Environmental compliance responsibilities vary depending on the scope of the project and on the potential social, economic and environmental impacts.

If the local government is going to manage the environmental phase of a transportation project, it is recommended that the local government coordinates early with the TxDOT district environmental coordinator (due to the complexity of environmental regulations and the breadth of potential requirements that may apply to any individual local government project).

The local government and TxDOT will work collaboratively to develop a project scope that represents a mutual understanding of:

• Applicable requirements
• Expectations for completed environmental work
• Plan and schedule for addressing environmental requirements

Environmental Concerns

Environmental concerns should be identified early in the project so that any mitigation may be addressed and accurately reflected in the design documents using the appropriate Environmental Permits, Issues, and Commitments (EPIC) form. These may include:

• Sole source aquifer coordination
• Wetland permits
• Storm water permits
• Traffic noise abatement
• Threatened or endangered species coordination
• Archaeological permits
• Any mitigation or other environmental commitments

Public works projects are subject to state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and guidance. Environmental compliance for projects with federal funding occurs under the umbrella of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). Environmental compliance under state jurisdiction in Texas follows a process similar to NEPA requirements and procedures.