This Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) has been prepared to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for the Magnetic Levitation Transportation Technology Deployment Program (the Program). The Lead Agency for this Program, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), has determined that the Program constitutes a major Federal action under NEPA, necessitating the preparation of the DPEIS. As authorized by Congress in the Transportation Equity Act for the 21 st Century (TEA 21) (Pub. L. No. 105-178, 112 Stat. 107, 216), the Maglev Deployment Program encourages the development and construction of an operating transportation system employing magnetic levitation, capable of safe use by the public at a speed in excess of 386 kilometers/hour (km/h) (240 miles/hour (mph)). Magnetic levitation (Maglev) is an advanced transportation technology in which magnetic forces lift, propel, and guide a vehicle over a specially designed guideway. Utilizing state-of-the-art electric power and control systems, this configuration eliminates contact between vehicle and guideway, and permits cruising speeds of up to 483 km/h (300 mph), or almost two times the speed of conventional high-speed rail service. The FRA is conducting a competition to select a project for the purpose of demonstrating the use of Maglev to the American public. In mid-1999, seven states or state designated authorities were selected from a pool of eleven applying to receive grants for pre-construction planning of their Maglev projects. The seven sponsoring agencies are located in California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Nevada, and Pennsylvania. Each of these participants prepared an environmental assessment of their individual projects as required by the Program, and these environmental studies formed the baseline data in the FRA's preparation of this DPEIS.


    Zugriff

    Zugriff über TIB

    Verfügbarkeit in meiner Bibliothek prüfen


    Exportieren, teilen und zitieren