Pursuant to the issuance of the Record of Decision, several design changes were identified for the project which would require supplemental environmental evaluation studies. The design changes were improvements to project and included street improvements, station refinements, and demolition of two railroad structures, all of which are not expected to result in substantial adverse effects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). A Supplemental Environmental Assessment is needed to describe the design changes and evaluate their environmental impacts.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has responsibility to promote air safety and the efficient use of the navigable airspace, therefore any project that would construct or alter infrastructure on or near an airport must notify the FAA by submitting a Form 7460. The Form 7460 is the formal process the FAA uses to conduct interagency evaluations of proposals for construction of new infrastructure projects at or near airports and to determine whether the proposed development meets certain FAA standards that ensure safety and efficiency.

The LA Metro office submitted the appropriate 7460 application forms for the Crenshaw/LAX line proposal to the FAA in October 2011. The FAA is currently conducting an internal review of the applications and is on schedule to complete its review by the February 2012 target date.

The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) and LA Metro have agreed to terms for abandoning the infrequently used freight rail line which allows for a cost effective design, lower construction costs and safer operations for the project. The LA Metro executed the abandonment agreement with the BNSF on April 30, 2012. On July 25, the STB served and published in the Federal Register the notice of exemption for the abandonment in STB Docket No. AB 6 (483X). The document is available at http://www.stb.dot.gov/decisions/ReadingRoom.nsf/UNID/F4C80D44EB5E921285...$file/42517.pdf On August 23, 2012, the STB issued a Finding of No Significant Impact, and BNSF's abandonment authority took effect on August 24, 2012. BNSF has until July 25, 2013, to file with the STB a notice indicating that it has exercised its authority and abandoned the line.

Risk assessments are a valuable tool used by FTA to assess and manage project risks. FTA will pilot a new streamlined risk assessment approach for the Crenshaw/LAX project, recognizing the value of tailoring the risk assessment process to the specific needs and characteristics of projects and their sponsors. The experience of the project sponsor, the complexity and size of the project, and the total Federal investment determines the scope and scale of the risk assessment approach to be applied.

The Record of Decision is the final step in the National Environmental Policy Act process and identifies the selected alternative, presents the basis for the decision, identifies all the alternatives considered, specifies the "environmentally preferable alternative," and provides information on the adopted means to avoid, minimize and compensate for environmental impacts.