editor – Page 55 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

ETAP Podcast: Minnesota DOT’s ‘Rethinking I-94’ Project

This episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP podcast focuses on the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s “Rethinking I-94 project.” The agency started that program in 2016 with the intent of reconnecting neighborhoods and revitalizing communities sundered by the original construction of Interstate 94 back in the 1960s. The program also seeks to ensure residents “have a meaningful voice” in transportation decisions that affect their lives today and into the future.

[Above photo of I-94 construction by the Minnesota DOT]

Margaret Anderson Kelliher – commissioner of the Minnesota DOT – and Gloria Jeff, director of the Rethinking I-94 project for the agency, discuss the long-term effort to improve the department’s engagement and relationships with communities along I-94 between the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“Environmental justice brings forward attention to the disproportionate outcomes for low-income and communities of color in the case of transportation,” said Kelliher. “It includes the burdens those communities have to face in terms of air and noise pollution from transportation. It is also a little broader in terms of race, geographies, and income disparities.”

That then draw in transportation equity, whereby the need for transportation systems need to “level up” and provide better mobility options to low-income and communities of color.

For example, Kelliher noted that a recent study found that a person living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul region who does not have access to a car or public transit has access to less than 10 percent of the jobs in that region. “That’s a major example of a transportation equity issue,” she said.

Minnesota DOT’s Jeff went on to explain that “transportation equity” issues is not a “quality,” not the idea that everybody gets “everything in the same way.”

It isn’t, “do I have a transit route operate near my home,” said Jeff but rather, “does it operate at the time that I need.” Jeff added that transportation equity is more than race and ethnic background, but that “this is where the current challenges exist” and why the current equity focus is on those two areas. To listen to the full podcast, click here.

Environmental News Highlights – April 28, 2021

Twelve Governors Urge Biden Administration to Impose ZEV Mandate

The governors of 12 states – California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington – recently signed a joint letter urging the Biden Administration to establish national zero emission vehicle standards. They also urged the administration to leverage the proposed $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan to provide more fiscal support for ZEV infrastructure construction.

[Above photo via the Massachusetts Governor’s Office.]

The April 21 letter calls on the administration to require all new passenger cars and light-duty trucks sold to be zero-emission by 2035, with all new medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicles sold to be zero-emission by 2045.

“By establishing a clear regulatory path to ensuring that all vehicles sold in the United States are zero-emission, we can finally clear the air and create high-road jobs,” the governors said in the letter.

“Moving quickly towards a zero-emission transportation future will protect the health of all communities,” they added. “With bold federal leadership, American workers will lead the way in designing, building and driving clean and affordable vehicles.”

The governors highlighted how investments proposed within the administration’s American Jobs Plan investments could support the “scaling up” of ZEV charging and refueling infrastructure – enhancing the investments already made by states.

For example, the California Department of Transportation in February installed 22 new “fast-charging” stations for electric vehicles or EVs at nine locations along the state’s highway network.

Six energy utility companies announced in March that they are joining forces to build a seamless network of EV charging stations connecting major highway systems from the Atlantic Coast, through the Midwest and South, and into the Gulf and Central Plains regions.

Meanwhile, the governors also requested in their letter an expansion of tax credits to support the manufacturing of zero-emissions trucks, buses, and charging stations and funding to promote equitable access to ZEVs and transportation electrification at the local level.

One example of that is the deployment by the Cherokee Nation of two electric transit buses to transport employees and tribal citizens to work and tribal health centers, along with an electric school bus.

The tribe said it used a $1.5 million U.S. Department of Transportation grant awarded in 2018 to help pay for those buses as well as construction of the recharging station.

“The Cherokee Nation has always been a leader in environmental conservation and forward-thinking efforts that will reduce harmful activities impacting our natural resources,” said Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. in a statement. “As we work to reduce our carbon emissions by 25 percent by 2027, we are investing in sustainable projects that will have many long-term benefits,” he added. “Our responsibility as stewards of the land, air, and water will always be one of our most significant values, and introducing these eco-friendly transit vehicles into our fleet is an example of how we can make a great difference in our environment.”

Proposed Bill Seeks to Help States Build More Resilient Infrastructure

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., and Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., introduced the “Rebuilding Stronger Infrastructure Act” on April 20 to ensure that resilience improvements are eligible for federal funding, while requiring the Federal Highway Administration to provide states with the guidance and tools needed to rebuild infrastructure with more resiliency.

[Above photo by the Wisconsin DOT]

“Too often, highway infrastructure is rebuilt to pre-disaster specifications, leaving roads and bridges vulnerable to another disaster and costly damage repairs,” noted Sen. Baldwin in a statement.

“As extreme weather becomes more and more frequent, we need to empower states and local communities to build stronger and more resilient roads and bridges that can withstand the next storm or natural disaster,” she said. “This reform will not only ensure we are better protecting our infrastructure, but it will also save taxpayer dollars by making sure we are building it back better.”

“The Rebuilding Stronger Infrastructure Act ensures that we are investing in making our roads and bridges resilient to severe weather events and natural disasters while saving taxpayer dollars,” added Sen. Braun – covering the cost of damage from extreme weather and natural disasters such as severe storms, floods, or hurricanes.

The proposed legislation would:

Require the FHWA to update its Emergency Relief Manual to include the definition of resilience and identify procedures state departments of transportation may use to incorporate resilience into emergency relief projects. The manual would also encourage the use of Complete Streets design principals and consideration of access for moderate and low income families impacted by a declared disaster;
Require the FHWA to develop best practices for improving resilience of projects funded by the Emergency Relief program. Best practices will be shared with division offices of the Federal Highway Administration and state departments of transportation;
Require the FHWA to develop and implement a process to track consideration of resilience projects as part of the Emergency Relief Program and the cost of Emergency Relief projects; and
Clarifies that cost-justified resilience improvements are eligible for Emergency Relief funding.

Both the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and Wisconsin Department of Transportation are supporting this bill.

“Sen. Baldwin’s Rebuilding Stronger Infrastructure Act is common-sense legislation that will save taxpayers’ dollars and prevent unnecessary disruptions to our transportation system,” noted Craig Thompson, secretary-designee for the Wisconsin DOT. “When we identify roads and bridges that are prone to be damaged by natural disasters like flooding, it just makes sense to improve them to avoid that damage, rather than risk the disruption and expense of repairing them after they’ve been washed out,” he explained. “Sen. Baldwin’s bill will help states like Wisconsin keep our roads and bridges in good condition.”

Video: Every Day is Earth Day for State DOTs

Founded 51 years ago, Earth Day is now a global celebration that is raising public awareness and support for the protection of the environment. One of the objectives of this annual worldwide campaign is to get everyone to play a role – no matter what they do or where they live and work.

A recent video produced by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials highlights the many ways that the Minnesota Department of Transportation and other state DOTs are leading in the areas of sustainability and environmental stewardship.

The video – entitled “Every Day is Earth Day at Minnesota DOT” – features an interview with the agency’s commissioner, Margaret Anderson Kelliher, who details the Minnesota DOT’s successful efforts to shrink its carbon footprint, advance renewable energy consumption, plus safeguard and beautify the environment around the construction sites managed by the agency.

Tennessee DOT Helps Fund Two Trash Exhibits at Aquarium

A pair of new exhibits at the Tennessee Aquarium funded by the grants from the Tennessee Department of Transportation illustrate how microplastics and other roadside trash can negatively affect the health of the ocean as well as rivers, lakes, and streams.

[Above photo by the Tennessee Aquarium]

The new exhibits – housed in the Aquarium’s “River Journey” and supporting the Tennessee DOT’s “Nobody Trashes Tennessee” litter reduction campaign – includes actual debris taken from the banks of the Tennessee River

The exhibits demonstrate the connection between land-based pollution and aquatic ecosystems through “touchless” interactive elements, informative videos, and an exhibition of invasive aquatic wildlife such as a Northern Snakehead and Grass Carp. Those non-native fish are housed in one of the exhibits, swimming alongside examples — some of them 3D-printed — of common roadside debris such as tires and car batteries, which can wreak havoc on aquatic systems.

“The connections between roadside litter, water quality and aquatic systems cannot be understated,” said Shawn Bible, Tennessee DOT’s beautification office manager, in a statement.

“The ‘Nobody Trashes Tennessee’ campaign aims to educate citizens on the impact of what may be perceived as a minor issue for the state,” Bible added. “In reality, the state spends more than $19 million each year to clean up the more than 100 million pieces of litter on our roadways. We are pleased to partner with the Tennessee Aquarium on these interactive exhibits.”

The exhibits help visitors visualize how trash can imperil aquatic ecosystems and impact waterways that millions rely on for recreation and drinking water, while also demonstrating how changes in behavior on land can benefit the health of nearby waterways, explained Dr. Anna George, the Aquarium’s vice president of conservation science and education.

“Anything that is on land moves into our waterways,” Dr. George said. “If a piece of litter is thrown onto a street, wind might carry it to a stream or river. It might get washed or blown into storm drains and deposited in the nearest body of water. It is a safe assumption that any debris on land has a good chance of winding up in our water.”

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 80 percent of garbage found in the ocean comes from inland sources, such as leaked automotive fluids and littering. “So even though the [Tennessee] Department of Transportation might seem like an odd partner for an aquarium, there’s a fundamental connection between activity on land and the health of waterways,” Dr. George noted.

Environmental News Highlights – April 21, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

Joint Letter to Congress Calls for ‘Generational’ Infrastructure Investment – AASHTO Journal

FAST Act reauthorization prospects dim – Transportation Today

Deep Divisions Over Transit Threaten Highway Bill Bipartisanship – Bloomberg Government

American Jobs Plan Targets Resilience, Green Tech, and Remediation to Strengthen Crumbling Infrastructure – National Review

As Biden shifts infrastructure focus to climate and racial justice, cities and states alter pitches for federal money – Washington Post

COVID-19

To Save the New York Subway, Send in the Crowds – Bloomberg Green

What We Learned After Analyzing 5 Months of Active Mobility Responses to COVID-19 – TheCityFix

NEPA

House Republicans introduce bill to reform NEPA – Transportation Today

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Hawaii Department of Transportation begins electrification with Tesla delivery – Honolulu Star-Advertiser

White House issues infrastructure report cards for all 50 states – The Hill

Pritzker Administration Announces $110 Million in Rebuild Illinois Funding for Public Ports Across Illinois – Illinois Department of Transportation (Press release)

Now is Our Opportunity to do Public Transit Differently – Newsweek (Opinion

AIR QUALITY

Bethlehem unveils climate action plan that calls for net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 – Morning Call

Ethanol Groups Defend EPA’s E15 Rule – DTN/Progressive Farmer (Blog)

On Climate Change, DeSantis Focuses On Infrastructure While Ignoring Heat-Causing Emissions – Inside Climate News/WMFE

Chicago Air Quality Ordinance – City of Chicago

Environmental benefits of going solar in Vermont – Vermont Business Magazine (Commentary)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Connections: Discussing racism in American infrastructure – WXXI Radio

Environmental justice is coming to New Jersey’s suburbs – Newark Star-Ledger (Opinion)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Wetlands legislation passes, leaves little protection – KPC News

Federal Water Rule Does Not Account for Pollution Across State Boundaries – University of Texas at Austin (Press release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

‘Vision Zero failed my friend’ | Renewed push for safer DC streets after cyclist killed – WUSA-TV

NYC Teams With Bird, Lime, VeoRide For eScooter Pilot Launch – PYMNTS

Why Don’t Transit Agencies Do Bikeshare? – CityLab

Two rural Delaware towns got a new transit and ride-hailing app – StateScoop

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: Navigating Environmental Compliance for Public-Private Partnerships – TRB

TRB Webinar: The Day of the Drones – Airports and Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Part 2 – TRB

Driving Down Emissions: Why Reducing How Much We Drive is Critical for Our Climate – Transportation for America (Webinar announcement)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Notice of Public Meeting, Utah Resource Advisory Council, Utah – Bureau of Land Management (Notice of public meeting)

2021 Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustments for Oil, Gas, and Sulfur Operations in the Outer Continental Shelf – Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (Final rule)

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; River Rouge, Detroit – Coast Guard (Final rule)

Security Zone: Electric Boat Shipyard, Groton – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Regulated Navigation Area; Biscayne Bay Causeway Island Slip, Miami Beach – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Drawbridge Operation Regulation; Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers and Burnham Canals, Milwaukee, WI – Coast Guard (Notice of proposed rulemaking)

Guidance Document Procedures Rescission – Council on Environmental Quality (Final rule)

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Municipal Solid Waste Landfills Residual Risk and Technology Review; Correction – EPA (Proposed rule)

Notice of Intent To Rule on a Request To Release Surplus Property at the Myrtle Beach International Airport, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – FAA (Notice and request for comment)

Notice of Intent To Release Certain Properties From All Terms, Conditions, Reservations and Restrictions of a Quitclaim Deed Agreement Between the City of Melbourne and the Federal Aviation Administration for the Melbourne International Airport, Melbourne, FL – FAA (Request for public comment)

Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Threatened Species Status, Section 4(d) Rule, and Designation of Critical Habitat for Panama City Crayfish – Fish and Wildlife Service (Proposed rule; reopening of comment period and announcement of public hearing)

Central Idaho Resource Advisory Committee – Forest Service (Notice of meeting)

Fiscal Year 2021 Competitive Research Funding Opportunity: Transit Workforce Center (TWC) – FTA (Notice of Funding Opportunity)

Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Maritime Administration’s Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 – Maritime Administration (Notice)

Proposed Revisions to the National Handbook of Conservation Practices for the Natural Resources Conservation Service – Natural Resources Conservation Service (Notice of availability; reopening and extension of comment period)

Public Hearing – Susquehanna River Basin Commission (Notice)

NYSDOT Spearheads Project to Harden Infrastructure Against Flooding

The New York State Department of Transportation is heading up a $5.4 million project to “harden” a local roadway against damage from flooding and other weather events through the state’s Resiliency and Economic Development Initiative or REDI.

[Above photo by NYSDOT.]

The project focuses on a 1,800 linear foot section of County Road 57 – a critical connection that provides the only land access to Point Peninsula, an island community within the Town of Lyme near Lake Ontario.

Resiliency measures for this project include raising the vulnerable section of roadway three feet to mitigate potential flooding and halt further road deterioration. Additionally, the agency is installing “rip rap” – a term for human-placed rock formations – to provide further protection against the impact of wind, waves, and ice formation.

“Vital infrastructure along Lake Ontario has been adversely affected from severe flooding,” explained Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) in a statement. “Through REDI, and through the State’s partnership with local governments, these critical assets are being reimagined and rebuilt to mitigate future damage and disruption, ensuring public safety and safeguarding local economies.”

“By working together with our local partners and making smart, targeted investments like this one, New York is moving forward in the battle against climate change,” added Marie Therese Dominguez, NYSDOT commissioner. “These REDI projects will harden infrastructure, mitigate flooding and assist local communities in combating the rising waters of Lake Ontario for years to come.”

Gov. Cuomo created the REDI program in the spring of 2019 in response to an “extended pattern of flooding” along the shores of Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Five REDI Regional Planning Committees comprised of representatives from eight counties – Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, Wayne, Cayuga, Oswego, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence – work to identify “at-risk” infrastructure and public safety concerns.

The REDI Commission has to date allocated $20 million for homeowner assistance, $30 million to improve the resiliency of businesses, and $15 million toward a regional dredging effort that will benefit each of the eight counties in the REDI regions. It allocated the remaining $235 million towards local and regional projects that “advance and exemplify” the REDI mission.

Over the last two years, some 133 local and regional projects are now underway, including 107 projects in the design phase, 13 projects in the construction phase, and 13 projects completed.

NCDOT Seeks 2021 Bicycle/Pedestrian Grant Applications

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is now accepting applications from municipalities across the state for its 2021 Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Grant Initiative, which seeks to support the development of comprehensive bicycle or pedestrian plans. The deadline for applications is June 30.

[Above photo by the NCDOT.]

In terms of specifics, NCDOT said in a statement that while all North Carolina municipalities are eligible to apply for that funding, counties with populations of less than 50,000 could apply for a bicycle or pedestrian plan while smaller municipalities with populations of less than 10,000 can apply to develop combined bicycle and pedestrian plans.

Additionally, municipalities with populations of less than 5,000 may apply for a Project Acceleration Plan – an abbreviated plan primarily focusing on priority project identification and implementation – while municipalities and counties with populations of less than 50,000 with a bicycle or pedestrian plan already in place can apply to update their plan if it is at least five years old.

NCDOT’s bicycle and pedestrian planning grant program – sponsored by the department’s Integrated Mobility Division and the Transportation Planning Division since 2004 – usually awards a total of $7 million on a yearly basis.

The agency added that it is hosting a short webinar on May 12 to provide further details about its bicycle/pedestrian grant program and answer questions from potential applicants.

States across the country are broadly working on ways to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

For example, a new report from the Governors Highway Safety Association showed that while pedestrian fatalities trended up in the first half of 2020, it noted how several state-directed efforts are successfully improving pedestrian safety.

GHSA’s report noted that most pedestrians are killed on local roads, in the dark, and away from intersections – suggesting the need for safer road crossings and increased efforts to make pedestrians more visible through improved lighting and other countermeasures.

The National Transportation Safety Board reported similar findings during a hearing in November 2019. As a result, that agency called for more “concerted action” from federal and state agencies to improve bicyclist safety – and, by extension, that of pedestrians – via improvements to roadway infrastructure, enhanced bicyclist conspicuity, and the “mitigation of head injuries” to bicyclists through mandatory helmet laws.

Environmental News Highlights – April 14, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

Rep. DeFazio: “We have to do a reauthorization by October 1.” – AASHTO Journal

House GOP Planning Climate Package to Counter Democrats – Bloomberg Green

Biden Plan Spurs Fight Over What ‘Infrastructure’ Really Means – New York Times

US Senators Introduce Carbon Capture, Sequestration Bill – Transport Topics

Retreat from coastlines? Politicians don’t want to talk about it. – Grist

COVID-19

Planners grapple with pandemic’s mystery impacts on population boom and traffic – Reporter Newspapers

More Cars on the Road as COVID Restrictions Lift Leads to Worsening Air Quality – KNBC-TV Video

What We Learned After Analyzing 5 Months of Active Mobility Responses to COVID-19 – TheCityFix (Commentary)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Managing the Transition to Electric Vehicles – AASHTO Journal

W.Va. congressional delegation, environmentalists at odds over Biden jobs and infrastructure plan – Herald-Dispatch

Ohio plans $2B in infrastructure investments; officials to discuss local projects today – Cincinnati Enquirer

Nevada bridges ranked among the country’s best by national survey – KVVU-TV

State’s new drone fleet to help with investigations, inspections – Jackson Hole News & Guide

How to move from a wish list to a national plan in adapting America’s infrastructure – Thomson Reuters Foundation (Opinion)

AIR QUALITY

McKee under pressure over RI climate bill requiring net-zero emissions by 2050 – WPRI-TV

Decreasing Your Carbon Footprint Through Abandoned Farmland Restoration – Forbes

New Army of LG Robots Eye Air Pollution – CDOTrends

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says ‘there is racism physically built’ into America’s infrastructure – The Hill

EPA reverses Trump stance in push to tackle environmental racism – The Guardian

NATURAL RESOURCES

ITD Shares Award for Eco-Friendly Bridge Work – AASHTO Journal

USDA and Partners Work to Identify Best Management Practices for Wildlife Repellents at Airports – State Aviation Journal

Bill to improve water quality for tribes passes committee – Curry Coastal Pilot

Investors worth $105 billion join the call for lasting protection for Bristol Bay from Pebble Mine – Earthworks (Blog)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: Navigating Environmental Compliance for Public-Private Partnerships – TRB

Progress, Challenges, and Opportunities for Sustainability Science: Proceedings of a Workshop – in Brief (2021) – National Academies

Clearing the Skies with Research on Electric Vehicles – TRB

What can be done now to move us toward a more sustainable and prosperous future for all? – Nobel Prize Summit (Announcement)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

National Environmental Education Advisory Council – EPA (Request for nominations)

Pipeline Safety: Pipeline Leak Detection, Leak Repair, and Methane Emission Reductions Public Meeting – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Notice)

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Dry Dock 1 Modification and Expansion – NOAA (Notice; proposed incidental harassment authorization; request for comments on proposed authorization and possible renewal)

Meeting of the Regional Resource Stewardship Council – Tennessee Valley Authority (Notice)

Port Access Route Study: Northern New York Bight – Coast Guard (Supplemental notice of study, request for comments)

FEDERAL ACTION

COVID-19

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

AIR QUALITY

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

NATURAL RESOURCES

CULTURAL RESOURCES

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

FEDERAL ACTION

COVID-19

NEPA

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

AIR QUALITY

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

NATURAL RESOURCES

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

FEDERAL ACTION

COVID-19

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

AIR QUALITY

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

NATURAL RESOURCES

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES