01656953

Component

The Council on Environmental Quality issued final guidance in 2016 for how climate change (CC) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions should be addressed in National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation. Some states already have similar guidance or requirements as part of the environmental review process. This paper assesses how state transportation departments, under the purview of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) as the lead federal agency (or as assigned to the state itself under NEPA Assumption), are incorporating CC and GHG emission analysis into project development as part of the environmental review process. Does this analysis contribute in a meaningful way to help make informed decisions on a proposed transportation project? A review of 26 FHWA environmental impact statements (EISs) published between 2010 and 2017 and representing projects in 8 states was conducted to assess how CC and GHG emissions have been incorporated as part of the NEPA process. The EISs included a variety of levels of analysis, ranging from project-specific to generalized discussions, and qualitative versus quantitative analysis. The review also looked at how the analysis was incorporated into the NEPA process and documentation. Often the analysis was incorporated with regard to air quality, energy, or cumulative impacts. Rarely did it appear to inform the selection of the preferred alternative, though in some instances it was considered as part of design or alternatives development. NEPA requires an assessment of the impacts of a proposed project on the human environment. This assessment of select FHWA EISs showcases how CC and GHG emissions have been incorporated into the environmental review process.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADC10 Standing Committee on Environmental Analysis in Transportation.

18-01146

English

16p

2018

Transportation Research Board 97th Annual Meeting

Digital/other

References; Tables

Climate change; Environmental impacts; Greenhouse gases; Pollutants; Reports; State departments of transportation

U.S. Federal Highway Administration

Environment; Highways

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2018 Paper #18-01146

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Jan 8 2018 10:17AM