[Date Prev][Date Next][Date Index]
Re: E-M:/ NO BUILD from Fed Highway Admin. on US 23
June 11, 2002
TO: Enviro-Mich
FROM: Kelly Thayer, Michigan Land Use Institute
RE: U.S. 23
Thank you to Alex for posting this good news from the Federal Highway
Administration formally rejecting the Michigan Department of
Transportation's plan to spend $1.5 billion to build a new freeway along
the Lake Huron coast between Alpena and Standish.
The federal government's action ends a decade-long effort by Gov. John
Engler to replace scenic, two-lane U.S. 23 with a 100-mile, four-lane
freeway through undeveloped countryside. Citizens for years maintained
that the proposal would damage the environment, spur sprawl, and squander
taxpayer money. This uneeded freeway would have forced the “largest
single wetlands loss within Michigan,” according to the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service.
In March 2000, FHWA directed MDOT to either consider options to a new
freeway or scrap the plan and repair the existing highway. Today's action
ends the ordeal.
Ultimately, the Federal Highway Administration ruled that MDOT:
* did not fully consider less costly and less damaging alternatives to
the new freeway, as required by the National Environmental Policy
Act.
* did not demonstrate a need for such a massive project in an area where
traffic congestion does not warrant it.
To read more about the demise of the re-routing of US 23 and the fixing
of the existing 2-lane highway, please this section of the Institute's
web site:
http://www.mlui.org/html/keyissues/transportation.html
The Michigan Land Use Institute and the Michigan Environmental Council
co-direct a statewide coalition dedicated to fixing roads first, fully
funding public transit, and strengthening the public's voice in
transportation planning. To read more about the Michigan Transportation
& Land Use Coalition and its goals and membership, please visit the
same location as above:
http://www.mlui.org/html/keyissues/transportation.html
Thank you,
Kelly Thayer, MLUI
-
*************************************
Mr. Kelly Thayer
Transportation Project Manager
Michigan Land Use Institute
205 South Benzie Boulevard
P.O. Box 500
Beulah, MI 49617
Ph: 231-882-4723
Fax: 231-882-7350
E-mail: kelly@mlui.org
Internet:
http://www.mlui.org/
At 02:44 PM 6/11/2002 -0400, you wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Enviro-Mich message from "Alex J. Sagady & Associates"
<ajs@sagady.com>
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Federal Register: June 11, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 112)]
[Notices]
[Page 40038]
>From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access
[wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr11jn02-126]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Environmental Impact Statement; Arenac and Iosco Counties, MI
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice of intent to withdraw Environmental Impact
Statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The FHWA is issuing this notice to advise the public of
its
intent to withdraw a proposed US-23 freeway project in Arenac and
Iosco
Counties, Michigan, from further environmental studies and select a
NO
BUILD alternative.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: James Kirschensteiner, Assistant
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, 315 West
Allegan Street, Room 207, Lansin, Michigan 48933, Telephone
517-702-
1835.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FHWA issued a Draft Environmental
Impact
Statement on September 14, 1995, for the proposed construction of a
new
US-23 freeway from the vicinity of Standish, Michigan, notherly to
the
vicinity of Tawas, Michigan. A public hearing was conducted on
October
25 and 26, 1995, to solicit public comments on the proposed
freeway.
Comments were also solicited from environmental resource agencies,
permitting agencies, and others interested in the proposed freeway.
Based on comments received from this process coupled with limited
funding for a proposed new freeway, the Michigan Department of
Transportation and FHWA have decided to select the NO BUILD
alternative
at this time. Limited traffic improvements along existing roadways
will
be pursued in lieu of a freeway or new alignment.
Issued on: May 21, 2002.
James J. Steele,
Division Administrator, Lansing, Michigan.
[FR Doc. 02-14544 Filed 6-10-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-22-M
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alex J. Sagady & Associates
http://my.voyager.net/~ajs/sagady.pdf
Environmental Enforcement, Technical Review, Public Policy and
Communications on Air, Water and Waste/Community Environmental
Protection
PO Box 39, East Lansing, MI 48826-0039
(517) 332-6971; (517) 332-8987 (fax); ajs@sagady.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
==============================================================
ENVIRO-MICH: Internet List and Forum for Michigan
Environmental
and Conservation Issues and Michigan-based Citizen Action.
Archives at
http://www.great-lakes.net/lists/enviro-mich/
Postings to:
enviro-mich@great-lakes.net For info, send
email to
majordomo@great-lakes.net with a one-line message body of
"info enviro-mich"
==============================================================