Posts – Page 62 – Environmental Technical Assistance Program Newsletter

Environmental News Highlights – January 20, 2021

Oregon DOT: More Landslides May Occur due to Wildfires

The Oregon Department of Transportation noted in a recent blog post that landslides could increase in 2021 due to topographical damage caused by a series of devastating wildfires in 2020.

[Photo courtesy of the Oregon Department of Transportation.]

In order to track how landslide activity is influenced by wildfires, earthquakes, and climate change, the agency is in the midst of several projects that record and analyze landslide activity via ground- and aerial drone-based sensors.

[The video below, captured by an Oregon DOT drone, illustrates the type of transportation system damage that can be caused by landslides.]

To that end, Curran Mohney – senior engineering geologist with the Oregon DOT’s statewide project delivery group – is involved in an effort to monitor landslides affecting the state’s coastal highways. That project – in year four of its seven-year life – is being conducted in collaboration with students and professors from Portland State and Oregon State universities.

“Primarily what I want to know is how much time we have left for our highways in certain areas,” Mohney explained. “What’s the life span of our highways on the coast and in our stressed areas? How fast are landslides accelerating, especially with climate change drivers? How long until we lose that battle?”

He added that this project is “increasing knowledge” that will benefit the state in many ways – especially in terms of protecting its surface transportation network.

[The video below highlights the equipment and techniques deployed by the Oregon DOT and its contractors to repair roads damaged by landslides.]

For example, Mohney said every landslide has elements that indicate its approximate age: its shape and radiocarbon dating of buried animal bones and plant matter. Depending on what the research team discovers from that material helps determine whether a landslide occurred because of seismic events or just from heavy rains.

“Learning about the age and the causes of slides can help us make better decisions about our seismic lifelines or things we need to do to adapt to climate change impacts,” Mohney said.

“It’s telling us things about how and why landslides happen in certain places,” he added. “Just imagining what our issues are going to be with climate change and Cascadia [the Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquake] – it seems insurmountable. So if we can figure out anything about where, why, how, then we can be prepared. Maybe we can go out ahead of time and make smart decisions.”

WSDOT Seeks Feedback on Future Active Transportation Plans

The Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking public feedback the draft of the new State Active Transportation Plan through February 15 – a new plan that reflects the fact that more people than ever are walking and bicycling statewide, according to the agency’s multimodal transportation dashboard.

[Photo courtesy of the Washington State Department of Transportation.]

The plan also focuses on the need for greater safety for pedestrians and bicyclists as a preliminary assessment of crash statistics found that 2020 fatal crashes involving such “vulnerable road users appear” to be occurring at higher rates than the averages for 2010 through 2019.

[Bicycling in particular is becoming a more frequently used transportation mode, WSDOT noted in a video.]

Environmental News Highlights – January 13, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

USDOT Sec. Elaine Chao Resigns over Capitol Hill Riot – AASHTO Journal

How will Pete Buttigieg sell Congress on infrastructure? – E&E News

How Merrick Garland could figure into Biden’s climate plans as attorney general – Grist

Congress authorizes water infrastructure projects – Agrinews

COVID-19

Breaking Down State DOT COVID-19 Relief Funding – AASHTO Journal

New York car ownership jumps nearly 40% as pandemic creates mass transit worries – CNET

Transit agencies join forces to promote mask usage – Mass Transit

Requiem for the Super Commuter – CityLab

NEPA

AASHTO Comments on NEPA Revisions, Highway Design Standards – AASHTO Journal

Federal pilot to allow some projects to avoid NEPA – Progressive Railroading

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Rail shippers give policy wish list for 2021 – FreightWaves

Sustainability director retires as two major projects near completion – Park Record

Slow Streets Disrupted City Planning. What Comes Next? – CityLab

The South’s communication infrastructure can’t withstand climate change – Southerly

National Security Implications of Deferred Maintenance in Infrastructure – Lawfare

Multibillion-Dollar Transportation Program Will Create America’s Most Connected Urban Center In National Landing – National Landing Business Improvement District (Press release)

AIR QUALITY

Can a future ban on gas-powered cars work? An economist explains – The Conversation

EPA decision on National Ambient Air Quality Standards praised by business group – Pennsylvania Business Report

Modern Mobility: Regional Bodies Can Have a Big Impact – ARLnow (Opinion)

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Maine Board Adds New Environmental Justice Standard – AP

From the Left: M-CORES options for new highways threaten another environmental debacle – Daily Commercial (Opinion)

NATURAL RESOURCES

Why the American West is fighting for water protections – Vox

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Four finalists in running to claim and reuse historic Minnesota bridge – Minnesota Public Radio

MTA Metro-North Railroad Announces Opening of Major Segment of Empire State Trail in Putnam and Dutchess Counties – Putnam County, NY (Press release)

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

ODOT Strategic Action Plan promises ‘ambitious transformation’ – BikePortland

Old railroad corridors near Chicago transformed into all-weather trails for hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing – Chicago Tribune

Effort underway to make bike, pedestrian wayfinding easier across the valley – Daily Sentinel

Here’s Why You Can’t Judge Honolulu’s Bike-Share Program On Public Costs Alone – Honolulu Civil Beat

Colorado initiative to fund Safer Main Streets projects – Transportation Today

Governor Cuomo Announces Completion of 750-Mile Empire State Trail – New York State (Press release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

Environmental Topics at the Virtual TRB Annual Meeting – AASHTO’s ETAP Podcast

TRB Webinar: Driving Toward the Truth – Dispelling the Myths About Cannabis Products – TRB

TRB Webinar: A Two-Way Ticket – Collaborative Planning Among Airports and Public Agencies – TRB

U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Research Topics for Upcoming Small Business Innovation Research Program Solicitation – USDOT (Press release)

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Revisions to Civil Penalty Amounts – Office of the Secretary, FAA, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FRA, Maritime Administration, NHTSA, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (Final rule)

Pipeline Safety: Gas Pipeline Regulatory Reform – Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Final rule; withdrawal of enforcement discretion)

Guidance on the Preparation of Clean Air Act Section 179B Demonstrations for Nonattainment Areas Affected by International Transport of Emissions – EPA (Notice of availability)

Official Release of the MOVES3 Motor Vehicle Emissions Model for SIPs and Transportation Conformity – EPA (Notice of availability)

Strengthening Transparency in Pivotal Science Underlying Significant Regulatory Actions and Influential Scientific Information – EPA (Final rule)

Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA); Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC); Pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM) – FEMA (30-Day notice and request for comments)

Real-Time Storm Force Prediction Model for Coastal Bridges

Dr. Teng Wu, Mr. Shaopeng Li, and Dr. Kallol Sett from the Institute of Bridge Engineering at University at Buffalo recently unveiled a new model to improve extreme damage “risk evaluation” for coastal bridges due to hurricane wave force and storm surge.

That research focuses first on using a synthetic 10,000-year hurricane record, together with a deep neural network-based framework to predict surge and wave forces on the bridges located in specific areas. It then taps into the North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study or NACCS database – built to identify flood risk and mitigation strategies – which uses damage outcomes from 1,050 “synthetic hurricanes” to provide storm surge elevation and significant wave height predictions for pre-determined locations.

All of that information is then used to determine the probability of bridge failure dependent on how susceptible a bridge deck is to being lifted off its foundation structure, those researchers said; an event known as “bridge deck unseating” that is highlighted in the video below:

Dr. Wu — associate professor at the University of Buffalo’s department of civil, structural, and environmental engineering – said during a recent presentation that the reason a new coastal bridge failure model is needed centers on the rising number of Americans living in coastal regions and their corresponding exposure to severe weather.

According to a 22-page report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, almost 40 percent of the United States population – some 127 million people — now live in coastal areas that are increasingly vulnerable to severe hurricanes.

For example, Hurricane Sandy, which made landfall in New Jersey in 2012, caused $70 billion worth of damage to densely developed areas in New Jersey and New York – with the damage to roads and bridges representing a large portion of that monetary loss.

Dr. Wu noted that the training of deep neural network focuses on damage to bridges due to bridge deck unseating as that is the most common occurrence during hurricane storm surge.

Graphic image provided by the University of Buffalo

For example, during Hurricane Ike in 2008, some 53 bridges in the Houston/Galveston region suffered damage – and many of those damaged structures either were constructed of timber or were low-clearance water-crossing bridges. That’s why analyzing the type of bridge, bridge clearance, and the predicted storm surge and wave height for hurricane storm season in a particular coastal area can give valuable sustainability information and aid in risk planning and emergency response, Dr. Wu noted.

The University of Buffalo research included a case study on “simply supported” coastal bridges in New York State – a study that included a risk assessment for bridge deck unseating caused by storm surges and waves. Three different “clearances” of coastal bridges – which is the distance between the bottom of the bridge deck to the mean water level – were considered in that risk analysis, with the resulting case study looking at bridges in two different areas of the region: one close to the coastline and one in the Hudson River.

That case study found that the annual damage rate to bridges decreases as the clearance increases, and bridges at the coastline are more vulnerable to storm surges and waves due to the larger surge/wave level, as expected. What the risk analysis framework does, explained Dr. Wu, is pinpoint where risk reduction strategies will be most effective – highlight those coastal bridges with the highest risk of damage from storms, allowing for more targeted mitigation planning. Dr. Wu added that this research can also help in emergency management disaster response by highlighting the infrastructure most at risk for damage and allowing for more focused traffic management and operations planning.

New Renewable Energy Contracts in Effect at MBTA

Two 100 percent renewable energy contracts between the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and BP Energy Company and Direct Energy LLC recently went into effect – reducing the agency’s carbon footprint and saving it over $3 million per year.

[Photo courtesy of the Massachusetts Governor’s Office.]

“These important investments in fully renewable energy, highlighted by the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits for the entirety of our electricity load, mean that the T has a dedicated commitment to electricity produced from renewable energy sources,” explained Steve Poftak, MBTA’s general manager, in a statement. “With the beginning of these new contracts, the T continues to expand its use of renewable energy in its portfolio, and furthers its commitment to supporting sustainable transit.”

MBTA – the public transit division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which provides subway, bus, commuter rail, ferry, and paratransit service to eastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island – finalized those two contracts in October 2020.

Steve Poftak (r) with MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack. Photo by Joshua Qualls/Massachusetts Governor’s Office.

The total cost for those two contracts – which make the MBTA the largest transit agency in the United States to be 100 percent renewable – is approximately $12.13 million annually for a three-year term. The contracts include the purchase of Renewable Energy Credits or RECs for 100 percent of the MBTA’s electricity load as well as provisions for providing 70 percent of the electricity at a fixed price.

Purchasing RECs means the MBTA has bought electricity from a renewable power source with each certificate equivalent to the generation of one-megawatt hour or MWh of electricity, the agency said.

The MBTA added that it has a number of additional renewable energy projects completed and currently underway. One involves using two wind turbines in Kingston and Bridgewater help power MBTA facilities with electrical power; with the capability to sell unused power back to the electrical grid. Another involves small scale solar projects are complete at Orient Heights and Braintree Stations with solar canopy installation recently completed at three additional MBTA sites and more sites currently being explored.

Upcoming renewable energy projects to develop include the launch of a new solar power purchase agreement, the development of solar arrays at bus garages and train stations, along with further research into the potential for the MBTA to become an “anchor customer” for upcoming offshore wind projects.

Environmental News Highlights – January 6, 2021

FEDERAL ACTION

Updated: State DOTs Net $10B in Aid from COVID-19 Relief Legislation – AASHTO Journal

The Biden Environment Team and a Government-Wide Approach to Sustainability – Earth Institute/Columbia University

The pendulum is the pits: Can the United States make enduring regulations? – Brookings Institution

AAPA: U.S. Ports fare well in Congressional Year-End Legislation – Dredging Today

COVID-19

How local waste and recycling leaders are grappling with coronavirus-driven budget pressures – Waste Dive

NEPA

Biden CEQ pick signals NEPA changes – E&E News

Transition Thoughts: The Presidential Transition, NEPA, and Project Review – National Law Review

Seven-year King of Prussia rail delay shows folly of modern environmental laws – Philadelphia Inquirer (Opinion)

INFRASTRUCTURE RESILIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY

Virginia DOT Launches Second Major Anti-Litter Initiative – AASHTO Journal

Extra scrutiny sought for warehouse at Grand Island Amazon site – Buffalo News

Lorain’s active transportation planning continues despite pandemic – Morning Journal (Ohio)

FLAP grant eyes infrastructure projects on Teton Pass – Jackson Hole News&Guide

AIR QUALITY

Regional GHG Reduction Consortium Takes Shape – AASHTO Journal

Colorado air quality regulators update plan to lower ozone levels and align with EPA standards – Colorado Sun

ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Biden links climate change, jobs and environmental justice – Successful Farming

Landmark Climate Policy Faces Growing Claims of Environmental Racism – Pew

NATURAL RESOURCES

Charles River Tributary in Boston Gets D- for Water Quality in New Report Card – WBTS-TV

Thousands of bats live in this Sacramento freeway. How Caltrans is ‘evicting’ them – Sacramento Bee

CULTURAL RESOURCES

Looking back on Minnesota and Washington State DOTs’ inaugural artists-in-residence – Transportation for America

President-Elect Biden Expected To Act To Reverse President Trump’s Public Lands Impacts – National Parks Traveler

HEALTH AND HUMAN ENVIRONMENT/ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION

What Does Pete Buttigieg’s Nomination as Transportation Secretary Mean for Cyclists? – Bicycling

Opinions sought for state Active Transportation Plan – Hays Post

State active transportation plan is rolling: Washingtonians invited to comment by Feb. 15 – WSDOT (Press release)

TRB RESOURCES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

TRB Webinar: People Movers and Shakers-Quality of Life in Airport Communities – TRB

2021 Conference on Sustainability and Emerging Transportation Technology – TRB

TRB Webinar: A Two-Way Ticket – Collaborative Planning Among Airports and Public Agencies – TRB

How We Move Matters: Exploring the Connections between New Transportation and Mobility Options and Environmental Health– Abstracts due April 15, 2021 – TRB (Call for Presentations)

Characteristics and Elements of Nonpunitive Employee Safety Reporting Systems for Public Transportation – TCRP

Introduction to Blockchain and Airport Operations in a COVID-19 Environment – ACRP

Oregon DOT Hiring an Environmental Project Manager – Oregon DOT

FEDERAL REGISTER NOTICES

Program for Eliminating Duplication of Environmental Review – FHWA/FRA/FTA (Final rule)

National Standards for Traffic Control Devices; the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways; Revision – FHWA (Proposed rule; notice of proposed amendments; correction)

Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program; Arizona Department of Transportation Draft FHWA Audit Report – FHWA (Notice; Request for comment)

Hours of Service of Drivers: Association of American Railroads and American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association; Application for Exemption – Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (Notice of final disposition; grant of exemption)

Hazardous Materials: Miscellaneous Amendments Pertaining to DOT- Specification Cylinders
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (Final rule)

Reclassification of Major Sources as Area Sources Under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act; Correction – EPA (Final rule; correction)

Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustment – EPA (Final rule)

Increasing Consistency and Transparency in Considering Benefits and Costs in the Clean Air Act Rulemaking Process – EPA (Final rule)

Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Reconsideration of Beneficial Use Criteria and Piles; Notification of Data Availability – EPA (Proposed rule; notice of data availability; request for comment)

EPA’s Approval of Florida’s Clean Water Act Section 404 Assumption Request – EPA (Notice)

Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities; Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Ice Roads and Ice Trails Construction and Maintenance Activities on Alaska’s North Slope – NOAA (Final rule; notification of issuance of Letters of Authorization)

Financial Support for Transmission and Distribution Lines To Pump Stations 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19 in Connection With the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline – Rural Utilities Service (Notice of Availability of a Record of Decision)

NYSDOT Helps Complete Empire State Multi-Use Trail

The New York State Department of Transportation helped complete and fully open the 750-mile long Empire State Trail – currently the nation’s longest multi-use state trail – on December 31, 2020.

[Photo courtesy of the New York State Department of Transportation.]

The Empire State Trail will be open year-round, including winter, and connects 20 regional trails to create a continuous statewide signed route.

For its part, the NYSDOT improved 170 miles of on-road bicycle route sections to enhance safety and travel on low-speed rural roadways and city streets when possible. The agency also helped install 45 gateways and trailheads along the route to welcome visitors and branded the trail with signage, interpretive panels, bike racks, and benches.

“Nearly four years ago, we announced plans to build the Empire State Trail and I am excited to announce it’s been completed on time,” explained New York Governor Andrews Cuomo (D) in a statement – adding that the trail should attract 8.6 million residents and tourists annually.

Photo courtesy of the New York State Department of Transportation

“There’s no trail like it in the nation,” he said. “Not only does it provide an opportunity to experience the natural beauty and history of New York, but it also gives New Yorkers from every corner of the state a safe outlet for recreation as we continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic.”

NYSDOT Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez noted that 58 distinct projects created more than 180 miles of new off-road trail and linked 400 miles of previously disconnected, off-road trails to eliminate gaps and ease engineering challenges such as railroad and water crossings in high traffic areas. “Completion of the 750-mile Empire State Trail is a truly historic achievement for New York State that demonstrates the intricate connection between investments in transportation infrastructure and the vitality of our communities,” she said. “This breathtaking trail will allow countless generations of New Yorkers and visitors to explore the world-renowned natural wonders and beauty of the Empire State and provide unparalleled recreational access to users of all ages and abilities – all while promoting environmental responsibility, tourism, and economic development.”

ETAP Podcast: Spotlighting TRB’s 100th Annual Meeting

This episode of the Environmental Technical Assistance Program or ETAP Podcast shines a light on the Transportation Research Board’s 100^th annual meeting and the changes going on behind-the-scenes at TRB to prepare for the mobility challenges of the future.

Featuring Martin Palmer – engineering services manager for the Washington State Department of Transportation and co-chair of TRB’s Standing Committee on Environmental Analysis and Ecology – the podcast also discusses the all-virtual format for the organization’s 100^th meeting; a format required due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“It took six months for TRB to revamp its entire annual meeting program, to get the recordings and virtual platforms established,” he said. “While the virtual meeting will be different in the sense that while there will be fewer sessions, there is the potential for more participants. And no one has to worry about being turned away from a virtual session because there is always a seat available.”

Palmer also talks about how TRB has restructured its committee groups to meet new transportation challenges. “TRB has merged several committees – such as operations with safety – and formed several new groups, such as sustainability and resilience, transportation and society, and a committee devoted to the impact of extreme weather.”

One of the biggest topics up for discussion at TRB’s 100^th annual meeting is how transportation could be affected during the transition to the Harris-Biden administration.

“As we transition to another administration, we expect policy changes,” Palmer noted. “Under the previous administration, we experienced a ‘re-visioning’ on how we looked at the Endangered Species Act, for example. So we expect some of those things to change, though it will take time to put such changes in place and move forward with them.”

To listen to this ETAP Podcast, click here.

Hawaii DOT Launches Storm Water Online Learning Series for Kids

Protecting the ocean, rivers, and streams from pollution is the focus of a new online learning series for kids launched by the Hawaii Department of Transportation’s Storm Water Management Program.

[Photo courtesy of Hawaii Department of Transportation.]

The Hawaii Storm Patrol Online Learning Series teaches children – known as “keiki” in Hawaiian – about storm drain systems, how they carry rainwater off roadways to prevent flooding, and why preventing litter, debris, chemicals, and other pollutants from entering storm drains helps preserve the environment.

The free series is available at stormwaterhawaii.com and can be viewed on a desktop, laptop, or mobile device.

The agency noted that this video series is comprised of four animated videos that explain the water cycle, how Hawaii’s storm drains work, different types of pollution, and the impact of storm water on our ocean and near shore waters. Characters from the popular Hawaii Storm Patrol: New Recruits booklet star in the series and offer tips to protect the environment.

Each video is followed by a short quiz to help young viewers retain information and students who complete the online learning series become an official recruit of the Hawaii Storm Patrol and can download a specially designed Zoom background to use for their virtual classes.

An instructor’s guide is included to help parents and teachers utilize the online learning series in a remote learning or classroom setting. “Our in-person, in-classroom storm water presentations were well received by students and teachers. Keiki now understand the importance of protecting the environment and are eager to learn how they can help,” explained Jade Butay, Hawaii DOT’s director, in a statement. “We wanted to build on the success of our in-classroom program and creating a remote learning version enables us to reach more students and expand the awareness of storm water pollution prevention.”