T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program - FEIS Chapters - PVD

T.F. Green Airport Improvement ProgramEnvironmental Impact Statement and Final Section 4(f) Evaluationof energy are more flexible and shipments vary based on demand. Shipment of these energy sources isanticipated to be able to absorb these incremental increases.5.19.7 Comparison of Alternatives B2 and B4Table 5-130 compares the energy use for Alternatives B2 and B4. For Alternatives B2 and B4, there will be nosignificant impacts resulting from construction operations or maintenance which would cause demands toexceed available or future natural resource or energy supplies. Adequate energy supplies are available tosupport the T.F. Green Airport Improvement Program.5.19.8 Avoidance and MinimizationIt is not possible to avoid using energy and natural resources as part of Alternatives B2 and B4. However,neither Alternative B2 nor B4 would lead to an adverse impact on energy supplies or natural resources. Anynew facilities would be required to have LEED Silver certification as mandated by the State of Rhode Island forall new construction and renovation of public buildings. LEED is an internationally recognized green buildingrating and certification system, and the most common nationally accepted benchmark for the design,construction, and operation of high-performance buildings. This system provides third-party verification that abuilding or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across thefollowing metrics: energy savings, water efficiency, CO 2emissions reduction, improved indoor environmentalquality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED Silver is the second highest greenbuilding certification level in the rating system. Green buildings have been shown to reduce energy use byabout 24-50 percent, reduce CO 2emissions by about 33-39 percent, reduce water use up to 40 percent, andreduce solid waste generation up to 70 percent when compared to less efficient traditional building designs. Useof the LEED green building rating system at the Silver level will be an effective minimization strategy forreducing the energy and natural resource impacts of new construction of the T.F. Green Airport ImprovementProgram.5.20 Environmental Consequences SummaryCEQ regulations 468 state that an EIS must “…present the environmental impacts of the proposal and thealternatives in comparative form, thus sharply defining the issues and providing a clear basis for choice amongoptions by the decision maker and the public.” Table 5-131 compares the significant environmental impacts ofAlternatives B2 and B4, in accordance with NEPA and based on FAA guidance for significant adverse effectsprovided in FAA Order 1050.1E. Table 5-132 compares the impacts to other environmental resources evaluatedin the impact analyses. The analysis shows that it is possible to mitigate for significant impacts as well as tomitigate for other impacts for regulatory compliance as described in Chapter 6, Mitigation.The FAA has identified Alternative B4 as the Preferred Alternative based on the impacts described in thischapter. No final FAA decision on the Preferred Alternative and associated mitigation has been or will be madeuntil the issuance of the agency’s Record of Decision (ROD).468 40 CFR section 1502.14Chapter 5 - Environmental Consequences 5-281 July 2011\\mawatr\ev\09228.00\reports\FEIS_Final_July_2011\PVD_CH05_Environmental_Cons_JUL_2011.doc