Interstate 405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project Draft
UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY REGION IX 75 Hawthorne Street San Francisco, CA 94105 September 20, 2007 Mr. Ron Kosinski California Department of Transportation 100 South Main Street Los Angeles, California 90012-3606 Subject: Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Interstate 405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project, from Interstate 10 to U.S. 101, Los Angeles County, California (CEQ #20070218) Dear Mr. Kosinski: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reviewed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Interstate 405 (I-405) Sepulveda Pass Widening Project, from Interstate 10 (I-10) to U.S. 101, Los Angeles County, California and two updates to the project provided to our agency on May 28, 2007 and July 20, 2007 (herein, referred to as July 2007 DEIS Revisions). Our comments on these three documents are provided under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality’s NEPA Implementing Regulations (40 CFR 1500-1508), and Section 309 of the Clean Air Act. Our detailed comments are enclosed. Based on our review, we have rated the proposed I-405 Sepulveda Pass Widening Project DEIS as Environmental Concerns – Insufficient Information (EC-2). A Summary of EPA Rating Definitions is enclosed. While the DEIS was updated and revised in July 2007 to include several project changes, including the addition of a south bound mixed flow lane which extends for several miles, the sections evaluating impacts to the physical and biological environment, such as air quality, water quality, and natural communities, do not appear to have been updated. EPA recommends that Caltrans clarify whether the July EIS Revisions would affect the reporting or analysis provided in the May 2007 DEIS in both the physical and biological environments sections, and provide additional information in the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) regarding impacts and mitigation if warranted.
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