
                avoid impacts to this archaeological preservation area that was
                established as part of the Ukumehame Subdivision project, according to
                a 2005 Final Environmental Assessment.
                 While other alternatives turn makai at Mopua (a locale at the
                southeastern end of Olowalu), only Alternative 4 continues mauka to
                realign the highway as much as possible away from the SLR-XA. It
                proceeds toward the Ukumehame Firing Range through private property and
                passes through the sediment basin before connecting back to the
                existing highway. Alternative 4 would avoid roughly 92 percent of the
                SLR-XA on the existing highway, avoiding the SLR-XA the most of all
                Build Alternatives. Roughly 0.3 mile (about 1,600 feet) of this
                alignment would remain inside the SLR-XA.
                No-Build Alternative
                 In accordance with the Council on Environmental Quality's
                regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR part 1502.14(c)), the EIS will
                retain the No-Build Alternative for detailed study and serve as a
                benchmark for comparison with the Build Alternatives. The No-Build
                Alternative reflects future conditions if the proposed project were not
                constructed. Soft protections such as nature-based solutions, hard
                protections such as revetments and seawalls, or a combination of
                protections and elevating the road are short- to mid-term fixes and
                would be included in the No-Build Alternative due to the current state
                of the road and chronic impacts from coastal hazards. Future conditions
                would be based on projections of land use and development that are
                likely to occur 25 years after the project construction. The EIS will
                provide a comparison of project impacts based on the planning horizon
                year 2050.
                4. Brief Summary of Anticipated Impacts
                 Given the scope, scale, and complexity of improving the resiliency
                of a coastal highway, FHWA and HDOT anticipate that the project will
                likely have significant impacts to the local environment. Agencies,
                stakeholders, and the public are invited to comment on the expected
                impacts to be analyzed in the EIS, as well as avoidance, minimization,
                and mitigation measures. The EIS will evaluate the potential social,
                economic, and environmental effects resulting from the implementation
                of the Build Alternatives and the No-Build Alternative.
                 Additional areas of investigation for this project will include,
                but not be limited to, consistency with existing plans and land uses,
                biological resources, cultural resources, archaeological resources, air
                quality, noise and vibration impacts, social impacts such as shoreline
                access, land use (residential displacements and local business
                impacts), recreational resources, visual impacts, traffic impacts,
                engineering feasibility, project schedule, and ease of implementation.
                The most sensitive resources requiring evaluation in the project area
                are likely to be the following:
                 Relocations: The Build Alternatives may require ROW
                acquisitions in partially-developed agricultural subdivisions and
                County-owned lands. The FHWA and HDOT will work closely with any
                impacted stakeholders to avoid full displacement of a home or business.
                 Historic Properties: Numerous archaeological, historical,
                and cultural sites are present in the project study area, including
                well-known sites such as the Olowalu Petroglyphs and Kipuka Olowalu
                Cultural Reserve. The EIS will provide a summary discussion of
                archaeological, historical, and cultural resources. Given the prolific
                pre-contact settlement in this area, at the request of the native
                Hawaiian families, the project would avoid LCAs whenever possible to
                minimize potential impacts to archaeological and cultural resources.
                Other sensitive resources, and technical reports prepared on these
                subjects, may be kept confidential and would not be reproduced as part
                of the public distribution of the EIS.
                 Recreational Resources and section 4(f) of the Department
                of Transportation Act: Depending on the alignment, the Build
                Alternatives may affect the publicly owned Ukumehame Firing Range, a
                park property protected by section 4(f) of the Department of
                Transportation Act. The FHWA and HDOT will continue to coordinate with
                Maui County Department of Parks and Recreation to avoid, minimize and/
                or mitigate possible impacts to Ukumehame Firing Range.
                 Wetlands and Waters of the U.S.: According to the U.S.
                Fish and Wildlife Service NWI Wetlands Mapper, small wetlands may exist
                in the project study area. Further study is needed to delineate any
                Waters of the U.S including wetlands. Additionally, bridge crossings
                would be needed to carry the highway over Launiupoko, Olowalu, and
                Ukumehame Streams, and other small streams in the project corridor. As
                an overall project approach, bridge structures associated with Build
                Alternatives would either avoid placement of fill within Waters of the
                U.S. by spanning the stream or conform to regional conditions for the
                U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Clean Water Act (CWA) section 404
                Nationwide Permits. In addition, Build Alternatives may require
                dredging or filling of jurisdictional wetlands or other Waters of the
                U.S. which would also require a section 404 permit from USACE.
                 Important agricultural lands are present throughout the
                project study area, including Agricultural Lands of Importance to the
                State of Hawaii (ALISH) and Federally-defined Prime and Unique
                agricultural lands. Potential impacts to farmlands would be evaluated
                according to the Federal Farmland Protection Policy Act (FPPA).
                 Environmental Justice (EJ): In accordance with E.O. 12898,
                FHWA must identify and address disproportionately high and adverse
                impacts to low-income and minority EJ populations. The Draft EIS will
                include information on the location of and project effects on EJ
                populations, such as the communities of Olowalu and Ukumehame,
                including the neighborhood of Kapaiki Place, to evaluate the potential
                for adverse effects. Impacts to EJ communities may include ROW
                acquisition for a new alignment, increases in noise, or other
                environmental factors. The FHWA and HDOT will work closely with the
                community to identify and incorporate measures to avoid adverse effects
                and if possible, reduce impacts to any disproportionately high and
                adverse
                [[Page 71396]]
                effects on EJ Population's health or environment.
                 It should be noted that avoiding impacts on some resources would
                require trade-offs with impacts to other resources. For example, while
                none of the alternatives would fully avoid the SLR-XA, some would do so
                more than others. Achieving more avoidance of or adaptation within the
                SLR-XA inundation zone may require more land acquisitions, use of steep
                and difficult terrain, and/or elevating the roadway. These options
                would likely increase environmental impacts and overall project costs.
                Similarly, all alternatives being retained for evaluation in the EIS
                would affect some LCAs because avoiding most or all LCAs would require
                a much further mauka route with significant increase to environmental
                impacts and costs or would result in keeping the highway essentially
                unchanged in its current alignment.
                 The FHWA and HDOT will produce a Draft and Final Environmental
                Impact Statement (Draft EIS and Final EIS) and the Record of Decision
                (ROD). The FHWA and HDOT plan to identify the preferred alternative in
                the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS will also include measures to avoid,
                minimize, or mitigate any significant adverse impacts. The NEPA Final
                EIS and ROD are anticipated to be combined.
                 Environmental impact analysis will not begin until the public
                comment period on the NOI has ended. The identification of impacts may
                be revised due to the consideration of public comments. See the
                Supplementary NOI Document for a more detailed description of the
                affected environment. The studies to identify the impacts, as well as
                the analyses of impacts from the retained alternatives, will be
                presented in the EIS.
                5. Anticipated Permits and Other Authorizations
                 The FHWA and HDOT anticipate that this Project will require the
                following Federal, State, and county approvals, permits, and
                authorizations:
                Federal
                 USACE CWA section 404
                 Department of Transportation Act of 1966, section 4(f)
                Evaluation
                 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Floodplain
                Coordination
                 Endangered Species Act, section 7 Consultation
                 Farmland Protection Policy Act Farmland Conversion Impact
                Rating
                 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act,
                Essential Fish Habitat coordination
                 National Historic Preservation Act, section 106
                consultation
                 Clean Air Act, section 309
                State of Hawaii
                 Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) Chapter 343 EIS
                 Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA), Consistency
                Determination
                 CWA section 401, Water Quality Certification
                 CWA section 402, National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
                System (NPDES) Permit
                 HRS Chapter 6E-8, historic preservation review
                 Stream Channel Alteration Permit (SCAP)
                 Conservation District Use Permit
                 Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines
                 Community Noise Permit/Community Noise Variance
                County of Maui
                 Special Management Area (SMA) Permit
                 Building and Grading permits
                6. Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
                 The project schedule will be established as part of the
                requirements of the environmental review process under 23 U.S.C. 139
                and will comply with 40 CFR part 1501.10(b)(2), which requires
                environmental review for a 23 U.S.C. 139 ``major project'' to be
                completed within two years (from the date of publication of the NOI to
                the date of issuance of the Record of Decision [ROD]).
                 The following is the anticipated project schedule:
                 Initiate early scoping and hold Town Hall #1--February
                2022;
                 Develop preliminary project purpose and need--April 2022;
                 Publish Notice of Intent (NOI) and Environmental Impact
                Statement Preparation Notice (EISPN)--November 2022;
                 Scoping Meeting (Town Hall #2)--December 2022;
                 Analyze the range of project alternatives--November 2023;
                 Publish NEPA/HEPA Draft EIS with the preferred alternative
                identified--November 2023;
                 Public Hearing--December 2023;
                 Publish combined NEPA Final EIS and ROD/HEPA Final EIS--
                June 2024;
                 HEPA Final EIS Governor Acceptance--July 2024; and
                 Complete permits, licenses, or approvals after the ROD.
                7. A Description of the Public Scoping Process
                 The FHWA and HDOT welcome input on the Purpose and Need of the
                project; alternatives for consideration; items for further study or
                analysis; and other aspects of the project to ensure that all potential
                issues are identified. Regulations implementing NEPA, as well as 23
                U.S.C. 139, also call for agency and public involvement in the EIS
                process. To comply with these regulations, FHWA and HDOT developed a
                Coordination Plan for Public Outreach and Agency Involvement
                (Coordination Plan). This plan articulates the roles and
                responsibilities of those agencies invited to participate as
                Cooperating or Participating Agencies in the project development and
                review process.
                 Consistent with the Coordination Plan, FHWA and HDOT held informal
                community town hall meetings on February 22 and 24, 2022. In addition,
                FHWA and HDOT will hold public scoping meetings and a public hearing
                during the NEPA review. The community will be invited to these meetings
                through a combination of mailout notices and public notices (such as in
                the newspaper). Community meetings will be held at times and locations
                convenient to those that work and live in the corridor. These meetings
                may be conducted virtually, in-person, or a hybrid of both. Language
                assistance will be provided upon request and through advice of local
                community leaders.
                 To assist in determining the scope of issues to be addressed and
                identifying the potential for significant issues related to the
                proposed action, the public will have the opportunity to submit written
                comments at the public scoping meeting and during the 30-day scoping
                comment period beginning on the date of this NOI publication. A Draft
                EIS will be developed following the scoping period and made available
                for public and agency review and comment prior to the Draft EIS Public
                Hearing.
                 Information about public meetings is available on the project
                website. Please also refer to the DATES and Schedule for the Decision-
                Making Process sections of this Notice.
                8. Contact Information
                 Please direct comments or questions concerning this proposed action
                and the EIS to the FHWA and HDOT contacts as specified in the FOR
                FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section at the beginning of this notice.
                [[Page 71397]]
                 Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 23 U.S.C. 139; 23 CFR part 771.
                Richelle Takara,
                Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Honolulu,
                Hawaii.
                [FR Doc. 2022-25368 Filed 11-21-22; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 4910-22-P
                

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