EPA’S DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE PARTIALLY REVISED DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE TIER 1 PLACER PARKWAY CORRIDOR PRESERVATION PROJECT IN PLACER AND SUTTER COUNTIES, CALIFORNIA. MARCH 13, 2009 In 2004 the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), the Placer County Transportation Planning Agency (on behalf of the South Placer Regional Transportation Authority [SPRTA]), U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) agreed to follow a National Environmental Policy Act/Clean Water Act Section 404 Integration Process Memorandum of Understanding (NEPA/404 MOU) – modified for Tier 1 decision making – as the framework to guide the environmental review of the programmatic, Tier 1 Placer Parkway project (Parkway).1 The goal of the modified NEPA/404 MOU process is to ensure that Tier 1 decisions reflect careful consideration of the Clean Water Act (CWA) Section 404 (b)(1) Guidelines (Guidelines), to eliminate the need to revisit decisions at the Tier 2 project-level analysis that might conflict with CWA Section 404 permit requirements. Resolution of conflicts during the Tier 1 process will streamline the Tier 2 environmental review and permitting process.
Subject: Draft Partially Revised Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Placer Parkway Corridor Preservation Project (CEQ # 20090085)
