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Projects that include purchase of new right-of-way, excavation, or demolition or modifica­tion of existing structures should be evaluated to determine whether there is any known or potential hazardous waste within the proposed project limits. Where hazardous substances are involved, adequate protection must be provided to employees, workers, and the com­munity prior to, during, and after […]

Clean Water Act (33 USC §1251 et seq. CWA). The CWA was enacted in 1977 as amend­ments to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972. Its stated goal is to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters.” The CWA gave EPA the authority to implement pollution control programs […]

Clean Air Act (42 USC §7401-7626). The 1970 amendments to the Clean Air Act (CAA) provided a comprehensive approach to regulating the nation’s air quality. The CAA addressed both mobile and stationary air pollution sources and required the EPA to set and enforce national ambient air quality standards (NAAQSs). The CAA has been amended several […]

In addition to the federal requirements governing the planning and implementation of high­way projects, a number of federal statutes and regulations have been promulgated to pro­tect the environment. The responsibility and authority associated with these requirements are assigned to a number of federal agencies, or delegated to the states. A listing of key fed­eral environmental […]

Fifteen states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have enacted environmental policy acts, which, because they are largely modeled on NEPA, are collectively referred to as “Little NEPAs.” A list of these statutes is provided in Table 1.7. Highway projects may be affected by these state-specific environmental requirements, which, in general, follow or […]

An outline of the steps in the NEPA process is presented in the following discussion and illustrated in Fig. 1.1. Determination of the Level of Documentation Needed to Comply with NEPA. Highway projects are usually initiated by a state or local transportation agency. If it is anticipated that a major federal action is required to […]

NEPA is the most important federal environmental legislation to be considered in the plan­ning and development of highway projects. NEPA was enacted by Congress in December 1969 and signed into law by President Nixon on January 1, 1970. It was the first compre­hensive environmental law in the United States and established the country’s national envi­ronmental […]

The following discussion is intended to provide an overview of the principal federal requirements affecting the development and maintenance of highways. These include federal laws, regulations, executive orders, agency advisories, policy memoranda, and guidance documents. Federal laws are enacted legislation that establish a set of rules or principles codified in the United States Code (USC). […]

Highway projects have the potential to result in significant social, environmental, and eco­nomic effects and, as a consequence, are the subject of a broad range of environmental reg­ulation. Potential impacts include effects on • Community cohesion • Land use • Minority and disadvantaged populations • Surface and groundwaters • Wetlands • Coastal zone resources • […]

James R. Brown National Director Transportation Environmental ProgramsHDR Engineering, Inc. New York, New York Samuel Less, AICP Planning Director Transportation Environmental ProgramsHDR Engineering, Inc. New York, New York Environmental concerns play a major role in the planning, design, construction, reha­bilitation, and maintenance of highways. This chapter provides an overview of the major environmental concerns affecting […]