environmental management systems and adaptive management in transportation lessons from state...

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND ADAPTIVE

MANAGEMENT IN TRANSPORTATION

Lessons from State Highway 130 in Central Texas

Presented by:

Jason BuntzEnvironmental Compliance Program ManagerHicks & CompanySH 130 Environmental Compliance ManagerLone Star Infrastructure

EMS and Adaptive Management in Transportation

State Highway 130 at Interstatate 35 North of Austin – August 2005


State Highway 130 Crossing the Colorado River – August 2006


Introduction Nationwide efforts being made to improve

transportation delivery and environmental quality CEQ recommendations for improving NEPA FHWA/AASHTO efforts to incorporate EMS at State DOT level EPA Green Highways Partnership AGC and EPA teaming in Sector Strategies Program

State Highway 130 in Central Texas as an example of innovation TxDOT Exclusive Development Agreement First of its kind EMS Integration of Adaptive Management


Introduction Opportunities for future transportation

projects Lessons learned EMS and Adaptive Management to streamline and

energize NEPA Green Highways as an avenue to do things “better than

before” Sector Strategies and AGC mobilizing large and small

contractors


Nationwide EffortsCEQ White House Council on Environmental

Quality (CEQ) review of NEPA 1997 NEPA Effectiveness study

Recommends using an Adaptive Management approach to NEPA to streamline and manage uncertainty

Describes NEPA as a one-time event (old paradigm predict-mitigate-implement)

Introduces new paradigm: predict-mitigate-implement-monitor-adapt


Nationwide EffortsCEQ

2002 NEPA Task Force 2003 Modernizing NEPA report Adds concept of EMS; Addresses concerns about

creating open-ended NEPA

2006 Guide on aligning NEPA, EMS and Adaptive Management

2006 Handbook on relationship of NEPA, EMS and Adaptive Management – SH 130 as a Case Study


Nationwide EffortsFHWA/AASHTO FHWA/AASHTO effort to incorporate EMS at

State DOT level 2000 Executive Order 13148 requires all

Federal Agencies to implement EMS by 12/31/05

2003 FHWA/AASHTO workshop and EMS Implementation Guide

Includes TxDOT EMS as case study Recommends Plan-Do-Check-Act model (ISO 14001) “Process Roadmap” and templates


Nationwide EffortsFHWA/AASHTO

2006 AASHTO EMS Implementation Update

Many states see duplicity between ISO 14001 and ISO 9000 Total Quality Management

Some see costs outweighing benefits


Nationwide EffortsGreen Highways Partnership Green Highways Partnership

Grew from FHWA’s Environmental Streamlining and Stewardship initiative

“Vital Few” goals from FHWA 2003 Performance Plan Spurred by 2002 Executive Order 13274 promoting

NEPA streamlining and environmental stewardship Improve transportation decision making through early

coordination Reduce EIS approval times from 54 mos. to 36 mos. Increase ecosystem conservation through Exemplary

Projects (e.g., Environmental GIS databases)


Nationwide EffortsGreen Highways Partnership

EPA Region III Mid-Atlantic builds on FHWA momentum toward “greening” US highways

June 2005 Executive Planning Charrette in Philadelphia defines the vision

November 2005 first Green Highways Forum Green Hwys Partnership establishes three main

themes Watershed driven storm water management;

innovative BMPs Reuse and recycling; slag cement, recycled asphalt Conservation and ecosystem management; GIS

mapping and state of the art methods


Nationwide EffortsGreen Highways Partnership

What makes a Green Highway?

Built with materials providing enhanced watershed based storm water management

Built with recycled materials

Built with State of the art methods to protect critical habitat and ecosystems


Nationwide EffortsSector Strategies Program EPA and AGC partner in the Sector

Strategies Program for Construction May 2003 EPA announced new program in the

Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation to improve environmental performance sector wide

Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) as representative for Construction


Nationwide EffortsSector Strategies Program

Program focuses on three main objectives Addressing regulatory barriers to improved

environmental performance Helping to expand the use of EMS Measuring environmental performance

AGC and EPA task force develop EMS guide for construction industry – based on the EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track


Texas Highway 130 – Improving Environmental Performance with On-time Delivery 90 mile tolled reliever

for IH 35 in Central Texas

Design/Build Exclusive Development Agreement

Fast-track development—1st 49 miles due to open <6 years from NTP-1

Includes liquidated damages for missing delivery dates

I-35I-35


Texas Highway 130Design-Build Model Design-Build vs Design-Bid-Build Fluctuating development process Cross-fertilization


Texas Highway 130Environmental Requirements EDA Exhibit B, Section 4 Environmental

Requirements Independent Environmental Compliance

Manager dedicated full time Team of biologists, archeologists, hazardous

materials specialists, water quality specialists Independent Environmental Compliance Inspectors

“Zero Environmental Violations” policy Comprehensive Environmental Protection

Program Monitoring and reporting Training for all Developer employees Permit deliverables and mitigation


Texas Highway 130EMS vs. EDA


Texas Highway 130 EMS Options Available EMS Models

ISO 14001 EPA Performance Track TCEQ EMS Program American Chemistry Council

LSI Certified under TCEQ Program

Regulatory Incentives Performance based vs.

conformance based


Texas Highway 130 EMS Basics E = Environment

Underlying mission: protect the environment

M = ManagementParallel mission: maintain compliance(Human dimension – success depends on performance of people)

S = Systems approachData management, adaptive feed back, continuous improvement Goal: Change the culture of

the organization


Texas Highway 130The Basic EMS Model

Monitoring

System Audits

Records

Corrective Action

Policy

Planning

Implementation & Operation

Communication & Reporting

Plan Approval / Updates

Objectives & Targets

Aspects / Impacts

Legal Requirements

Training

Document Control

Operational Control

Emergency Preparedness &

Response

Monitoring & Corrective Action

Management Review/ Continual Improvement

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Programs


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements

Policy Planning Implementation and

Operations Training Document Control Operations Emergency Preparedness

& Response Monitoring and Correction

Action Continual Improvement


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements Policy

Stated Generally in EDA: “zero violations”

Expanded as LSI Official EMS Policy

Added Element of Pollution Prevention

Management Commitment

Continual Improvement


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements Planning

Required by EDA Construction Monitoring

Plan Hazardous Materials

Management Plan Project Mitigation Plan

Environmental QC of Design

Design-build as perpetual motion machine

EPIC 1

SH 130 EDA CONSTRUCTION MONITORING PLAN

ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE COMPONENT

Submitted to: Texas Turnpike Authority

Division of Texas Department of Transportation

Submitted by: Lone Star Infrastructure:

Hicks & Company Raba-Kistner

October 2003


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements Training

Level 1—Everyone Level 2—Foremen,

Supervisors, Inspectors Toolbox—Response to

Current Issues Spill response Work in Creeks Erosion Controls Habitat Protection

Awards Incentive Program


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements Monitoring and Corrective

Action ECI Functions—More than

Inspectors: Consultants and Auditors

Monitoring Reports Daily Logs Incident Reports (MISR) Weekly Reporting—

Unresolved Issues

Relationship with Area Construction Inspectors (ACIs)


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements

Implementation and Operations

Emergency Preparedness and Response

HMMP Includes Contact Tree Reporting Guide


Texas Highway 130EMS Elements Continual Improvement—

A Philosophy and Operating Protocol—Don’t Always Expect to Get it Right the First Time

Management Support Encourage Train Follow-up

Annual Audits Internal TCEQ via EMS

Certification Community Outreach


LSI and Clean Texas Texas EMS

Voluntary Incentives to go beyond

compliance and improve performance

Platinum Level – link to EPA National Environmental Performance Track

LSI enters at the Partner level in 2004 Paper-recycling program Community outreach Land/wildlife habitat

conservation


LSI and Clean TexasEMS Audit Initial EMS audit June 2005

Moderate non-conformance in 2 key areas Performance measurement Objectives and targets

Considerable room for improvement


LSI and Clean TexasPerformance Measurement LSI Environmental Performance

Measurement Program Uses long-standing safety initiative of self-

assessment Tailored to construction disciplines Foremen perform self-assessments weekly

Scores tabulated and presented to Sr. Mngt. To show trends by discipline and by geographic area

Individual assessments addressed directly with construction manager


LSI and Clean TexasMeaningful Objectives Updated Aspects & Impacts analysis

New significant aspects determined New Objectives and Targets

Increase recycled content 50% by 2006 Lower diesel emissions 5% by 2006 Reduce reportable spills 50% by 2006 Increase land/wildlife habitat conserved 50% by 2006 Reduce generation of vegetative debris 50% by 2006

Follow up audit Oct 2006 to confirm improvements Noted conformance in all areas Recommended approval for LSI at the Gold Level Approval granted Feb 07


Other EMS ElementsStandard Operating Processes

Implementation and Operations Operational Control

Independent Role of ECM Standard Operating Process (SOPs)—Formal Protocol for

Required Method of Operation Examples:

Dewatering Migratory Bird Protection SWP3 Issue Escalation Demolition Activities

MISRs—Monitoring Incident Status Reports Importance of Buy-in


Other EMS ElementsEnvironmental GIS Database Environmental GIS

Spatial database Inventory of sensitive

areas Track new/changed

compliance issues Adaptive management

program documentation Audit tool—EMS

requirement


Other EMS ElementsEnvironmental, Permits, Issues and Commitments Environmental Permits,

Issues & Commitments The NEPA Document EPIC Drivers

NEPA Regulatory programs (e.g.,

404/401 Permit) Exclusive Development

Agreement Developer Commitments

EPIC in Design-Build

Design Build

EPIC 1 EPIC 2


Other EMS ElementsEnvironmental, Permits, Issues and Commitments EPIC 2—Example


The Adaptive EMSContinual Improvement

Continual Improvement & “the Learning Organization” Design-Build: Expect the

Unexpected Reconciling Flexibility with

Consistency Back to Basics: Compliance—

Resource Protection— Move Project Forward


The Adaptive EMS—What Is It? Puts Entire Organization on a Learning Curve Provides Opportunities for Environmental

Enhancement—Stewardship Moves Project Forward—Streamlining


The Adaptive EMS—Learning Curve The “R” Word—Research:

Not Just Responding, But Applied Learning Develop Research

Protocols in Test Cases Premium on Qualified,

Multi-disciplined Staff Collect Data and Make

Analytical Judgments Systematically Document

Findings and Develop Recommendations

Disseminate Results and Integrate into Programs


Temporary Stream Crossing of Berry Creek North of Austin


Temporary Stream Crossing Following Major Storm – Gilleland Creek in Austin


Temporary Stream Crossing at Brushy Creek North of Austin


The Adaptive EMSLearning Curve Examples Stream dynamics

Migratory bird protection “Bounce”

Wildlife habitat assessment

Restoration of temporary wetland impacts

Watershed protection Alternative stabilization

methods Flood event monitoring Temporary crossing design


Ideas and Opportunities for the Future

Early introduction of EMS Move EMS ahead in development

sequence—Close the Gap

Benefits Early integration with design

Early recognition of stewardship opportunities

Design QC Hands-on role in permit

coordination, compliance strategies, streamlining opportunities

Early training Consciousness raising Guide design concepts

Improve efficiencies in preconstruction coordination

Geotech investigations Survey Utilities Right of way/right of entry

SH 130 Example

FEIS

{GAP}

EDA

EPP

EMS


Ideas & Opportunities for the FutureIntegrating EMS with NEPA EMS as a tool for gathering and

communicating lessons learned Aspects & impacts database Performance measurement and monitoring

Adaptive Management and EMS to streamline and energize NEPA AM, selectively, to provide flexibility EMS to provide infrastructure

Training Monitoring & reporting


Opportunities for the FutureEMS as Mitigation

EMS imposed as a mitigation measure in the ROD

Environmental improvement as a foremost goal Reduce risk and lessen project cost CAUTION: W/ AM, EIS Reevaluations still required Principles of environmental protection and

stewardship upheld


Opportunities for the FutureGreen Highways Principles Green Highways as an avenue to achieve

“better than before” results Starts at the outset of NEPA process

Purpose & Need statement Reasonable alternatives Mitigation commitment to EMS to monitor

implementation and adapt to change Extend and refine the NEPA snapshot of

predicted impacts


Conclusion Common themes abound

NEPA – “restoring and maintaining environmental quality”

EMS – “continual improvement” Green Hwys – “better than before” Sector Strategies – “improve performance”

All emphasize collaboration and stakeholder involvement


State Highway 130 and Interstate 35 North of Austin, Texas – August 2006


State Highway 130 at Brushy Creek North of Austin – April 2007


State Highway 130 crossing the Colorado River in Austin – April 2007


For additional Information, contact:

Jason BuntzHicks & Company 1504 West 5th StreetAustin, Texas 78703(512) 478-0858(512) 844-0977 mobile

environmental management systems and adaptive management in transportation lessons from state...

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