As part of our continuing efforts to help demystify the transportation vocabulary, in this month's ABCs of the MPO, we will shed some light on how these two terms, EIS and ROD, have some big meaning for the region.
What is an Environmental Impact Statement?
Simply put, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a document which describes the potential impacts on the natural and physical environment as a result of a proposed action. An EIS helps decision makers understand what could happen from undertaking a proposed action, and how an agency plans to mitigate the potential impacts.
Impacts can, it is important to note, be both positive and negative or even both. Mitigation is normally only undertaken for impacts deemed to be potentially negative.
An EIS is the most detailed document established under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for a transportation project to undertake in order to secure environmental clearance. An EIS includes, according to the Federal Highway Administration, consideration of a range of reasonable alternatives, analyzes the potential impacts resulting from the alternatives, and demonstrates compliance with other applicable environmental laws and executive orders. (https://www.environment.fhwa.dot.gov/projdev/docueis.asp) .
The US 281 EIS is available for viewing online at http://www.411on281.com/us281eis/index.cfm/whats-new/final-eis/
What is a Record of Decision?
The final step in the Environmental Impact Statement process is the issuing of a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD identifies the selected alternatives, presents the basis for the decision, identifies all the alternatives considered as part of the EIS process, and provides information related to the preferred alternative to avoid, minimize and address environmental impacts.
The ROD is the authorization for a project to move from an environmental study to development. In some cases, a ROD has been used to also show that no alternative is being recommended and no changes will be receiving environmental clearance to move forward.
The US 281 ROD, which has identified the preferred construction alternative, pending funding determinations, is available for viewing online at http://www.411on281.com/us281eis/index.cfm/whats-new/record-of-decision/
