John R. Kasich, Jerry Wray,
Ohio Governor ODOT Director
District 12 LPA DayNEPA Assignment Update
Jacque Annarino, NEPA Assignment Coordinator
Mark Carpenter, District Twelve Environmental Coordinator
What is NEPA Assignment?
• Effective December 28, 2015
• No coordination with FHWA on environmental projects/actions, except for:• Tribal Coordination• Projects over state lines• Program Issues• Training• Audit/Performance
Measurements
2
Under the NEPA Assignment
program, ODOT assumes all of
FHWA's responsibilities for
environmental review, interagency
consultation, and other
environmental related actions in
Ohio.
• Major updates to EnviroNET(formerly Online CE System)
• EnviroNET is the documentation management tool for all NEPA actions so…
If it’s not in EnviroNET = IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!
3
NEPA Assignment - Changes
• Faster Project
Delivery!
• Expect $23
million savings
each year!
• FHWA
responsible for
an annual Audit
on ODOT’s
performance
• 30 different processes for which guidance was developed from scratch or existing guidance updated!
• 16 more actively under development
See “Resources” section of NEPA Assignment web page
(link from OES home page)
4
NEPA Assignment - Changes
NEPA Assignment Guidance
• NEPA Assignment File Management and Documentation Guidance
• Naming conventions
• How and where to upload documents to EnviroNET
• NEPA Assignment Language Guidance
• Disclosure statement required to appear in certain documents
“The environmental review, consultation, and other actions required by applicable Federal environmental laws for this project are being, or have been, carried-out by ODOT pursuant to 23 U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated December 11, 2015, and executed by FHWA and ODOT.”
NEPA Assignment Guidance
• NEPA Assignment Public Involvement Requirements• NEPA Assignment Language Disclosure
Statement required on all PI Materials• Brochures and posters must be made available at public
meetings
• Documentation must show
• PI was conducted appropriately and met minimum requirements
• Comments addressed in timely manner and/or incorporated into project
6
NEPA Assignment Expectations for LPAs
• LPA documentation must:• Be equal to ODOT’s
• Be sound, complete, and decisions legally defensible
• Support conclusions and demonstrate decision-making process
• Show that Public Involvement activities were conducted appropriately and public comments addressed and/or incorporated into project
NEPA Assignment Expectations for LPAs
• STRONGLY encourage LPAs to take any and all OES Training
• Follow ODOT’s Project Development Process (PDP)• Build in time for environmental process in project
scope
• Follow ODOT’s Manuals
• Follow NEPA Assignment Guidance
• Select pre-qualified consultants• Be sure they’re qualified for the category of work
to be performed
8
Environmental Prequalification Categories
• Environmental Document Preparation EA/EIS
• Environmental Document Preparation CE
• Environmental Document Preparation Section 4(f)
• Ecological Surveys, Stream & Wetland Mitigation, and Waterway Permits – General
• Ecological Surveys – Aquatic Ecology
• Ecological Surveys – Terrestrial Ecology
• Ecological Surveys – Wetland Delineation
• Stream and Wetland Mitigation
Environmental Prequalification Categories
• Waterway Permits
• Air Quality Analyses
• Noise Analysis and Abatement Design
• Cultural Resource Investigations – General
• Archaeological Investigations
• History/Architectural Investigations
• Environmental Site Assessment – General
• ESA Screening, Phase I ESA and Phase II ESA
• ESA Remedial Design
Environmental Prequalification
List of Prequalified Environmental Firms on the Office of Consultant Services’ Web Site:
http://www.dot.state.oh.us/Divisions/Engineering/Consultant/Consultant/prequal-environ.pdf
EnviroNet
Access to EnviroNet: http://ceform.dot.state.oh.us/
• Register through MyODOT
• Attend Categorical Exclusion (CE) Training
NEPA Assignment
Questions?
13
EnviroNet
Register for Access to EnviroNet through My ODOT:
https://myodot.dot.state.oh.us/ssl/Main.aspx
Local officials do not need to be pre-qualified to get
access to EnviroNet.
Local Project Manager should have access to monitor
and review the work of their Consultant and to see
environmental commitments and requirements.
All environmental documentation must be submitted
through EnviroNet.
EnviroNet
Select “I need to request a Basic. ”
EnviroNet Registration
Select “ODOT EnviroNet”
EnviroNet Registration
Complete entire form.
EnviroNet
You will receive an e-mail from ODOT with your own
personal ID and Temporary Password.
You will need to activate your account within 3
days of receiving the e-mail or the temporary
password will expire.
Each person on your staff that you want to have access
will need to register separately.
LPA does not get one access for the whole office.
EnviroNet
LPAs and Consultants will need to request access
from District Environmental Coordinator for each
project.
Send an e-mail to: [email protected]
Or call: (216) 584-2089
Now that you have access to your projects you can:
Upload Documents
Review Consultants/Staff work
Provide comments
Check out/Check in documents
Monitor environmental progress
EnviroNet – Uploading Documents to Project File
• Upload documents into the Project File Tab.
• Use Dropdown Sub-Type Naming Titles if possible.
• If there is no appropriate Sub Type Title then give it
a name.
• Whenever possible upload documents in Word
format (.docx).
• Document Status – typically upload as Document
Status – Draft
EnviroNet – Uploading Documents to Project File
Send Notification: Notifies anyone that you chose that
has a registered account to EnviroNet. It can’t hurt to
notify DEC whenever you upload something.
External User = Non-ODOT
Not for Public Use – Only check this box if the
document has information that can not be published
for the public to see. i.e. Archeological sites.
Part of CE: Refer to ODOT NEPA Management
Documentation Guidance.
Environmental Documents
Can LPAs prepare environmental reports without
being pre-qualified?
YES. There are some lower level technical reports that LPA staff
can prepare without being pre-qualified.
Section 106 Request for Review
Project description
Photographs
Project mapping
Historical mapping
Identification of known historic sites in the project vicinity.
If, further investigation in the form of a Phase I Cultural
Resources Report is required, then a pre-qualified consultant will
need to hired.
Environmental Documentation
Public Involvement
Send out notification letters
Hold public meeting/council meeting
Record PI questions from e-mails, phone calls, etc.
Prepare PI Summary.
Post Information to LPA website, local access cable.
Environmental Documentation
Special Case – Asbestos Inspection Survey
OEPA Notification Form must be completed by an Ohio Asbestos
Hazard Evaluation Specialist certified by Ohio EPA. If you have one
staff, they can perform Asbestos Surveys for any building or bridge
demolitions. That person does not have to be ODOT Pre-qualified.
EnviroNet
Check-in /Check-out
Comments in CE tabs
NEPA Assignment Contacts
District 12
Mark Carpenter, District Environmental Coordinator
(216) 584-2089
Office of Environmental Services
Jacque Annarino, NEPA Assignment Coordinator
(614) 466-1484
ODOT NEPA Assignment Web Site:
www.dot.state.oh.us/NEPA-Assignment