NTRAC Final Study - Nebraska Department of Roads - State of ...

CHAPTER 7 – ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL IMPACTS
The commuter rail alternative would generate jobs related to improvements in the track,
construction of stations and a maintenance facility, and ongoing operations.
The express bus alternatives would generate jobs related to construction of new park-and-ride in
facilities in Blair and Fremont and ongoing operations.
SUMMARY
This analysis has not identified a fatal flaw pertaining to the development of the commuter rail
and express bus alternatives. That noted, some form of environmental documentation will be
required prior to the selection and implementation of the alternatives. The extent to which
environmental documentation is performed is dependent on the anticipated impacts.
There are three levels of environmental documentation: Categorical Exclusion, Environmental
Assessment, and Environmental Impact Statement.
A Categorical Exclusion (CE) is appropriate if the proposed actions are not anticipated to
individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. Specific items
that are eligible for categorical exclusion are listed under 23 CFR 771.117. It should be noted
that CE documentation satisfy NEPA requirements only and does not provide exemptions and
exclusions from the requirements of other environmental laws such as historical and cultural
resources, wetlands impacts, channel impacts, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, endangered
species, etc. Separate documentation may be required from the governing agencies to document
absence of impacts.
Preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) is needed for an action where the significance
of the social, economic and environmental impact is not clearly established. The EA analyzes
the impact of the alternatives on various social, environmental and economic factors within the
study area. If the conclusions of the EA identify significant impacts to the environment, then
preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement would be necessary.
An Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a document that evaluates the significance of the
impacts of the alternatives upon environmental, social and economic factors and includes
proposed mitigation to avoid, minimize or compensate for project impacts to the extent possible.
The EIS contains in-depth studies of the areas where impacts are anticipated and ranks the
alternatives according to the environmental impacts and benefits.
Given the potentiality of various kinds of impacts identified in this analysis, the commuter rail
and express bus alternatives would most likely require an Environmental Assessment. (Rail right
of way improvements may be exempt from environmental review, but new station development
outside the existing right of way would not be.) Many of the activities proposed under the
alternatives are described in the 23 CFR 771.117(c) and (d) lists of projects already approved for
CE status. Consultation with the governing agencies would be conducted to determine which
level of documentation would be most appropriate.
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NEBRASKA TRANSIT CORRIDORS STUDY
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WILBUR SMITH ASSOCIATES