23 C.F.R. § 771.117 Categorical exclusions.
Title 23 - Highways
(a) Categorical exclusions (CEs) are actions which meet the definition contained in 40 CFR 1508.4, and, based on past experience with similar actions, do not involve significnt environmental impacts. They are actions which: do not induce significant impacts to planned growth or land use for the area; do not require the relocation of significant numbers of people; do not have a significant impact on any natural, cultural, recreational, historic or other resource; do not involve significant air, noise, or water quality impacts; do not have significant impacts on travel patterns; or do not otherwise, either individually or cumulatively, have any significant environmental impacts. (b) Any action which normally would be classified as a CE but could involve unusual circumstances will require the Administration, in cooperation with the applicant, to conduct appropriate environmental studies to determine if the CE classification is proper. Such unusual circumstances include: (1) Significant environmental impacts; (2) Substantial controversy on environmental grounds; (3) Significant impact on properties protected by section 4(f) of the DOT Act or section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act; or (4) Inconsistencies with any Federal, State, or local law, requirement or administrative determination relating to the environmental aspects of the action. (c) The following actions meet the criteria for CEs in the CEQ regulation (section 1508.4) and §771.117(a) of this regulation and normally do not require any further NEPA approvals by the Administration: (1) Activities which do not involve or lead directly to construction, such as planning and research activities; grants for training; engineering to define the elements of a proposed action or alternatives so that social, economic, and environmental effects can be assessed; and Federal-aid system revisions which establish classes of highways on the Federal-aid highway system. (2) Approval of utility installations along or across a transportation facility. (3) Construction of bicycle and pedestrian lanes, paths, and facilities. (4) Activities included in the State's highway safety plan under 23 U.S.C. 402. (5) Transfer of Federal lands pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 317 when the subsequent action is not an FHWA action. (6) The installation of noise barriers or alterations to existing publicly owned buildings to provide for noise reduction. (7) Landscaping. (8) Installation of fencing, signs, pavement markings, small passenger shelters, traffic signals, and railroad warning devices where no substantial land acquisition or traffic disruption will occur. (9) Emergency repairs under 23 U.S.C. 125. (10) Acquisition of scenic easements. (11) Determination of payback under 23 U.S.C. 156 for property previously acquired with Federal-aid participation. (12) Improvements to existing rest areas and truck weigh stations. (13) Ridesharing activities. (14) Bus and rail car rehabilitation. (15) Alterations to facilities or vehicles in order to make them accessible for elderly and handicapped persons. (16) Program administration, technical assistance activities, and operating assistance to transit authorities to continue existing service or increase service to meet routine changes in demand. (17) The purchase of vehicles by the applicant where the use of these vehicles can be accommodated by existing facilities or by new facilities which themselves are within a CE. (18) Track and railbed maintenance and improvements when carried out within the existing right-of-way. (19) Purchase and installation of operating or maintenance equipment to be located within the transit facility and with no significant impacts off the site. (20) Promulgation of rules, regulations, and directives. (d) Additional actions which meet the criteria for a CE in the CEQ regulations (40 CFR 1508.4) and paragraph (a) of this section may be designated as CEs only after Administration approval. The applicant shall submit documentation which demonstrates that the specific conditions or criteria for these CEs are satisfied and that significant environmental effects will not result. Examples of such actions include but are not limited to: (1) Modernization of a highway by resurfacing, restoration, rehabilitation, reconstruction, adding shoulders, or adding auxiliary lanes (e.g., parking, weaving, turning, climbing). (2) Highway safety or traffic operations improvement projects including the installation of ramp metering control devices and lighting. (3) Bridge rehabilitation, reconstruction or replacement or the construction of grade separation to replace existing at-grade railroad crossings. (4) Transportation corridor fringe parking facilities. (5) Construction of new truck weigh stations or rest areas. (6) Approvals for disposal of excess right-of-way or for joint or limited use of right-of-way, where the proposed use does not have significant adverse impacts. (7) Approvals for changes in access control. (8) Construction of new bus storage and maintenance facilities in areas used predominantly for industrial or transportation purposes where such construction is not inconsistent with existing zoning and located on or near a street with adequate capacity to handle anticipated bus and support vehicle traffic. (9) Rehabilitation or reconstruction of existing rail and bus buildings and ancillary facilities where only minor amounts of additional land are required and there is not a substantial increase in the number of users. (10) Construction of bus transfer facilities (an open area consisting of passenger shelters, boarding areas, kiosks and related street improvements) when located in a commercial area or other high activity center in which there is adequate street capacity for projected bus traffic. (11) Construction of rail storage and maintenance facilities in areas used predominantly for industrial or transportation purposes where such construction is not inconsistent with existing zoning and where there is no significant noise impact on the surrounding community. (12) Acquisition of land for hardship or protective purposes; advance land acquisition loans under 49 U.S.C. 5309(b).3 3 Hardship acquisition is early acquisition of property by the applicant at the property owner's request to alleviate particular hardship to the owner, in contrast to others, because of an inability to sell his property. This is justified when the property owner can document on the basis of health, safety or financial reasons that remaining in the property poses an undue hardship compared to others. Protective acquisition is done to prevent imminent development of a parcel which is needed for a proposed transportation corridor or site. Documentation must clearly demonstrate that development of the land would preclude future transportation use and that such development is imminent. Advance acquisition is not permitted for the sole purpose of reducing the cost of property for a proposed project. (e) Where a pattern emerges of granting CE status for a particular type of action, the Administration will initiate rulemaking proposing to add this type of action to the list of categorical exclusions in paragraph (c) or (d) of this section, as appropriate. [52 FR 32660, Aug. 28, 1987; 53 FR 11066, Apr. 5, 1988, as amended at 70 FR 24469, May 9, 2005]
Title 23: Highways
PART 771—ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND RELATED PROCEDURES
§ 771.117 Categorical exclusions.
