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Today, the California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) released the Draft Environmental Impact Report/Statement for the Merced-Fresno and Fresno-Bakersfield sections of the statewide high-speed rail project.

The reports disclose and analyze the potential environmental impacts associated with the construction, operation and maintenance of the 65-mile Merced-Fresno and 113-mile Fresno-Bakersfield segments. The reports also detail mitigation measures that could help reduce those environmental impacts.

“After a little more than a year on this project, I am confident that we now have an accurate description of these segments, the refined alignment alternatives, potential impacts and mitigation measures and credible cost estimates,” said CHSRA Chief Executive Officer Roelof van Ark in a prepared statement. “The information contained in these reports will ensure we can successfully go to bid for the initial construction segment next year.”

CHSRA will open a 45-day comment period on the reports on Aug. 15. All formal public comments submitted during the period will [be?] considered and addressed in the Final EIR/EIS.

To view the Merced-Fresno report, click here:
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/draft-eir-m-f.aspx

To view the Fresno-Bakersfield report, click here:
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/draft-eir-f-b.aspx