The Surface Transportation Board (STB) announced today that its Section of Environmental Analysis (SEA) has issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Six County Association of Governments proposed new 43 mile rail line construction and operation in Sanpete, Sevier, and Juab Counties, Utah. The proposed new line would begin at the connection with the Union Pacific Railroad mainline track located near Juab, Utah, about 16 miles south of Nephi, Utah, and would terminate about 0.5 miles southwest of Salina, Utah. The purpose of the new line is to provide rail service to local industries, including the Southern Utah Fuel Company coal mine, that currently must rely on trucks to transport goods.
SEA invites public comment on all aspects of the Draft EIS, which was prepared in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM). After the close of the public comment period on the Draft EIS, SEA and BLM will prepare a Final Environmental Impact Statement (Final EIS) that responds to comments on the Draft EIS and that sets forth SEA's final recommendations to the STB. The STB then will issue a final decision, based on the entire environmental record, including the Draft EIS, the Final EIS, and all public and agency comments received, determining whether to give final approval to the project and imposing appropriate environmental mitigation.
The public may comment on the Draft EIS by submitting written comments (original and ten copies) by August 22, 2007 to the following address:
Attn: Phillis Johnson-Ball, STB Finance Docket No. 34075
Surface Transportation Board
395 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20423-0001
Written comments may also be filed electronically on the Board's Web site, http://www.stb.dot.gov, by clicking on the "E-Filing" link.
The Draft EIS was issued today in the case entitled Six County Association of Governments--Construction and Operation Exemption--Rail Line Between Levan and Salina, Utah in Finance Docket No. 34075. SEA has distributed the Draft EIS to all parties of record, including key governmental agencies and other appropriate entities. SEA has made the Draft EIS available for review in the Richfield Public Library (83 E Center Street), Salina Public Library (90 West Main Street), Nephi Public Library (21 E 100 N Street), and the Gunnison Civic Library (38 West Center Street). The entire document is also available on the STB's Web site at http://www.stb.dot.gov
A printed copy of the Draft EIS is also available for a fee by contacting ASAP Document Solutions, 9332 Annapolis Rd., Suite 103, Lanham, MD 20706, telephone (202) 306-4004, or via asapdc@verizon.net. For further information about the environmental review process for this proceeding, please contact Project Manager Phillis Johnson-Ball, at (202) 245-0304.
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