Environmental Impact Statements

1. Environmental Impact Statements Overview, Purpose and Need, Development of Alternatives

2. NEPA Process Categorical Exclusion? No YES Yes Significant Impact ? Unknown Significant impact Documented CE Listed CE Environmental Assessment Notice of Intent & Scoping Process Draft EIS Coordination and analysis as needed No significant impacts Public Comment Document appropriately Final EIS Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) Record of Decision (ROD) Agency Action Agency Action Agency Action Source:http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/LGS/docs/SLAPDC_Conference_Notes/Environmental.ppt Accessed: January, 2007

3. Cover sheet Executive Summary Table of contents Statement of purpose and need Alternatives, including the proposed action Affected environment Environmental consequences, including mitigation measures List of preparers List of agencies and organizations consulted List of all federal permits Appendices Index Key Elements of an EISFrom NEPA book p. 87

4. Basic Elements of an EIS • Purpose & Need • Describes the need for action and associated objectives. • Determines the scope of alternatives. • Discuss P&N broadly enough, but with enough detail, to develop a full range of reasonable alternatives.

5. Basic Elements of an EIS • Alternatives Analysis (Heart of the EIS) • Rigorously explore and objectively evaluate all reasonable alternatives (comparative form). • Explain rationale for alternatives eliminated from detailed study. • Include reasonable alternatives not within the jurisdiction of the lead agency. • Include the alternative of no action.

6. Basic Elements of an EIS • Affected Environment (Baseline) • Description of the area (study area) to be affected by the alternatives and the proposed action. • Resources, ecosystems, human community • Data and analyses should be commensurate with the importance of the impact. • Focus on important issues.

7. Basic Elements of an EIS • Environmental Consequences • Scientific & analytic basis for alternative analysis • Discuss environmental impacts of all alternatives • Discuss unavoidable adverse impacts

8. Environmental Consequences • Should address impacts in terms of cause and effect relationships resulting from: • Direct Effects • Indirect (Secondary) Effects • Cumulative Effects

9. Mitigation Measures • Means by which adverse project impacts can be diminished or eliminated • Steps in mitigation planning • Identify impacts and determine which can be eliminated or reduced • Select mitigation measures based on consultation with agencies and affected parties • Implement mitigation measures • Monitor and report on effectiveness of measures

10. Purpose and Need • Clearly states need for project • Supports need for project • Why is agency proposing to spend large amounts of taxpayer $ while also causing significant environmental impacts • Explains why project is necessary and worthwhile • Justifies why impacts are acceptable based on project’s importance

11. Purpose and Need for Transit Projects • Capacity - Is the capacity of the present facility inadequate for the present traffic? Projected traffic? What capacity is needed? What is(are) the level(s) of service for existing and proposed facilities? • System Linkage - Is the proposed project a "connecting link?" How does it fit in the transportation system? • Transportation Demand - Including relationship to any statewide plan or adopted urban transportation plan together with an explanation of the project's traffic forecasts that are substantially different from those estimates from the USDOT required planning process. • Legislation- Is there a Federal, State, or local governmental mandate for the action? Source:http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/educweb/ce453/eis/_Start%20Here.pdf Accessed: January 2008

12. Purpose/Need -Transit Projects -con’t • Social Demands or Economic Development - What projected economic development/land use changes indicate the need to improve or add to the highway capacity? Employment, schools, land use plans, recreation, etc. • Modal Interrelationships - How will the proposed facility interface with and serve to complement airports, rail and port facilities, mass transit services, etc.? • Safety- Is the proposed project necessary to correct an existing or potential safety hazard? Is the existing accident rate excessively high? Why? How will the proposed project improve it? • Roadway Deficiencies - Is the proposed project necessary to correct existing roadway deficiencies? How will the proposed project improve it? Source:http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/educweb/ce453/eis/_Start%20Here.pdf Accessed: January 2008

13. Develop Statement of Purpose and Need Develop Broad Range of Alternatives that Meet Need Develop screening criteria for feasibility (economic, technical, environmental) Screen Alternatives If rejected, explain Why in EIS If determined to be feasible, include in EIS From “The NEPA Book” Figure 5-2

14. Alternatives • Purpose and Need should be used to develop range of alternatives • Describe reasonable alternatives • Discuss how they were selected • Description of alternatives should provide clear basis for choosing amongst them • EIS should describe alternatives that were rejected early in the process because they were found to be not feasible

15. Alternatives - Con’t • All reasonable alternatives should be discussed at comparable level of detail • No requirement for “preferred” alternative at this stage • But if one has been selected, this must be stated • No-action must be included • Serves as a benchmark against which the impacts of other alternatives can be compared • Include appropriate mitigation measures • Should give clear indication of WHY particular range of alternatives was developed, through what process, and with what public and agency input