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Kuakini Highway Improvements Project, Phase 2 Draft Environmental Assessment <br /> CHAPTER 1 <br /> DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED ACTION <br /> 1.1 INTRODUCTION <br /> The County of Hawaii Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Federal Highway <br /> Administration (FHWA) are proposing improvements to Kuakini Highway between Hualalai <br /> Road and the future intersection with the proposed Ali`i Highway in Kailua Village, North Kona <br /> on the island of Hawaii (see Figure 1-1). Improvements to Kuakini Highway within the project <br /> limits would include increasing vehicle capacity, enhancing pedestrian facilities, improving <br /> roadway drainage and other features. The project is included in the current Statewide <br /> Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and the Hawaii Long Range Land Transportation <br /> Plan. <br /> DPW has completed the widening and improvement of an adjacent stretch of Kuakini Highway <br /> between Palani Road and Hualalai Road (see Figure 1-1). That project, ("Phase 1" of the <br /> Kuakini Highway widening), is separate from the action currently proposed. Widening from <br /> Hualalai Road to Ali`i Highway, the work now proposed, has been designated Phase 2. <br /> 1 .1 .1 Purpose of this Document <br /> The Proposed Action requires environmental review in accordance with Chapter 343 of Hawaii <br /> Revised Statutes (HRS) because of the use of County funds and lands for its construction. <br /> Therefore, the environmental review must comply with Hawaii Administrative Rules [Title 11, <br /> Chapter 200 (August 1996)]. <br /> This Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) discloses the environmental and social impacts that <br /> could result from the project's implementation, and commits to the employment of specific <br /> measures to prevent, minimize, or mitigate adverse impacts to the environment. Additionally, <br /> this Draft EA contains a record of all comments and consultation activities that have been <br /> conducted to date as part of project planning. <br /> Because federal funds administered by the FHWA would be used for design and construction, <br /> the project must also comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), a Federally- <br /> mandated environmental review process. NEPA does not require both a draft and final version <br /> of an EA. Because of this difference between State and Federal environmental review <br /> processes (HRS Chapter 343 and NEPA), this Draft EA has been prepared to address State <br /> requirements only. The NEPA document for this project will be the HRS Chapter 343 Final EA. <br /> Other federal laws apply to the proposed project such as Section 7 of the Endangered Species <br /> Act, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, and Section 4(f) of the 1966 <br /> Department of Transportation Act. Compliance with these federal environmental regulations is <br /> ongoing or has been completed, and is documented in this Draft EA. <br /> DPW has determined that the Proposed Action is not likely to have a "significant" impact in <br /> accordance with HRS Chapter 343. Therefore, DPW proposes to issue a "Finding of No <br /> Significant Impact" (FONSI) on the project. After receipt of comments on this Draft EA, DPW <br /> will reassess its preliminary determination that a FONSI is appropriate. <br /> FHWA will not determine whether a FONSI is appropriate under NEPA until they review the <br /> Final EA, which will be the NEPA document for the project. <br /> March 2013 Page 1-1 <br />