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Improving the quality of environmental documents

Improving the quality of environmental documents. Tim Hill, Administrator OES. Current Status of IQED. FHWA’s Every Day Counts Partnership between AASHTO, AECE and FHWA Developing guidance and training Example Documents. The Three Core Principles.

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Improving the quality of environmental documents

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  1. Improving the quality of environmental documents Tim Hill, Administrator OES

  2. Current Status of IQED • FHWA’s Every Day Counts • Partnership between AASHTO, AECE and FHWA • Developing guidance and training • Example Documents

  3. The Three Core Principles • Principle 1: Tell the story of the project • Principle 2: Keep the document brief • Principle 3: Ensure that the document meets all legal requirements

  4. Core Principle #1 Tell the story of the project • Provide information to decision-makers and the public to assess project effects and benefits • Always write in plain language • Avoid confusion from ambiguous or rambling discussion of analysis • Emphasize important issues, analyses and relevant information

  5. Core Principle #2 Keep the Document Brief • Concentrate on the relevant environmental issues and analysis • Follow a clear format • Focus on significant issues, briefly discuss the non-significant issues • Incorporate by reference • Be as concise as possible

  6. Core Principle #3 Ensure the Document Meets All Legal Requirements • No longer than necessary to comply with NEPA and other legal/regulatory requirements • Ensure the substance of the analysis is valid and understandable

  7. Common Sense Tips: • Use while space to improve readability • Use color for emphasis and to highlight Important information • Use magazine-style layout with photos integrated into text

  8. Common Sense Tips: • Use clear, succinct, language- bullets are great to use • Focus on key issues that will showcase the differences between alternatives.

  9. Feasibility Study… • Include relevant technical reports in DVD (specifically describe what is on the DVD and have it organized) • Traffic comps are great, but we don’t need them all printed out!!!! • Photos are great, but we don’t need every photo ever taken for the project…

  10. Feasibility Study… • Alternatives: • Describe steps in the alternative development and screening… be specific to why an alternative is not recommended for further study. • Provide supporting data to explain complex elements or conclusions. (Reference the CD)

  11. Feasibility Study… • Can be a simple document…. • Can be a complex document…. • Focus on decision-making elements for your specific project. • Your project (it’s complexity) needs to define the level of detailed needed to convey your decision-making.

  12. Alt Evaluation Report… • Do not prepare an Feasibility Study and call it an AER… • An AER: • Takes issues to a higher level of analysis… • What is looked at in an AER? • Is for specific issues within your project… • Used to compare issues and make a final decision

  13. Alt Evaluation Report… • If you are preparing an EA or EIS • Consult with OES… • AER will cover the entire project… • AER will take more of the format of a “Pre-DEIS” • If you are preparing a CE • AER will be more simply focused on the critical decision-making issue… at a higher level of analysis.

  14. What issues are you having???

  15. Next Steps… • Guidance on Feasibility Studies and AER’s • Basically, when , where , how…. • Continue to emphasize in separate trainings • Continued partnership efforts with ACEC and FHWA

  16. Next Steps… • Incorporate the 3 principles into future manuals • Examples, Examples, Examples….

  17. Improving the quality of environmental documents Tim Hill, Administrator OES

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