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What does an Environmental Professional Do?

What does an Environmental Professional Do? . A scientist at RTP working on air quality research for the EPA An engineer working for the Town of Cary designing a new sewage treatment plant Scientists and technicians cleaning up a hazardous waste site

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What does an Environmental Professional Do?

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  1. What does an Environmental Professional Do? • A scientist at RTP working on air quality research for the EPA • An engineer working for the Town of Cary designing a new sewage treatment plant • Scientists and technicians cleaning up a hazardous waste site • Planners preparing an environmental document for a new highway

  2. The National Environmental Policy Act • Legislation signed into law in 1970 • Federal agencies mandated to consider the environmental implications of their actions • Determine significance of environmental impacts • 3 types of NEPA documents…

  3. NEPA Documents • Categorical Exclusion (CE) • Environmental Assessment (EA) • Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

  4. NEPA Decision-Making Flow Chart (source: FHWA)

  5. NEPA “Umbrella” • NEPA includes: • The Clean Air Act • The Clean Water Act • The Endangered Species Act • The National Historic Preservation Act • Section 4(f) of the DOT Act • CERCLA, RCRA, SARA • And more…

  6. Environmental Planning The North Shore Road Environmental Impact Statement Swain County, North Carolina

  7. The North Shore Road Project • Articles: Read the articles provided. Take 15 minutes and skim for important information on the project/issues. Consider: • Who is involved, what are their concerns • History of the project, project setting and context

  8. Environmentalists Gateway community Swain County Interested US Citizens The TVA The state of NC The GSMNP Residents of the North Shore (before the park was formed) Who are the participants?

  9. What are their perspectives? • Environmentalists: Don’t build the road. No development of GSMNP • Gateway community: Build the road. • Swain County: Split- both build and no-build. Majority of county commission want $ for economic development over a road. • TVA: Legally bound to the MOA, but transferred the land to GSMNP.

  10. What are their perspectives? • The State of NC: Party to the MOA. Given $400,000 from the federal government to pay off the bonds for NC 288. • GSMNP: Charged with protecting the park, party to the MOA, North Shore of Fontana Lake is within the park boundary, lead agency in the NEPA process. • Residents of the North Shore: Want a road back for access to cemeteries, old home sites, their heritage…

  11. The Planning Process • Public Involvement • Interagency Coordination • Documentation: Existing Conditions Report, Preliminary Alternatives Report, Draft EIS, Final EIS, Record of Decision

  12. The Planning Process • Step 1: Purpose and Need & Goals and Objectives • Step 2: Initial Data Gathering • Step 3: Alternatives Development • Step 4: Impact Analysis • Step 5: Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) • Step 6: Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) • Step 7: Record of Decision • Step 8: Implementation of Project Decisions

  13. Public Involvement • Act in accord with basic democratic principles • Continuous contact between agency and non-agency people • Use of a variety of techniques to target the project population • Agencies actively solicit the public for information, concerns, etc. • Focus on making decisions, rather than simply “informing” the public

  14. North Shore Road EIS Alternatives • No-Action • Monetary Settlement • Laurel Branch Picnic Area • Partial-Build Alternative to Bushnell (Option 1) • Northern Shore Corridor (Option 1, 2, 3)

  15. NEPA Alternatives

  16. What will happen? • A Preferred Alternative will be chosen in the Final EIS • Impacts from the Preferred Alternative will be considered in depth in the Final EIS • The lead agency will choose the alternative for implementation in the Record of Decision

  17. Discussion Questions • Do you think any of these alternatives would satisfy all those involved? • Do you think 35+ miles of road should be constructed to satisfy the MOA? • Do you think the families who used to live on the North Shore of Fontana Lake should be compensated for their loss of access? • What will happen if a ROD is issued that does not satisfy everyone?

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