Environmental Pollution
nImproving the Quality of Environmental Documents
A Report of the Joint AASHTO/ACEC Committee in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
May 2006
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Acknowledgments
AASHTO, ACEC, and FHWA gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the task team members who worked on this effort. In addition to the information provided in this guide, a wealth of information compiled by the Education Task Team will be accessible through AASHTO’s Center for Environmental Excellence Web site.
Quality and Clarity of NEPA Documents Task Team Team Leader Carol Lee Roalkvam Washington State DOT Brent Jensen Utah DOT Hal Kassoff Parsons Brinckerhoff Don Cote FHWA Resource Center Lindsay Yamane Parametrix, Inc. Jim Horrocks Horrocks Engineering Frank Danchetz ARCADIS Bob Esenwein Turner Collie & Braden Amy Phillips BNA (editorial support)
Legal Sufficiency Task Team Team Leader Lamar S. Smith FHWA Shannon Eggleston Director, Center for Environmental Excellence AASHTO Michael D. Brehm, P.E. Brehm Environmental LLC William G. Malley Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP David S. Mattern Parametrix, Inc Willard (Bill) C. McCartney Michael Baker Jr., Inc. Kathy Ames Illinois DOT Lawrence (Lance) P. Hanf FHWA Megan Stanley PB Consult Jack Gilbert FHWA Office of Chief Counsel Robert Downie, Florida DOT Harold Aikens FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel Bill Hauser New Hampshire DOT Michelle W. Fishburne LOCHNER
Education Task Team Team Leader Tim Hill Ohio DOT Andrea Stevenson Ohio DOT Dianna Noble John Page Parsons Brinckerhoff Susan Killen Parsons Brinckerhoff Lisa Zeimer Parsons Brinckerhoff Caron Kloser HNTB John Mettille Wilbur-Smith Jerry Stump Wilbur-Smith Pamela Stephenson FHWA Kimberly Majerus FHWA
Texas DOT
Carolyn Ismart Florida DOT
ii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 1.2 1.3 What is the joint AASHTO/ACEC/FHWA Initiative on Improving the Quality of NEPA Documents?
A Report of the Joint AASHTO/ACEC Committee in Cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration
May 2006
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Acknowledgments
AASHTO, ACEC, and FHWA gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the task team members who worked on this effort. In addition to the information provided in this guide, a wealth of information compiled by the Education Task Team will be accessible through AASHTO’s Center for Environmental Excellence Web site.
Quality and Clarity of NEPA Documents Task Team Team Leader Carol Lee Roalkvam Washington State DOT Brent Jensen Utah DOT Hal Kassoff Parsons Brinckerhoff Don Cote FHWA Resource Center Lindsay Yamane Parametrix, Inc. Jim Horrocks Horrocks Engineering Frank Danchetz ARCADIS Bob Esenwein Turner Collie & Braden Amy Phillips BNA (editorial support)
Legal Sufficiency Task Team Team Leader Lamar S. Smith FHWA Shannon Eggleston Director, Center for Environmental Excellence AASHTO Michael D. Brehm, P.E. Brehm Environmental LLC William G. Malley Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP David S. Mattern Parametrix, Inc Willard (Bill) C. McCartney Michael Baker Jr., Inc. Kathy Ames Illinois DOT Lawrence (Lance) P. Hanf FHWA Megan Stanley PB Consult Jack Gilbert FHWA Office of Chief Counsel Robert Downie, Florida DOT Harold Aikens FHWA Office of the Chief Counsel Bill Hauser New Hampshire DOT Michelle W. Fishburne LOCHNER
Education Task Team Team Leader Tim Hill Ohio DOT Andrea Stevenson Ohio DOT Dianna Noble John Page Parsons Brinckerhoff Susan Killen Parsons Brinckerhoff Lisa Zeimer Parsons Brinckerhoff Caron Kloser HNTB John Mettille Wilbur-Smith Jerry Stump Wilbur-Smith Pamela Stephenson FHWA Kimberly Majerus FHWA
Texas DOT
Carolyn Ismart Florida DOT
ii
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Introduction
1.1 1.2 1.3 What is the joint AASHTO/ACEC/FHWA Initiative on Improving the Quality of NEPA Documents?