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  • Brief explanation of each chapter

    Volume I – Report  

      

    Chapter 1.0, Project Purpose, Need, and Objectives explains why the project is proposed and provides a history of the planning process.

      

    Chapter 2.0, Alternatives describes the proposed  Fresno to Bakersfield section alternatives and design options, HST station options, and heavy maintenance facility options, as well as the No Project Alternative used for purposes of comparison. It contains illustrations and maps and provides a review of construction activities. These first two chapters help the reader understand what is being analyzed in the remainder of the document.

      

    Chapter 3.0, Affected Environment, Environmental Consequences, and Mitigation Measures is where the reader can find information about the existing transportation, environmental, and social conditions in the area of the proposed project, and the potential for the proposed HSR project alternatives to adversely impact those conditions, along with methods to reduce these impacts (called mitigation measures).

      

    Chapter 4.0, Section 4(f)/Section 6(f) Evaluation summarizes parks, and historic properties in accordance with Section 4(f) of the Department of Transportation Act of 1966 and Section 6(f) of the Land and Water Conservation Funds Act. It describes avoidance alternatives and measures to minimize harm to these resources.

        

    Chapter 5.0, Project Costs and Operations summarizes the estimated capital and operations and maintenance costs for each Fresno to Bakersfield section alternative evaluated in the Project EIR/EIS, including funding and financial risk.

        

    Chapter 6.0, Other CEQA/NEPA Considerations summarizes the project’s significant adverse environmental effects, including those that cannot be avoided if the project is implemented.  It also summarizes the significant irreversible environmental changes that would occur as a result of the project or irretrievable commitments of resources or foreclosure of future options.

        

    Chapter 7.0, Public and Agency Involvement contains summaries of coordination and outreach activities, with agencies and the general public.

        

    Chapter 8.0, EIR/EIS Distribution identifies individuals and organizations informed of the availability of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS.

        

    Chapter 9.0, List of Preparers provides the names and responsibilities of the authors of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS.

          

    Chapter 10.0, References/Sources Used in Document Preparation cites the references and contacts used in writing this document.

        

    Chapter 11.0, Glossary of Terms provides a definition of certain terms used in the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS.

        

    Chapter 12.0, Index provides a tool to cross-reference major topics used in the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS.

        

    Chapter 13.0, Acronyms and Abbreviations defines the acronyms and abbreviations used in this document.

     

    Volume II – Technical Appendices  

    These appendices provide additional technical information that supports the analysis and conclusions in Volume I of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS.

      

    Volume III – Alignment Plans  

    These are the engineering plans that detail the routes of the alternatives. Volume III also includes the station plans.

  • Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement: Fresno to Bakersfield


  • How Do I Use This Document?

    The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) prepared the Revised Draft Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS) for the Fresno to Bakersfield  section of the High Speed Train (HST) project. The Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS is being made available to the public and public agencies pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) prior to Authority and FRA decisions at the conclusion of this project level environmental review. The Authority is the project’s lead agency under CEQA. The FRA is the project’s lead agency under NEPA.

    The Draft EIR/EIS for the Fresno to Bakersfield section was released for public review in August 2011. In response to stakeholder, agency, and public feedback on the HST alignment alternatives, the Authority and FRA decided in fall 2011 that it would revise the Draft EIR/EIS to include additional route and station options. The Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS includes new alignment alternatives and station locations west of Hanford, an additional alternative through Bakersfield, and refinements to the existing Fresno to Bakersfield alternative alignments.

    Ways to Submit a Public Comment

    The Public Comments Periods was from July 20, 2012 to October 19, 2012. Comments could be sent via regular mail, email, through this website or at public hearings in August.


    Regular Mail 

    Fresno to Bakersfield Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS Comment

    770 L Street, Suite 800

    Sacramento, CA 95814  

    Email  

    Fresno_Bakersfield@hsr.ca.gov  

    Subject line: Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS Comment  

    Website 

    See below for official comment box.  

    Public Comment Hearings 

    Monday, August 27, 2012, 3-8 p.m.  

    Beale Memorial Library

    701 Truxtun Avenue

    Bakersfield, CA 93301

    Tuesday, August 28, 2012, 3-8 p.m 

    Hanford Fraternal Hall

    1015 N. 10th Avenue

    Hanford, CA 93230

    Wednesday, August 29, 2012, 3-8 p.m 

    Fresno Convention Center, Exhibit Hall III

    848 M Street

    Fresno, CA 93721

    Each comment received regarding the environmental document will be reviewed and substantive comments addressed in the Final EIR/EIS document, anticipated for public release in spring 2013. Comments on the Draft EIR/EIS circulated in 2011 will also be addressed in the Final EIR/EIS.

    Additionally, the Authority offered four informational workshops to inform the public of the contents of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS:

     

    Monday, August 13, 2012, 4-7 p.m. 

    Rosedale Middle School, Multipurpose Room

    12463 Rosedale Highway

    Bakersfield, CA 93312

    Tuesday, August 14, 2012, 4-7 p.m  

    Elks Lodge

    16694 Wasco Avenue

    Wasco, CA 93280

    Wednesday, August 15, 2012, 4-7 p.m.  

    Veterans Memorial Hall

    1000 Van Dorsten Avenue

    Corcoran, CA 93212

    Thursday, August 16, 2012, 4-7 p.m. 

    The Grand 1401 Ballroom

    1401 Fulton Street

    Fresno, CA 93721

    Questions? Contact the Fresno to Bakersfield team at Fresno_Bakersfield@hsr.ca.gov 

  • Public Comment Period

     

    IMPORTANT NOTICE

    If you submitted a public comment for the Fresno to Bakersfield Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS online or via email but received a failed delivery message please be assured that we did receive it. Due to a glitch in the system some commenters are receiving a failed delivery message in error. If you received such a message and would like to get a confirmation that your comments were received by the High-Speed Rail Authority please e-mail: info@hsr.ca.gov. Your comments are extremely important to us and we appreciate your patience as we rectify this situation.

      

    Revised Draft EIR/ 

    Supplemental Draft EIS:  

    The following documents are available in Adobe Acrobat PDF format, which require Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have a copy of this free software, you can download it from Adobe at http://get.adobe.com/reader. If you already have a copy of this software, simply click on the links and it will open up automatically.  Note: many of these files are very large and could take up to several minutes to download.

    In addition to posting the electronic version of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS on this website, printed copies are provided at libraries and community centers in Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern Counties. A complete listing is available in the brochure under Educational Materials and also at the end of this page.  You may also request a CD-ROM of the Fresno to Bakersfield Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS by calling (916) 679-2341.    

     

    In the preliminary Section 4(f)/6(f) evaluation, a potential resource was inadvertently reported to be within the “footprint” of disturbance for the BNSF Alternative through Bakersfield. In fact, this resource is located approximately 400 feet south of the BNSF Alternative, within the footprint of disturbance of the Bakersfield South Alternative. Because of the importance of the Section 4(f) determination, the preliminary 4(f)/6(f) evaluation contained in Chapter 4.0 of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS has been corrected to indicate that the affected potential resource in Bakersfield would be impacted by the Bakersfield South Alternative.  The copies of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS available at public locations in the project area are being updated to include the corrected Chapter 4.0. The corrected version of Chapter 4.0 is also available for download from the Authority’s website.

  • Document Organization

    The Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS for the Fresno to Bakersfield  section includes the following:

    •    Volume I - Report

    •    Volume II - Technical Appendices

    •    Volume III - Alignment Plans

    The purpose of environmental documents is to disclose information to decision makers and the public. While the science and analysis that supports this Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS is complex, this document is intended for the general public. Every attempt has been made to limit technical terms and the use of acronyms. Where this cannot be avoided, the terms and acronyms are defined the first time they are used, and a list of acronyms and abbreviations is provided in Chapter 13 of this document.

    The Executive Summary provides an overview of all of the substantive chapters and includes a table listing the potential environmental impacts for each environmental resource topic and directs the reader where to get details elsewhere in the document. A brief explanation of each chapter is also provided (see left) in the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS.

  • Educational Materials

  • Notices

  • Volume l: Report

  • Volume II: Technical Appendices

  • Volume III: Alignments Plans (Please Note: Large Files)

  • Technical Reports

  • Checkpoint A
    Checkpoint A is available with the Fresno to Bakersfield Draft EIR/EIS. To access Checkpoint A, please visit http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/draft-eir-f-b.aspx 

  • Checkpoint B
    Checkpoint B is available with the Fresno to Bakersfield Draft EIR/EIS. To access Checkpoint B, please visit http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/draft-eir-f-b.aspx 

  • Document Location Information

  • Where Can I Find the Document?

        A printed and/or electronic version of the document is located at the following locations. 
        You may also request a CD-ROM of the Revised Draft EIR/Supplemental Draft EIS by calling (916)     679-2341.

    Venue 

    Address/Phone 
    Fresno County Public Library, Central Branch   2420 Mariposa Street, Fresno, CA 93721  
    Fresno County Public Library, Cedar-Clinton Branch   4150 E. Clinton Street, Fresno, CA 93703  
    Fresno County Public Library, Clovis Regional Library   1155 Fifth Street, Clovis, CA 93612
    Fresno County Public Library, Fig-Garden Branch   3071 W. Bullard Avenue, Fresno, CA 93711  
    Fresno County Public Library, Mosqueda Community  Center   4670 E. Butler Avenue, Fresno, CA 93702   
    Pinedale Community Center   7170 N. San Pablo Street, Pinedale, CA 93650 
    Fresno County Public Library, Sunnyside Branch   5566 E. Kings Canyon Road, Fresno, CA 93727
    Fresno County Public Library, West Fresno Branch   188 E. California Avenue, Fresno, CA 93706  
    Fresno County Public Library, Woodward Park Branch   944 E. Perrin Avenue, Fresno, CA 93720  
    Fresno County Public Library, Laton Branch  6313 DeWoody Street, Laton, CA 93242 
    City of Fresno - Planning Department  2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721  
    Fresno County - Clerk of the Board   2281 Tulare Street, #301, Fresno, CA 93721 
    Laton Community Services District   6501 E Latonia Avenue, Laton, CA 93242  
    Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (F.I.R.M.)   1940 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93703  
    Ted C. Wills Community Center    770 N.San Pablo, Fresno, CA 93728 
    Einstein Neighborhood Center   3566 E. Dakota, Fresno, CA 93726   
    Mary Ella Brown Community Center  1350 E. Annadale, Fresno, CA 93706
    Lafayette Neighborhood Center   1516 E. Princeton, Fresno, CA 93704
    Dickey Development Center   1515 E. Divisadero, Fresno, CA 93721
    Frank H. Ball Community Center   760 Mayor Avenue, Fresno, CA 93724
    Senior Resource Center Library   2025 E. Dakota Avenue, Fresno, CA 93726
    Kings Community Action Organization   1130 N. 11th Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230
    Kings County Library, Corcoran Branch   1001 Chittenden Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212
    Kings County Main Library, Hanford   401 N. Douty Street, Hanford, CA 93230
    Kings County Library, Lemoore Branch   457 C Street, Lemoore, CA 93245
    Kings County Library, Armona Branch   11115 C Street, Armona, CA 93202
    City of Hanford - Planning Department   315-321 North Douty Street, Hanford, CA 93230
    City of Corcoran - Planning Department   832 Whitley Avenue, Corcoran, CA 93212
    Hanford Adult School  905 Campus Drive, Hanford, CA 93230
    High-Speed Rail Hanford Project Office  101 N. Irwin Street, Suite 109, Hanford, CA 93230
    Housing Authority of Kings County  670 S. Irwin Street, Hanford, CA 93230
    City of Tulare - Planning Department   411 East Kern Avenue, Tulare, CA 93274
    City of Visalia - Planning Department  707 W. Acequia Avenue, Visalia, CA 93278
    Tulare County Library, Visalia Branch  200 W. Oak Avenue, Visalia, CA 93291
    Tulare County Library, Main Branch  475 N. M Street, Tulare, CA 93274
    Allensworth Community Services District  3336 Road 84, Allensworth, CA 93219
    Allensworth Community Center  8123 Avenue 36, Allensworth, CA 93219
    Kern County Library, Baker Branch  1400 Baker Street, Bakersfield, CA 93305
    Kern County Library, Beale Memorial Branch  701 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
    Kern County Library, Delano Branch  925 10th Avenue, Delano, CA 93215
    Kern County Library, Northeast Branch  3725 Columbus Street, Bakersfield, CA 93306
    Kern County Library, Shafter Branch   236 James Street, Shafter, CA 93263
    Kern County Library, Wasco Branch  1102 7th Street, Wasco, CA 93280
    City of Wasco- Planning Department  746 8th Street, Wasco, CA 93280
    City of Shafter- Planning Department  336 Pacific Avenue, Shafter, CA 93263
    City of Bakersfield- Planning Department  1715 Chester Avenue, Bakersfield, CA 93301
    Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center  1000 S. Owens Street, Bakersfield, CA 93307
    Greenacres Community Center  2014 Calloway Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93312
    Shafter Youth Center  455 E. Euclid Avenue, Shafter, CA 93263
    Shafter Housing Authority  300 Terra Vista Lane, Shafter, CA 93263
    Wasco Housing Authority  750 H Street, Wasco, CA 93280
    Community Action Partnership of Kern  300 19th Street, Bakersfield, CA 93301
    Richard Prado East Bakersfield Senior Center  2101 Ridge Road, Bakersfield, CA 93305
    Sacramento Public Library  828 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814
    California High-Speed Rail Authority  770 L Street, Suite 800, Sacramento, CA 95814