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Tracking Environmental Commitments During Construction

This document outlines the processes and strategies employed by NDOR’s Planning and Project Development Division to ensure environmental commitments are upheld during construction projects. It covers various aspects such as permitting for wetlands, threatened species considerations, NEPA document delivery, stormwater management, and erosion control. The guide emphasizes the importance of routine site inspections, corrective actions, certification training, and the use of the ECO-Database to track commitments. The ultimate goal is to maintain compliance with environmental regulations and promote water quality initiatives while fostering responsible project development.

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Tracking Environmental Commitments During Construction

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  1. Tracking Environmental Commitments During Construction Ronald Poe Gabe Robertson Planning and Project Development Division

  2. NDOR’s Districts

  3. Environmental Section • Environmental Permits Unit • Wetlands/404 Permitting • Threatened & Endangered Species • Environmental Documents Unit • NEPA Document Delivery • Technical Documents Unit • NEPA Support Document Delivery • Roadside Stabilization Unit • Stormwater Permitting • Erosion Control & Landscape Design • Vegetation Management • Environmental Compliance (Construction & Maintenance)

  4. RSU Program Goals • Restoration & Re-Vegetation • Roadside compliments surrounding landscape • Water Quality Initiatives • Erosion & Sediment Control • Water Quality Treatment • Environmental Compliance • Ensure Commitments are being upheld • Research • Yard waste compost • Wildflowers • Fertilizers • Vegetation longevity

  5. Water Quality Permits • MS4 - Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System • Programmatic Water Quality Permit • NPDES Construction Stormwater Permit • Construction Sites – 1 acre or more • NPDES Concrete Slurry Discharge Permit • Specific to Diamond Grinding • NPDES Dewatering Permit • Pumping Groundwater • NPDES Pesticide Application Permit • Spraying weeds near waterways

  6. Compliance Timeline • 1998 – First Construction Stormwater Permit • 2003 – FHWA Temporary Erosion Control Process Review • Temporary Erosion Control was subsidiary prior to review • 2005 – Construction Stormwater Program • NDOR/NDEQ meet to discuss stormwater program • 2007 – NDEQ Approves NDOR’s 1st MS4 Permit • NDOR proposes to write permit for NDEQ’s signature • 2008 – NDEQ Implements Revised Construction Stormwater Permit • 2013 – NDEQ Approves NDOR’s 2nd MS4 Permit

  7. Training • Erosion Control Basics for Inspectors • Erosion Control Basics for Designers • Post Construction Design

  8. Inspector Training • All NDOR employees with responsibilities on construction projects • Project Managers, Technicians, Maintenance Staff • All contractors responsible for installing a BMP for controlling erosion • Prime, Erosion Control, Culvert, Grading Contractors, etc… • Any NDOR employee or consultant with site inspection responsibilities • Environmental staff, DECs, Management

  9. Inspector Training • 5 year certification • Certification Requirements • Attend NDOR’s E&SC class • Pass Exam • NDOR accepts national Certifications • CISEC, CESWII, etc… • Considering neighboring states

  10. Site Inspections • Originated with interest in reviewing erosion control BMPs • Formalized with Construction Stormwater Permit requirements • NEPA Process Review Action Plan • Environmental Stewardship and assurance that commitments are being met

  11. Site Inspections • Green Sheet Review Process • Prior to letting • Environmental staff review commitments • Ensure commitments are communicated • Generate questions in ECO-Database • Prior to Construction • Supply project staff with SWPPP • Create a report detailing questions • During Construction • Inspectors complete ECO-Database reports • Goal of resolving “Corrective Actions” within 7 days

  12. Site Inspections • Multi-level inspection process • Places inspection emphasis on project staff • Provides levels of oversight to ensure commitments are being met • ECO Database Inspection Software • Helps to streamline communication • Allows the ability to query reports • NDOR Environmental Stewardship Goals • To be 100% in compliance with Environmental Commitments • To resolve “Corrective Actions” within 7 days

  13. Site Inspections • Routine Inspections • Occur every 2 weeks at a minimum • Conducted by District Construction Staff • Environmental Oversight Inspections • Occur monthly on projects with SWPPPs • Conducted by District Environmental Coordinators • Environmental Oversight Audits • Occur at a predetermined frequency • Conducted by RSU, Consultants & other Environmental Staff

  14. Site Inspections • Findings are to be corrected within 7 days • Immediate Action issues are to be corrected within 24 hours • Tools for Compliance • Incentives and Disincentives • NDOR’s answer to “multiple mobilizations” • Associated with Rain Event Inspections • Withholding Estimates • Job Shutdowns

  15. Environmental Compliance Oversight Database (ECODatabase or ECOD)

  16. Overview • What is ECODatabase • Identifying Commitments to Track (Pre-Construction) • Project Setup • Project Review • Inspection Summary Sheet • Documenting Commitments in the System (Construction) • Logging Inspections • Inspection Report Distribution • Corrective Actions • Inspection Reminders/Past Due Notices • Threatened and Endangered Species/Migratory Bird Surveys • Reporting Commitments when Completed (Post-Construction) • NDOR Certified Erosion Control Inspector List

  17. What is ECO-Database? • Electronic reporting software used to identify, document, and report environmental commitments on NDOR construction projects. • Consists of inspection software loaded on field machines and a web based headquarter module that manages the data. • A sync process exchanges data between user machines and headquarters. Project Data Inspections

  18. Identifying Commitments – Project Setup • Projects are manually created within the ECODatabase system and then additional project information is automatically pulled in from the SiteManager database on a regular basis: • Project Name/Number/Control Number • Project Description/Location • Project Manager/Responsible Charge • Prime Contractor • Key Dates (Letting, Notice to Proceed, Start & Completion)

  19. Identifying Commitments – Project Review • ECODatabase sign-off incorporated into existing Environmental Review Process within Planning and Project Development Division • Roadside Stabilization Unit • Manages the ECODatabase System • Reviews for stormwater and erosion control conditions • Environmental Permits Unit • Reviews for wetland and 404 permit conditions • Reviews for threatened and endangered species conditions • Environmental Documents Unit • Reviews for NEPA related conditions • After reviews are completed, an ECOD Inspection Summary Report is generated and sent to the construction project manager.

  20. Identifying Commitments – Project Review

  21. ECOD Inspection Summary Report • Sent to Construction Project Manager and District Environmental Coordinator before construction begins. • Contains Project Review Status • Outlines Required Inspections in ECOD • Highlights Species Conditions

  22. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections • ECOD Inspection Tool • Software installed on user machines • Inspection reports are tailored to each project: • Commitments become inspection questions in the field • Inspectors only have access to projects they are responsible for and inspections that they may conduct . • NDOR environmental inspections are recorded using the ECOD system • Routine Environmental Inspection (Construction Phase) • Routine Environmental Inspection (Establishment Phase) • Environmental Compliance Oversight Inspection • Environmental Compliance Audit • Stormwater Permit Close-Out Inspection • Threatened and Endangered Species Survey • Migratory Birds Survey

  23. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections Corrective Action Button will glow if items are pending Inspectors only have access to projects they are responsible for.

  24. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections Erosion Control Certification Number auto-populates the report.

  25. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections Questions are generated from environmental commitments and are specific to each project. Answering “No” requires an action to be logged, and then the system will generate a corrective action that must be addressed.

  26. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections

  27. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections • Sign and Seal button makes the reports final and un-editable. • Inspectors can make a draft of the report before signing.

  28. Documenting Commitments – Inspection Report Distribution • Completed inspection reports are automatically distributed (email) to pre-defined groups for review. • Email contains web links to both the inspection report and corrective action log for the project. • PDFs of the report and corrective action log can be generated and printed using the included links.

  29. Documenting Commitments – Corrective Actions

  30. Documenting Commitments – Corrective Actions • A “Corrective Action Punch List” can be printed and filled out by contractor or inspector as things are completed. • Inspectors then date-out each completed action within the system and items are removed from their to do list.

  31. Documenting Commitments – Inspection Reminders/Past Due Notices • ECODatabase allows NDOR to schedule inspections and send out inspection reminders/past-due notices. • One day before an inspection is due, an “inspection reminder email” will be sent out to project inspectors. • Likewise one day after an inspection should have been logged in the system, an “inspection past-due notice email” will be send to project inspectors as well as select upper management personnel within the District. • These are auto-generated by the system based off of the inspection frequency and phase of the project. • Currently programming email notices for Threatened and Endangered Species Surveys…..

  32. Documenting Commitments – Logging Inspections • Threatened and Endangered Species/Migratory Bird Surveys also logged using ECODatabase. • Surveys are submitted on a weekly basis. • Species are specific to each project and the time of year the survey is being completed. • Reports are automatically sent to Headquarters for review and are then made available to Partner Agencies such as FHWA and USFWS.

  33. Reporting Commitments when Completed • ECODatabase has the ability to query data in the system and generate summary reports.

  34. Reporting Commitments when Completed DRAFT

  35. NDOR Certified Erosion Control Inspector List • NDOR requires inspectors to be certified in the Erosion Control Inspector Certification Program. • The list of certified inspectors is managed through ECODatabase. A link to the database is available on NDOR’s Environmental Website. • Inspector ID’s automatically populate the inspection report. • The system issues notifications to individuals through email when their certification is about to expire. The notice contains a web link to the UNL-LTAP training site so they can re-certify. Online Training is Now Available.

  36. Questions? Gabe Robertson Highway Stormwater Specialist Nebraska Department of Roads (402) 479-4685 gabe.robertson@nebraska.gov Ronald Poe Highway Environmental Program Manager Nebraska Department of Roads (402) 479-4499 ronald.poe@nebraska.gov

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