5.4 Environmental Review and Documentation
Environmental impacts are considered throughout the planning, programming, preliminary engineering, final design, and construction processes; however, the majority of environmental review and documentation occurs during preliminary engineering and is dependent on the rigor of the project.
This section describes the different types of environmental review and documentation based on the project’s potential social, economic, and environmental impacts.
5.4.1 Stage Gate Checklists
Stage Gate checklists are used as awareness and communication tools to facilitate the development of projects. These checklists help facilitate communication between project development, construction and environmental staff. Each stage of project development requires the completion of the applicable checklist prior to the project advancing to the next phase of development (i.e., preliminary engineering to final design, final design to construction, and construction to project closeout). The following forms should be completed by the appropriate staff as designated by the District and submits the forms as a final deliverable for each stage.
- Form 2442 – Advance Planning and Development (APD) Stage Gate Checklist: intended to be an awareness and communication tool. It should help facilitate communication between personnel developing projects during the APD process (including producing of schematic) and environmental personnel, thereby addressing what is required in the environmental document and/or permits as early as possible in project development.
- Form 2443 – Plans, Specifications, Estimates (PSE) Stage Gate Checklist: intended to be an awareness and communication tool. It should help facilitate communication between personnel developing projects during the PSE process with APD and environmental personnel, thereby addressing what is required in the environmental document and/or permits as early as possible in the design process. It should also help to ensure environmental document and/or permits are updated/obtained by identifying issues during project development and then proper direction be given to the contractor in the PS&E package to ensure environmental requirements and commitments are met.
- Form 2448 – Construction Stage Gate Checklist (CSGC): intended to be a construction project inspection and communication tool. It should be completed with both designated TxDOT and contractor personnel present to help facilitate communication between project personnel. The CSGC helps ensure that TxDOT and the contractor meet their commitment to environmental compliance by providing a comprehensive overview of all environmental requirements and identifying areas where improvements, additional attention and/or actions are needed.
5.4.2 Environmental Documentation Types
All federal actions and state transportation projects require documentation that details TxDOT's review of potential environmental impacts. The three classes of actions that prescribe the level of documentation required in the environmental process are described below:
- Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS is prepared for a project that has significant social, economic, or environmental impacts. An EIS is very prescriptive in process and requires extensive stakeholder and public feedback. An EIS often takes the longest amount of time to complete of the three documentation types.
- Environmental Assessment (EA). An EA is necessary for a project that has not clearly established the significance of potential impacts. Occasionally, an EA is initiated for a project that results in a finding of significant social, economic, and environmental impacts, which then requires preparing an EIS. When a project has a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), the EA is useful to share those findings with stakeholders and the public. An EA is often completed in a shorter timeframe than an EIS; however, longer than a Categorical Exclusion since it summarizes the technical reports that came to the determination of a FONSI.
- Categorical Exclusion (CE). A CE determination is required for projects which do not individually or cumulatively have significant environmental effects and are excluded from the requirement to prepare an EIS. A CE determination typically is the shortest of the three documentation types since only technical reports supporting that determination are needed.
Detailed information on type of environmental studies and documentation are included in TxDOT’s
Environmental Guide – Volume 1 Process
document.5.4.3 Environmental Reevaluations
The sole purpose of an environmental reevaluation is to determine whether the original environmental decision remains valid. Typically, a reevaluation is required in the following situations:
- Change in project design such as a change in project limits, ROW requirements, project features, layout or other aspects of the design that was the basis for the environmental clearance;
- Substantial change in affected environment prior to start of construction;
- Three-year delay between environmental clearance and start of construction;
- Three-year suspension in all construction activities on the project;
- Omission of or new information;
- Three-year delay between the Draft EIS (DEIS) and Final EIS/Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD);
- No major steps to advance the project for three years after the FEIS/ROD (or FEIS supplement); or
- Three-year delay between major steps to advance the project after the FEIS/ROD.
The purpose and need statement for a project may not be changed for a reevaluation. Change to the purpose and need for a project will initiate a new project.
Project reevaluations are not needed if there is no project design or scope change, nor any change in affected environment between environmental decision and project construction withing the timeframes listed above.
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