NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 73
FY 2011
Research for the AASHTO
Standing Committee on the Environment
Improved Environmental Performance of Highway
Maintenance
Final Report
APPENDICIES
Prepared for
AASHTO Standing Committee on the Environment
Prepared by
Gary R. McVoy, Ph.D., Principal Investigator
Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc., Marie Venner and Mark Sengenberger
Washington DC, New York, and Denver
October 2012
The information contained in this report was prepared as part of NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 73, National
Cooperative Highway Research Program.
SPECIAL NOTE: This report IS NOT an official publication of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program,
A1-1
Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, or The National Academies.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DISCUSSION:
3
TABLE 1: RANGE OF MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES...................................................................................... 4
TABLE 2: TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE ........................................................................................................... 5
OBSERVATION: ................................................................................................................................ 6
TABLE 1 – TYPICAL MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
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TABLE 2– TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE LINKAGES
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TABLE 3 - MAINTENANCE TRAINING BY STATE
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TABLE 4 - MEASURING COMPLIANCE, STEWARDSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND
METRICS
A1-34
TABLE 5 - STEWARDSHIP AND SUSTAINABILITY - POLICIES AND PRACTICES A1-44
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NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 73
FY 2011
Research for the AASHTO
Standing Committee on the Environment
Improved Environmental Performance of Highway
Maintenance
Appendix A – Tables
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DISCUSSION:
Table A-1: Range of Maintenance Activities
The range of activity categories typically performed by a state DOT maintenance and operations
organization at the highest level have been identified and keyed to the AASHTO Maintenance
Manual for Roadways & Bridges, 4th ed. The relationship and importance of these activities to
the particulars of environmental stewardship and sustainability are presented in the matrix of
activities, Table 1, Typical Maintenance Activities.
To facilitate the linkage between the listed Maintenance Manual activities and existing “best
practice” methods, Table 1 goes on to reference these activities to the AASHTO Compendium of
Best Stewardship Practices, Procedures and Policies for Highway Construction and Maintenance
(AASHTO Compendium). With this as a base structure, the matrix is “built out” as information
is derived from the survey results presented in Appendix 2. Further context for the Table A-1
maintenance activities, within the precepts of the Triple Bottom Line, is presented in Table A-2
below.
Specific Details Presented in Table A-1, Typical Maintenance Activities are:
Column 1 (Activity), lists typical maintenance and operations activities.
Column 2 (Examples of Selected Best Management Practices), offers a selected sampling of
Best Management Practices (BMPs) that are often associated with Column 1 activities.
Column 3 (Examples of Some Potential Environmental Offsets), lists a sampling of potential
environmental impacts and benefits of Column 1 activities.
Column 4 (Examples of Probable Environmental, Social, and Economic Benefits ), lists examples of
probable benefits by implementing the selected BMPS.
Column 5 (AASHTO Maintenance Manual for Roadways and Bridges (Links)) provide links to
the AASHTO Maintenance Manual for Roadways & Bridges, 4th ed. for ease of reference
among DOT practitioners and subsequent development and sharing of guidance material.
Column 6 (AASHTO Compendium (Links), provide links to the AASHTO Compendium of
Environmental Stewardship Practices, Procedures, and Policies for Highway Construction
and Maintenance (September 2004) for ease of reference among DOT practitioners and
subsequent development and sharing of guidance material.
During the survey each DOT, or involved unit within the DOT (e.g., bridge, highway,
environmental), was asked to review the list of activities and “check the corresponding box” if
their organization is currently conducting training, auditing or assessing activities included on
the list.
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Table A-2: Examples of Triple Bottom Line Linkages
As discussed in the Task 73 request for proposals, a new framework is needed for integrating
environmental performance and sustainability into the existing state highway maintenance
systems. The Triple Bottom Line, as depicted in Table A-2, provides a qualitative assessment of
how the activities listed in Table A-1 relate to the classic “triple bottom line” sustainability
categories: environmental, economic, and social.. The following figure presents the triple
bottom line concept as it relates to highway maintenance.
Graphic from: http://www.gcbl.org/economy
While not intended as a definitive statement on all of the impacts and benefits that might
derive from a particular activity, Table 2 graphically illustrates examples of how these activities
can generate environmental impacts/benefits and goes on to sketch out their possible
economic and social implications as well so that the “framework” for these activities within the
larger context of the Triple Bottom Line becomes clear.
Column 1 (Maintenance Activities), lists typical maintenance and operations activities.
Column 2 (Environment), includes sub columns for Air Resources, Water Resources, Noise
Effects, Waste Reduction/Recycling, Wildlife Habitat, and Energy Conservation & Efficiency.
Column 3, Social, includes the sub columns of Access, Safety, and Equity.
Column 4, Economic, includes the sub columns of Costs, Jobs, and Mobility.
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Boxes marked with a minus sign (-) in the Environmental columns indicate that these activities
correlate with potential negative environmental impacts. Note that Table 1 identifies more
specifically the types of impacts that might occur from these activities. Boxes marked with a
plus sign (+) indicate that there is an opportunity for impact minimization, mitigation, or an
opportunity for enhancement activities that in some cases could offset the potential impact(s).
Some boxes will have both minus and plus signs. Understanding the environmental aspects and
impacts of business activities is a first step in developing an environmental management system
or program.
Boxes marked with an ‘X’ in the Social and Economic columns is intended to indicate that there
is a potential major cost or benefit associated with that activity.
Observation:
Taken together, Tables A-1 & A-2 suggest:
Maintenance activities affect a full range of environmental and other sustainability concerns
The environmental benefits of preventative and preservation maintenance activities are clear.
Preservation treatments slow the rate of deterioration, maximize the use of existing materials
and infrastructure, reduce waste, and minimize footprint. Preservation treatments are costeffective and provide social benefits with quality of life improvements. There are impacts
and costs associated with those activities, however when conducted in accord with basic
mitigation, net benefits outweigh the cost, which is why they are considered best practice
Most of the activities listed can be mapped to the AASHTO Compendium, though several
have no direct linkage
Arraying the information in a comprehensive Triple Bottom Line fashion cannot only
provide linkages to AASHTO Maintenance Manual activities, it can also identify gaps, and
provide a structure for filling these gaps, as further information is developed in this and
other, projects.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
TABLE A-1 – TYPICAL MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
Energy usage in all cases
plus impacts noted
below
Traveled Way
Sweep and vacuum
roads and bridges
Remove dust and
sediments from roadways
and bridges
Air and water pollution,
waste generation
Maintain pavement
markings
Restore pavement stripes
and markings
Air pollution, waste
generation, haz mat
disposal
Improve traveler
safety
Patch deteriorated
pavements
Cold patch potholes
Waste generation
Extend the pavement
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption
Seal cracks and joints
Clean and fill cracks and
joints
Waste, noise, dust &
odor generation
Extend the pavement
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption
Reduce impacts to
water from sediment
loading; improve air
quality
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[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
2.1.2 Maintenance of
Roadway Surfaces
5.0 Pavement,
Materials, and
Recycling
10.10 Sweeping and
Vacuuming Roads,
Decks, Water quality
Facilities, and Bridge
Scuppers
5.5 Pavement Marking
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
2.1.9 Snow and Ice
Control
3.7 Designing To
Reduce Snow, Ice and
Chemical Accumulation
Resurface pavements
Mill and reuse existing
pavement
Noise and air pollution
Extend the pavement
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption
and need for new
materials
Control snow and ice
Reduce salt and sand
pollution
Air and water pollution,
plant damage, and
waste disposal
Improve traveler
safety; reduce impacts
to roadside plants and
waterbodies
Use sensor based
information systems to
improve timing of
applications
(Reduced impacts using
good planning)
Improve traveler
safety; reduce impacts
to roadside plants and
waterbodies
8.0 Winter Operations
and Salt, Sand, and
Chemical Management
Water pollution, plant
damage
Improve traveler
safety; reduce impacts
to roadside plants and
waterbodies
8.1 Selecting Snow and
Ice Control Materials to
Mitigate Environmental
Impacts
Water pollution, plant
damage
Protect private and
public water supplies;
reduce impacts to
roadside plants and
waterbodies
Select materials based on
performance, impacts,
costs and site specific
conditions
Control run-off near wells
A1-8
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
2.1.3 Shoulder
Maintenance
Shoulders/Side Road
Clean shoulders
Sweep shoulders
Dust & waste generation
Improve highway
surface runoff and
traveler safety
Repair/replace
shoulder pavements
Seal, patch, or repave as
necessary
Waste generation
Extend the pavement
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption
Reseed and mulch
grass shoulders
Re-grade and maintain
low growing grasses for
turf shoulders
10.10 Sweeping and
Vacuuming
Improve drainage and
traveler safety
2.1.5 Roadside
Maintenance
Roadsides
Restore erosion
controls
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
Install silt fence, mulch,
re-seed
Water pollution, soil
disturbance
Stabilize soils and
reduce wind erosion
and impacts to water
from sediment loading
3.9 Design For
Sustainable, Low
Maintenance Roadsides
4.12 Soil Management
in Construction
10.12 Erosion and
Sediment Control in
Maintenance
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
Maintain vegetation
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Mowing and tree
trimming
"Green" waste
generation
Improve roadside
drainage and clear
zones and traveler
sight distances
9.0 Roadside
Vegetation
Management
Reduce mowing
Excessive use of energy
and manpower
Minimize air pollution
and fuel usage
9.5 Reduced Mowing
Policies and Other
Mechanical Vegetation
Stewardship Practices
Remove invasive species
Use of herbicides with
impacts to non-target
species
Protect native and
indigenous species
Reduce maintenance
costs and energy
consumption
Plant native species
Waste generation, use
of herbicides
Improve traveler
safety
Maintain guiderail
Control plant growth
Maintain/Enhance
cultural resources
Screen for A & H sites;
install gateway signs and
historic markers
Improve sense of place
Provide/replace street
furniture
Provide for pedestrian
comfort and safety
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2.1.6 Maintenance of
Safety Features
3.3 Avoiding Impacts To
Archeological and
Historic Sites
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
Improve Public
Access
Develop/maintain
Safety Rest Areas
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
Install signs to identify
waterbodies and
watersheds
Improve awareness of
water resources
Develop/maintain
trailheads with parking
Improve public access
and safety
Provide access to boat
launches/fishing access
Improve public access
and safety
Provide accessible
pathways
Improve recreational
opportunities
Preserve existing
landscape features, use
water efficient fixtures,
use green cleaning
products
Waste generation, water
pollution
3.16 Safety Rest Areas,
Traveler Services, and
Parking Area Design
2.1.4 Roadway
Drainage Maintenance
Clean, re-shape ditches
and swales
Water pollution, soil and
habitat disturbance
Improve drainage,
extend pavement life,
protect waterbodies
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[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
2.1.8 Special Pathways
Improve traveler
safety and comfort
Drainage
Improve drainage
facilities
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
3.8 Drainage Ditches,
Berms, Dikes and
Swales
10.11 Maintenance
Stewardship Practices
For Slopes, Drainage
Ditches, Swales and
Diversions
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
Deal with beaver
dams
Flooding, loss of
embankment and
pavement integrity, and
impair traveler safety
Improve drainage,
extend pavement life,
protect waterbodies
and improve traveler
safety
Reduce erosion and
sedimentation
Install water quality inlets
Water pollution, soil and
habitat disturbance
Stabilize soils and
reduce impacts to
nearby waterbodies
and roadside habitats
Install/repair check dams
Water pollution, soil and
habitat disturbance
Stabilize soils and
reduce impacts to
nearby waterbodies
and roadside habitats
Invasive species, unless
seeding with natives
Stabilize soils and
reduce impacts to
nearby waterbodies
and roadside habitats
Water pollution, soil and
habitat disturbance
Reduce impacts to
nearby waterbodies,
recharge groundwater
and protect roadside
habitats
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
Immediately re-seed
ditches after cleaning/reshaping
Reduce
runoff/Improve
infiltration
Install/maintain retention
basins and bio-filtration
swales
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[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
3.7 Design Guidance for
Stormwater and
Erosion and
Sedimentation Control
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
Structures
Install turbidity curtains to
protect waterbodies
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
3.1 Bridge
Maintenance
7.0 Bridge Maintenance
Extend the pavement
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption
3.1.3 Structural Decks
Water pollution
Extend the structure
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption
3.1.5 Substructure
3.1.6 Watercourse and
Embankments
Maintain deck
surfaces
Repair substructures
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
Protect watercourses
and embankments
Install silt fence
Habitat disturbance
Reduce impacts to
nearby waterbodies
and protect
watercourse habitats
Clean bridge
bearings
Capture wash water
Water pollution
Reduce impacts to
waterbodies and
aquatic habitats
Wash bridges
Capture wash water and
debris
Water pollution, haz
mat generation
Reduce impacts to
waterbodies and
aquatic habitats
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10.4 Maintenance Near
Water bodies
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
Paint bridges
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
Capture paint chips and
abrasives
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
Water & air pollution,
odor generation
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Extend the structure
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption,
and reduce impacts to
waterbodies and
aquatic habitats
3.1.8.1 Lead-Based
Paint Removal
7.3 Bridge Painting,
Coating, Sealing and
Containment
Stewardship Practices
10.15 Painting
Operation Stormwater
BMPs
Minimize habitat and
stream impacts
Avoid spawning and
migration periods, retrofit
bridges for birds and bats
Habitat disturbance
Avoid and minimize
habitat impacts and
provide new
nesting/roosting
opportunities
3.1.8.2 Other
Environmental
Concerns
7.2 Avoiding and
Minimizing Impacts to
Fish and Wildlife and
Enhancing Habitat
2.1.4.2 Maintenance
of Subsurface
Drainage
10.6 Maintenance of
Stormwater Facilities
Clean culverts
Remove brush and debris
at inlets and outlets; avoid
depositing in wetlands
Water pollution, habitat
impacts
Extend the structure
life; reduce waste and
energy consumption,
and reduce impacts to
waterbodies and
aquatic habitats
Replace culverts
Install baffled culverts and
jump pools for fish
passage
Water pollution, habitat
impacts
Improve fish habitat
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3.5 Culverts and Fish
Passage
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
Design / retrofit culverts
for targeted wildlife
passage
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
Water pollution, habitat
impacts
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Improve wildlife
passage
2.1.10 Traffic Control
Devices
Traffic Control and
Service Facilities
Maintain
regulatory/informati
on signs
Replace signs as needed
Improve public safety
Maintain/install
signals and street
lighting
Use “dark sky” friendly
fixtures and energy
efficient luminaires
Reduce energy usage
3.14 Lighting
Control/Minimization
Maintain safety rest
areas
Select native vegetation
to minimize water usage
and maintenance
Improve aesthetics
and minimize longterm vegetation
maintenance
3.16 Safety Rest Areas,
Travelers Services and
Parking Area Design
3.12 Design and
Specification For
Recycling
Waste Management
/Recycling
Use compost to stabilize
steep slopes; reuse and
recycle waste materials
and equipment
Reduce waste and
energy consumption
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10.13 Recycling in
Roadside Maintenance
and Operations
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Reduce waste
Reclaim broken/milled
pavements
Dust and waste
generation and energy
usage
Reduce waste and
energy consumption
5.7 Recycling in
Pavement and
Roadside
Appurtenances
Re-use
excavated/blasted
materials
Re-use waste rock
Material waste and
energy usage
Reduce waste and
energy consumption
10.17 Stockpiling, Soil
Disposal and Placement
of Inert Fill
Recycle demolition
materials
Recycle C&D Waste
Material waste and air &
water pollution and
energy usage
Reduce waste and
energy consumption
3.1.8.3 Hauling and
Disposal Regulations
Dispose of hazardous
wastes
Properly dispose of
hazardous materials
Air & water pollution
Avoid or minimize air,
water, and habitat
impacts
3.1.8.4 Hazardous
Wastes
Store and use toxic
materials
Have fuel spill kits onsite;
properly dispose of used
fluids, tires and batteries
Air & water pollution
Avoid or minimize air,
water, and habitat
impacts
3.1.8.10 Toxic
Materials
Control vehicle fluid
spills and washwater
Refuel, wash and service
vehicles away from
watercourses
Air & water pollution
Avoid or minimize
water, and habitat
impacts
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4.10 Materials Storage,
Collection, and Spill
Prevention on
Construction Sites
4.7 Vehicle Fluid, Fuel
and Washwater Control
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
3.15 Design For
Sustainability and
Energy Conservation
Energy Conservation
/Efficiency
Conserve energy
Improve energy
efficiency
Construct energy-efficient
building envelopes
Energy Usage
Reduce waste and
energy consumption
Install energy-efficient
appliances and equipment
Energy Usage
Reduce waste and
energy consumption
Install energy-efficient
lighting
Energy Usage
Reduce energy usage
Purchase energy efficient
vehicles
Energy Usage
Improve energy
efficiency
Purchase energy efficient
equipment
Energy Usage
Improve energy
efficiency
6.4 Energy
Conservation
2.1.13 Environmental
Aspects of Roadway
Maintenance
Other Environmental
Aspects
Improve aesthetics
and visual quality
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Plant wildflowers
Improve roadside
appearance
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3.2 Context Sensitive
Design/Solutions
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
Maintain / enhance
wildlife habitat
Improve air quality
Reduce noise
impacts
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Use underpasses, culvert
modifications, fencing,
and eco-walls to facilitate
wildlife movement
Minimize impacts to
wildlife habitat
3.4 Habitat
Connectivity and
Wildlife Crossings
Maintain culverts, bridges
and fences to facilitate
roosting and wildlife
passage
Minimize impacts to
wildlife habitat
10.5 Maintenance of
Structures for Wildlife
Reduce hydrocarbon
emissions by tree shading
parking areas
Air pollution
Improve air quality
3.11 Designing To
Minimize Air Quality
Problems
Minimize vehicle idling;
avoid material with high
VOC emissions
Air pollution
Improve air quality
and reduce energy
usage
4.8 Air Quality Control
Practices
Regular vehicle
maintenance and tuneups; avoid open burning
Air pollution
Improve air quality
and reduce energy
usage
10.14 Preserving Air
Quality in Maintenance
Operations
Install noise barriers and
berms
Noise pollution
Reduce noise impacts
and improve quality of
life
3.13 Designing To
Minimize Noise
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
[1] Activity
Protect / enhance
wetlands and
streams
[2] Examples of Selected
Best Management
Practices
[3] Examples of some
Potential
Environmental Offsets
[4] Examples of
Probable
Environmental, Social,
and Economic
Benefits
[5] AASHTO
Maintenance Manual
for Roadways and
Bridges (Links)
[6] AASHTO
Compendium (Links)
Limit blasting charge size
and velocity; use newer
quieter equipment; limit
hours of operation
Noise pollution
Reduce noise impacts
and improve quality of
life
4.9 Noise Minimization
Minimize disturbance of
stable stream channels;
use bio-engineering to
stabilize stream banks
Water pollution, soil and
habitat disruption
Stabilize soils and
reduce impacts to
nearby waterbodies
and stream habitats
3.6 Stream Restoration
and Bio-engineering
Delineate wetland
boundaries; avoid use of
herbicides in or near
wetlands; eradicate
invasive species
Wetland impacts and
loss of wetland
functions
Protect wetland values
and functions
10.3 Maintenance in
Wetlands
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
TABLE A-2 – EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE LINKAGES
(--) potential environmental impact (+) potential for minimization, mitigation or enhancement (X) potential for material cost or benefit
Maintenance
Activities
Environmental
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
Sweep and
vacuum roads
and bridges
--
+
Maintain
pavement
markings
--
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Access
Safety
Economic
Equity
Costs
Jobs
Mobility
Traveled Way
+
Patch
deteriorated
pavements
+
x
Seal cracks and
joints
+
x
Resurface
pavements
--
+
x
A1-20
x
x
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance
Activities
Control Snow
and Ice
Environmental
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
--
--
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
--
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Access
Safety
x
+
Economic
Equity
Costs
Jobs
Mobility
x
x
+
Shoulders/Side
Road
Clean shoulders
--
Repair/replace
shoulder
pavements
--
Re-seed and
mulch grass
shoulders
+
--
--
+
+
+
Restore erosion
controls
+
+
Maintain
vegetation
+
--
Roadsides
Maintain
guiderail
x
x
x
x
+
Maintain/Enha
nce cultural
A1-21
x
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance
Activities
Environmental
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Access
Safety
Economic
Equity
Costs
+
x
Jobs
Mobility
resources
Improve Public
Access
+
Develop/maint
ain Safety Rest
Areas
+
+
x
Drainage
Improve
drainage
facilities
-- /+
Reduce erosion
and
sedimentation
-- /+
Reduce
runoff/Improve
infiltration
+
+
Structures
Maintain deck
surfaces
--
+
x
A1-22
x
x
x
+
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance
Activities
Environmental
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
Repair
substructures
--
Protect
watercourses
and
embankments
+
Clean bridge
bearings
--
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
+
Access
Safety
x
Equity
Costs
x
--/+
+
Wash bridges
--
--
+
Paint bridges
--
--
+
x
X
+
Minimize
habitat and
stream impacts
+
+
Clean culverts
--/+
+
Replace
culverts
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Economic
+
Traffic Control
and Service
Facilities
A1-23
x
x
--
--
Jobs
Mobility
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance
Activities
Environmental
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Access
Maintain
regulatory &
information
signs
Safety
Economic
Equity
Costs
x
Maintain/install
signals and
street lighting
+
Maintain safety
rest areas
--
x
x
x
x
x
+
+
+
+
x
--
+
+
x
-- /+
-- /+
+
+
x
--
--
Waste
Management/
Recycling
Reduce waste
Re-use
excavated/blast
ed materials
Recycle
demolition
materials
Dispose of
hazardous
Jobs
x
A1-24
x
Mobility
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance
Activities
Environmental
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
Store and use
toxic materials
--
--
x
Control vehicle
fluid spills and
wash water
--
--/+
x
Access
Safety
Economic
Equity
Costs
wastes
x
Energy
Conservation
/Efficiency
Conserve
energy
+
X
Improve energy
efficiency
+
X
Other
Environmental
Aspects
Improve
aesthetics and
visual quality
Maintain
+
+
A1-25
Jobs
Mobility
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance
Activities
Environmental
Air
Resources
Water
Resources
Noise
Effects
Waste
Reduction
/Recycling
Social
Wildlife
Habitat
Energy
Conservation
& Efficiency
Access
Economic
Safety
Equity
Costs
x
x
x
x
x
wildlife habitat
Improve air
quality
+
Reduce noise
impacts
Protect
wetlands and
streams
+
+
+
A1-26
Jobs
Mobility
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
TABLE A-3 – MAINTENANCE TRAINING BY STATE
State
Training Programs
Focus
Participants, Frequency and Methods
Staff receives training on the
importance of General
Housekeeping BMPs and their
relation to overall environmental
compliance. New environmental
requirements are incorporated into
Division of Maintenance policy and
training, the materials for which are
revised as needed.
Training is delivered to the Maintenance
Division’s 5,600 employees by various means,
including external resources and Division of
Maintenance staff. New mandates that
require immediate compliance are presented
in Tailgate Meetings and a Maintenance
Bulletin is prepared to provide information to
Maintenance field supervisors. Staff
members are required to receive classroom or
on-line training on various minimum intervals
depending on the type of training. In addition,
Tailgate training sessions are held every two
weeks or whenever there is a change in work
activity.
Training Links
California - Caltrans
General
Housekeeping
Training
A1-27
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/
stormwater/_pdfs/maintain/m6
_99.pdf
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Landscape
Maintenance
Stormwater
Maintenance
Leadership
Academy (MLA)
Each employee is trained in the
proper application methods for
pesticide usage, understanding
Labels, Materials Specification Data
Sheet (MSDS), mixing, loading,
storage, Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE), and
environmental concerns.
Maintenance is having regular
teleconferences. District
stormwater supervisors come to
centralized locations for bi-annual
meetings; to be updated them on
changes in procedures and
guidance. This information is then
communicated to Maintenance
Field Supervisors.
Supervisors have the responsibility to train
employees on new pesticide products by
reading and understanding the label, and
MSDS prior to the employee using the
product. During the annual pesticide training
employee are taught to identify and help
manage stewardship practices in their daily
pesticide usage. Training consists of awareness
of adjacent property owners, water ways, and
environmental concerns.
Division of Maintenance policy is that
Supervisors conduct stormwater BMP tailgate
meetings a minimum of every 10 working days
or when there is a change in the type of work
activity. Stormwater BMP tailgate meetings
are usually scheduled for one half hour.
Stormwater Bulletins, Activity Cut-Sheets, and
videos are available to assist in the tailgate
meetings. Training attendance is tracked in the
Division of Maintenance IMMS and the
Department’s LMS information systems.
Emphasize to maintenance
managers, supervisors, and lead
workers “the importance of our
workforce.” They discuss upward
mobility training, employee input,
how their jobs are important to the
goals of the department. The
training focuses on self-motivation
and awareness of health impacts
and minimizes discussion of
regulations and punitive actions.
A1-28
http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist05/
maint/ivm/index.htm
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/cons
truc/stormwater/
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/cons
truc/stormwater/swppp_trainin
g.html
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Colorado DOT
Maintenance
Academy
Review of CDOT environmental
ethic and technical issues such as
protecting water quality and truck
spills
1,500 employees through its Maintenance
Academy on an annual basis
Stormwater Best
Management
Practices Training
Facility
How to properly install BMPs, with
hands-on opportunities to install
BMPs, such as hay bales, slope
runoff protection, and silt fence in
the field and evaluate their
performance under
simulated precipitation runoff conditions.
As scheduled, with day-long, hands on classes.
CDOT Headquarters staff provides the training
for field staff and non-CDOT employees and
industry professionals.
Snow and Ice
New focus on mobility and tourism
economy and importance of open
roads.
New staff members receive a 40 hour course
on snow and ice control. All staff members
receive an 8 hour refresher on snow removal.
Training is provided for the
herbicide program with continuing
education credits provided to keep
licenses active. FDOT’s Drainage
Manual is the primary way FDOT
staff gets information on
appropriate stormwater practices.
Annual training is given for the Maintenance
Reporting Program
http://www.coloradodot.info/pr
ograms/environmental/waterquality/bmp-training-facility
Florida DOT
Herbicide
Maryland DOT – State Highway
Administration
A1-29
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/state
maintenanceoffice/MaintRating
Program.shtm
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
MDOT provides
mandatory
environmental
ethics training along
with their customer
service training and
an annual highway
maintenance
seminar.
Environmental topics are on the
agenda at their annual Highway
Maintenance Seminar where some
District maintenance shops are
recognized for their EPA
compliance. There is an annual
Awards Day.
Annually to all employees. Because the seven
Districts have different types of projects and
highway environments they have different
concerns.
Annual NPDES Permit Report identifies
ongoing environmental training.
General
Environmental
Training
Town meetings are held in the
maintenance shops where
environmental issues such as
control of invasive species are
included on the agenda along with
safety and other operational
aspects.
Town meetings are held monthly.
At the present time, there is no
formal stormwater training
component; however, they
anticipate addressing that need in
2012.
Most environmental training is done on the
regional level. Region resource specialists,
provide necessary outreach to the
maintenance garage staff for stormwater and
other environmental guidance as needed.
Big emphasis area.
Given to maintenance crews annually in preseason winter training and road salt
symposiums
http://www.mde.state.md.us/as
sets/document/SHA2008Annual
Review.pdf
Michigan DOT
Limited
environmental
training is focused
on what’s needed
for regulatory
reporting.
Minnesota DOT
Snow and Ice
Control
A1-30
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ma
intenance/docs/MnDOTWinterA
t-a-Glance.pdf
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Broad
Environmental
Training
Pesticide training and invasive
species control; recycling, noxious
weed control. Minimal direct
training on drainage and ditch
cleaning.
Maintenance crews
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/ro
adsides/vegetation/herbicide.ht
ml
Tailgate and field exercises
Maintenance Managers train
the maintenance crews
https://www.dot.ny.gov/progra
ms/trns-maint-train
New York State DOT
General
Maintenance
Training
Cross Training with
Design and
Construction staff
and other agencies
Environmental and
Landscape
Architecture
Training Series
(ELATS)
Design/install living snow fence,
stream restoration, hazardous
trees, and herbicide use
Stormwater Management
Erosion and Sediment Control
Stream Restoration
Solicited ideas from Maintenance,
Design and Construction
As scheduled in various statewide sessions and
locations involving NYSDOT Design,
Construction, and Maintenance and other
state and federal regulatory agencies.
Open to all NYSDOT staff monthly every
second Wednesday by statewide Webinar.
Available on internal website and CD. There
are about 130 participants in the Webinar.
Training is provided by Main Office and
Regional Environmental staff.
North Carolina DOT
A1-31
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
http://www.ncdot.gov/program
s/srmu/
Stormwater and
housekeeping
training
Stormwater, road salt management,
good housekeeping, and spill
containment.
Given to lower level staff in the NCDOT
facilities.
Broad
Environmental
Training
ODOT policies, goals, and practices
are discussed.
ODOT conducts full-day environmental
training twice a year, in spring and fall.
Managers and peers show PowerPoints and
give “practicals” on how to keep appropriate
records
Training for ODOT’s
Maintenance
Environmental
Management
System
Activities within the maintenance
yards.
District EMS Coordinators train maintenance
managers, coordinators, and crew leaders, and
the key person who does the monthly EMS
paperwork.
http://www.ncdot.gov/program
s/srmu/videos/
Oregon DOT
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/
HWY/OOM/CW.shtml
Washington State DOT
WSDOT uses their
Academy to deliver
most of their
maintenance
training. Every new
hire is trained in
their Academy.
Regulatory compliance, stormwater
and watersheds, vegetation
management, wetlands, fish
passage, wildlife
WSDOT also has field books, manuals and
notebooks in their trucks. Maintenance staff
members are beginning to use new tools in
the field, including personal data collectors.
WSDOT Environmental Training
Programs:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Envir
onment/EMS/ems_training.htm
Compliance environmental staff works closely
with maintenance staff in each of WSDOT’s six
regions.
A1-32
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Integrated
Vegetation
Management (IVM)
program
Weed control through intelligent,
targeted/tailored programs that has
dramatically reduced, mowing has
been reduced, and roadside
maintenance has become more
sustainable.
WSDOT is
implementing a
comprehensive
Environmental
Management
Program (EMP) for
Road Maintenance
that includes a
Regional Road
Maintenance
Program (RRMP).
The EMP also includes a
Maintenance Violation Notification
Process (as found in the WSDOT
Environmental Procedures Manual),
which constitutes an Environmental
Compliance Assurance Procedure
for maintenance.
Annual day and one-half Westside-Eastside
Conference in the spring with continuing
education credits that help maintenance staff
retain their herbicide applicators’ licenses.
WSDOT reports on progress in reducing
violations annually in the Gray Notebook.
A1-33
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Main
tenance/Roadside/vegetation.ht
m
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Envir
onment/EMS/ems_construction
.htm#road
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
TABLE A-4 – MEASURING COMPLIANCE, STEWARDSHIP ACCOMPLISHMENTS
AND METRICS
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
California -- Caltrans
Caltrans’ Integrated
Maintenance
Management System
(IMMS) provides the
principal
accountability
mechanism for the
Division of
Maintenance.
The Division of Maintenance has
an audit of both its activities
conducted in the roadside
environment and at yards and
stations.
Environmental performance evaluations are
conducted in accordance with:
The Maintenance Activities Compliance
Review Plan at:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/stormwater
/pdf/CTSW-RT-05-999_99_2.pdf
and
the Maintenance Facilities Compliance
Review Plan at:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/stormwater
/pdf/CTSW-RT-05-999_99_3.pdf
Each document contains the evaluation
criteria.
The Division of Maintenance
tracks its environmental
compliance activities and
generates the following
databases annually which are
summarized and reported
annually to the State Water
Resources Control Board and
other regulatory agencies.
A1-34
Erosion Inventory
Database;
Storm Drain System
Inventory Database ;
Illegal Connection/Illicit
Discharge Database;
Pesticide Use Database;
Maintenance Facility
and Activity BMP
Implementation
Database;
Facilities Pollution
Prevention Plans (FPPPs)
Database;
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
Training Database;
Level of Service (LOS) - a
performance based
system designed to
measure progress on
departmental goals.
Colorado DOT
Maintenance Yard
Audits
Oil use and management, fuel,
aerosols, lighting, winter
maintenance chemicals, drainage,
and pesticides
Maintenance Yard Audits – once every 3
years
Florida DOT
Asset Management
Contracts
Maintenance Rating
Program
FDOT evaluates the performance
outcomes of its asset
maintenance contracts by
undertaking quality assurance
reviews of its roadways and
reviewing required paperwork in
its Maintenance Rating Program
Handbook. Disincentives are
included in maintenance
contracts.
While compliance by contractors is not
tracked on a statewide basis, violations are
rare and when they do occur, they are used
as a learning experience. Any violations are
handled in the District offices. If FDOT is
fined for a violation, FDOT seeks to recover
the cost from the contractors who
committed the violation
FDOT’s Maintenance Rating
Program is a method of
conducting a visual and
mechanical evaluation of routine
highway maintenance conditions.
The purpose of this evaluation is
FDOT ensures condition assessments are
conducted for roadsides, ditches,
stormwater facilities, culverts, inlets, and
cross-drains. With the new MS4 permit,
FDOT is now trying to quantify how much
debris they are picking up as well, and, by
A1-35
Maintenance Rating Program:
http://www.dot.state.fl.us/state
maintenanceoffice/MaintRatingP
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
MS4 and NPDES
Permits
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
to provide information that
should be used to schedule and
prioritize routine maintenance
activities and provide uniform
maintenance conditions that meet
established Departmental
objectives.
extension, the prevention of nitrogen
entering the aquatic system through runoff.
FDOT has regular meetings with
the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection relating
to MS4 and NPDES permit
inspection requirements.
FDOT has a process for randomly inspecting
pipes subject to these permits and has
discussed ways to target/reduce this work
and increase overall efficiency in locating
and addressing illicit connections to and
discharges from the MS4 system.
Maryland DOT – State Highway Administration
Environmental
Management System
(EMS) (in
development)
In 2006, MDSHA decided to
develop and fund an EMS effort
for maintenance facilities, in order
to Improve environmental
performance, directly incorporate
environmental requirements into
daily operations and be held
accountable for achieving
environmental goals, ensure
ongoing compliance, put
programs in place to identify root
causes for problems and ensure
ongoing compliance, to avoid
As part of EMS implementation, MDSHA
plans to bring all SHA buildings and
maintenance facilities into compliance with
environmental laws and regulations by
2015.
A1-36
Reporting Results
rogram.shtm
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
having to address (and pay for)
the same issues again down the
road. MDSHA also aimed to save
money, reduce the risk of highly
expensive cleanups and regulatory
fines, train employees, and
achieve/improve employee
awareness of environmental
issues and responsibilities.
MDSHA also wanted to do the
right thing and develop and
implement the procedures and
tools to help protect our
environment. It is everyone’s
collective responsibility to ensure
that our air, water, soil, and
natural resources are protected
for future generations.
Audits
MDOT developed a voluntary SelfAudit Program in cooperation
with EPA region 3, a first in the
nation to continually assess,
correct and improve operational
practices that may impact the
environment. The self-audit
program helps ensure MDOT's
compliance with all applicable
federal, state and local
regulations.
MDOT ensures multi-media audits are
performed at all 109 facilities and storage
yards for all modes of transportation,
including ports and aviation. These involve
third party inspections and disclose the
findings publicly. MDOT built their facilities
and compliance EMS on the results of the
audit, which was also used to justify
increased capital and maintenance funding.
Improvements at the facilities are ongoing,
including those for salt storage facilities,
communications towers, sign shops,
moveable bridges and materials labs.
Performance metrics built into the annual
A1-37
Reporting Results
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
inspections have led to a healthy
competition between the shops to improve
housekeeping and environmental
compliance.
Metrics measured include:
Business Plan
Commitments
MDSHA has incorporated
environmental performance
metrics into agency business plans
longer than any other state DOT.
Environmental metrics were fully
incorporated into the SHA’s
business processes a decade ago.
A1-38
Area spread of invasive plants in
the rights-of-way (acres of Canada
thistle reduced)
Wetland acres mitigated annually,
toward goal of mitigation of
historical impacts to tidal and nontidal wetlands (by implication,
improved water quality)
Sediment and erosion control
ratings of B or better on 90% of
construction projects annually (by
implication, benefit or minimize
impact to all resources)
Meet all environmental
commitments (by implication,
improve water quality)
Meet or exceed NPDES permit
requirements
Implement methods to reduce the
preparation and review time for
environmental documents for
proposed improvements along
existing highways (regulatory
streamlining)
http://www.marylandroads.com/
oc/shabusinessetnl.pdf
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Annual Attainment
Report On
Transportation
System Performance
Environmental
Monitor Toolkit
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Performance Measures:
Identify successes, strategies, and
challenges for improving
transportation services.
MDOT was also the first DOT to
provide other agencies access to
the agency commitment tracking
system.
Acres of wetlands restored and
miles of streams restored
Total fuel usage of the light fleet
The system has increased trust and
confidence MDSHA and resource agencies;
agencies are notified, and can see online
how problems are being dealt with and
resolved, within 24 hours of a problem
being found by the monitors.
Reporting Results
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/
Office%20of%20Planning%20and
%20Capital%20Programming/CT
P/CTP_Documents/Final_CTP/20
12_Attainment_Report.pdf
http://ramcorp.com/?option=com_content
&view=article&id=97&Itemid=81
Being measured:
Sustainable
strategies
Maintain SHA highways and
facilities in an environmentally
sensitive manner
A1-39
Number of acres of roadside
planted/replanted in no/low
maintenance groundcovers or
native meadows.
Number of road salt management
best practices pilot projects
implemented each fiscal year.
Number of staff trained in each
district each fiscal year for winter
maintenance activities involving
use of road salt.
Number of SHA operations and
maintenance staff (sign, signal
shops, labs and maintenance staff)
receiving environmental
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/
Office%20of%20Planning%20and
%20Capital%20Programming/Sm
art%20Green%20and%20Growin
g/LeadingByExample.html
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
A1-40
compliance training each fiscal yr.
Percentage of stormwater
management facilities rated as
functionally adequate each year.
Number of SHA buildings and
maintenance facilities assessed
annually.
Number of non-compliance
findings for SHA buildings and
maintenance facilities.
Number of SHA buildings and
maintenance facilities with noncompliance findings.
Number of non-compliance
findings addressed according to
schedule for SHA buildings and
maintenance facilities.
Percentage of targeted noncompliance findings addressed for
SHA buildings and maintenance
facilities.
Acres of Canada thistle identified
in SHA right-of-way each year.
Acres of phragmites identified in
SHA right-of-way each year.
Acres of Canada thistle treated
each year.
Acres of phragmites treated each
year.
Number of Partnership Planting
projects completed each year.
Reporting Results
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Environmental
Compliance
Environmental compliance in
maintenance is “pretty well
accepted” by front line staff now
as “something that needs to be
done.” The level of buy-in and
enthusiasm does vary from office
to office.
Standard operating procedures routinely
address environmental compliance.
MDOT posts a scorecard on their website;
however, the only environmental measure
they display is for increasing the number of
alternatively fueled vehicles being added to
the fleet.
Core Function
Metrics
MDOT is in the process of
developing actual metrics for
recently evaluated core functions.
While it is a work in progress,
draft metrics may be available in
mid-May 2012.
Performance metrics are intended to be
measurable and become part of individual
performance evaluations.
Michigan DOT
Minnesota DOT
MnDOT has had
difficulty identifying
practical
environmental
performance
measures in
maintenance.
The agency does use a number of indicators
and tracks the following environmental
aspects in maintenance:
MnDOT’s metrics on the
maintenance side are toward the
outcome basis of products and
services.
MnDOT tracks salt usage and
calibrates equipment both to save
money on materials and control
environmental impacts.
Measurement is occurring through
the pesticide applicators log –
track what, when, where spraying
A1-41
Reporting Results
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
occurs. MnDOT is using GPS to see
where problem areas are located.
Clear metrics are not currently in place for
such issues as control of invasive species
and drainage/water quality improvements.
New York State DOT
Green-LITES
(Leadership In
Transportation and
Environmental
Sustainability)
Certification program to help
integrate sustainability principles
into transportation operations
and maintenance
Self Evaluation using rating systems,
spreadsheets, and other metrics
Compliance with
State Environmental
Regulations
Assess Compliance with NYS DEC
Regulations
Self Audit
Maintenance/Operations Plan
Spreadsheet
https://www.dot.ny.gov/progra
ms/greenlites/operations-cert
Checklist used by NYSDOT staff
and results of non-compliance
reported to NYSDEC
North Carolina DOT
Maintenance
Condition
Assessment
Bi-annually assess environmental
condition of sampled highway
road sections
NCDOT reviews selected road segments on
a two-year cycle of its 81,000 miles of
highway for erosion and sediment control,
vegetation control, and riparian buffer
restoration and conduct inspections of
structural water quality controls.
A1-42
Whenever land-disturbing
activities occur in projects, field
inspection staff checks on
erosion and sediment control
practices and give a LOS rating or
compliance score. NCDOT
routinely inspects large
reinforced concrete box culverts
every 2 years, while smaller
corrugated pipe culverts are not
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
routinely inspected.
There are 120 stormwater pollution
prevention plans (SWPPP) in place at
NCDOT facilities. They have well
established BMPS, guidance manuals and
training. They have an online SWPPP
compliance reporting system so they can
track compliance from a central location.
They recently integrated spill prevention
control system that can also be tracked
online.
Stormwater
Pollution Prevention
Plans
Comply with Clean Water Act and
Safe Drinking Water Act
requirements
Organizational
Performance
Dashboard
NCDOT compliance metrics are
rolled up through the counties,
the divisions, and to executive
staff where it is shown to the
public. NCDOT tracks internal
corrective actions.
Includes the “Field Maintenance Projects
Score” which is the average score for
sediment and erosion control compliance
for all projects and activities administered
by field maintenance personnel.
Staff performance
Reviews
Improve environmental
compliance
Staff has had environmental metrics
included in their performance reviews for
the past 4 years. Staff can be rewarded for
good compliance or given bad scores for
compliance violations.
Maintenance
Environmental
Management System
Establish and maintain practices
to prevent or reduce impacts to
the environment. Encourage use
ODOT M&O metrics are based on the audits
of the seven priority areas, which they
conduct every three years for each of the
Central office managers can go to
an internal online website to
each facility and see where they
are at in terms of compliance.
http://www.ncdot.gov/download
/performance/dashboarddetails.
pdf
http://www.performancesolutio
ns.nc.gov/motivationInitiatives/P
erformanceMgmt/Resources/doc
s/Policies%20&%20forms/DOT%
20Performance%20Management
%20Policy.pdf
Oregon DOT
A1-43
Audit and other forms may be
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
(EMS)
ODOT Sustainability
Plan, Volume 2
Purposes
of methods and materials that
reduce burdens on the
environment. Maintain
emergency preparedness and
response plans to safeguard the
health and safety of Department
employees.
Sets goals, strategies and
performance measures for
ODOT’s internal operations.
Audit/self-evaluation
103 maintenance yards. The audits focus on
oil use and management, fuel, aerosols,
lighting, winter maintenance chemicals,
drainage, and pesticides.
Environmental Stewardship Performance
Measures:
Percentage of landscaping at all
new facilities with native or noninvasive plants
Percentage of runoff being
treated at major facility paved
parking surfaces before being
discharged into a stream or
surface water body
Aggregate measure of number of
maintenance yards in compliance
with EMS
Amount of hazardous waste
generated at each maintenance
yard and truck shop each year
Total gallons of water used by a
major facility
Percent of rest areas participating
in water saving pilot initiative.
A1-44
Reporting Results
found at:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/H
WY/OOM/EMS.shtml
Annual Progress Reports describe
some of the sustainable
projects occurring at ODOT and
progress the agency is making
towards the goals outlined in the
Sustainability Plan.
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/S
US/docs/sustainability.progress_r
eport_2011.pdf
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
Washington State DOT
Environmental
Protection
System-wide
Inventories
Assess the condition and quality
of implemented wetlands
projects; track fish passage
improvements and culvert
barriers removed; track herbicide
use reductions; track reductions in
wildlife collisions.
WSDOT performs system-wide
inventories and annual
inspections, as part of WSDOT’s
Maintenance Accountability
Process (MAP), which has been in
place for a decade.
Developed 240 individual measurable
standards to provide “an observable or
measurable bench-mark for a particular
performance objective, against which
wetland mitigation projects can be
compared.
The MAP is a tool which measures and
communicates the outcomes of the
maintenance activities. It provides the tools
to link strategic planning, the budget and
maintenance service delivery. Once a year,
field inspections are made of randomly
selected sections of highway. The results of
WSDOT's work are measured, recorded and
compared to the MAP criteria to determine
the level of service delivered. Activity
Service Levels Targets are established for:
Drainage Maintenance and Slope
Repair
Roadside and Vegetation
Management
WSDOT’s NPDES stormwater permit
requires inspection and maintenance of all
BMPs annually. An inventory of all the catch
basins is now being compiled and a tracking
A1-45
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/envir
onment/
WSDOT’s Maintenance
Performance Measures
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Maint
enance/Accountability/
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
Audit/self-evaluation
Reporting Results
system put in place to monitor it.
Within their IVM program, WSDOT tracks
key locations on an annual cycle, evaluates
completed work, and refines work plans.
The Gray Notebook
The Performance
Dashboard
Quarterly document to provide
the latest information on system
performance and project delivery.
Show the alignment of WSDOT’s
performance measures with the
six state transportation policy
goals and the WSDOT strategic
business plan, Business Directions.
WSDOT has made the budget
system responsive to the agency’s
maintenance objectives and
responsibilities and has
Performance measures focus on multimodal system performance and include
organizational performance reports for
select topics such as project delivery and
worker safety
Measured Annual Environmental Goals:
Conformance of WSDOT projects
and programs with environmental
legal requirements
Number of fish passage barriers
fixed and miles of stream habitat
opened up
Percent of WSDOT stormwater
outfalls inventoried by 2014
Conformance of WSDOT projects
and programs with environmental
legal requirements
A1-46
Starting with the first report in
May 2001, the agency has used
the quarterly document to
provide the latest information on
system performance and project
delivery.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/accou
ntability/GrayNotebook.pdf
The Performance Dashboard
shows the current and previous
performance mark for each
measure, and indicates which
way the program is trending, and
why.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rd
onlyres/279F4319-7199-4FD988ED-
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
State
Program
Purposes
successfully documented
maintenance backlogs and the
need to do more preventive
maintenance.
Audit/self-evaluation
Number of vehicle miles traveled
Compliance parameters have been
important in establishing priorities and
measurement related to environmental
matters. Maintenance funding is
accompanied by record-keeping
requirements and accountability;
compliance and progress are expected.
A1-47
Reporting Results
081AA47A4B84/0/GrayNotebook
45Dashboard_Mar12.pdf
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Table A-5 – Stewardship and Sustainability – Policies and Practices
State
Policies/
Programs
Purpose/
Understandings
Supporting Programs and Efforts
Technical Guidance and Links
Minnesota DOT
Maintenance staff members have
incorporated environmental
considerations into their regular
work. MnDOT recently combined
management directives and previous
governor executive orders into one
Executive Order, to refocus the
agency’s efforts. MnDOT has a new
focus on sustainability, moving to
alternative fuels, reducing carbon
footprint, and trying to recycle more.
Stewardship Ethic
Maintenance staff have
internalized stewardship concepts
and believe in it ; more of a
grassroots effort than top-down
formalized policy
Sustainability
The concept of sustainability is
mostly tied to environmental
rather than engineering areas. The
primary focus has been saving
money and identifying where
environmental benefits may be
achieved in tandem.
MnDOT has a new focus on
sustainability, moving to alternative
fuels, reducing carbon footprint, and
trying to recycle more.
Permit compliance has also been a
big emphasis over the last decade.
Permit compliance pressure from
WSDOT developed the ECAP –
Environmental Compliance
Assurance Procedures, which was
Sustainability in Operations and
Maintenance
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/sustainab
ility/OpsandMaint.html
Washington State DOT
Stewardship through
compliance focus
A1-48
WSDOT Environmental Procedures
Manual, Chapter 700
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
external agencies caused WSDOT
to develop systems to assure that
project commitments and permit
conditions were conveyed to
maintenance and that the needed
“follow through” occurred.
developed “to avoid environmental
problems that could occur during
highway maintenance activities and
to understand the appropriate
response measures to prevent
violations”. WSDOT environmental
staff members work closely with
maintenance staff to assure
compliance with permit conditions
and project commitments.
WSDOT effectively used the state
budget system, auditing processes,
and their own accounting and
reporting processes to document
maintenance needs, the implications
of delayed maintenance, and the
funding and staff resources needed
to take care of what they built.
Washington State
(Chapter 516, Laws of
2007)
Established five policy goals for
transportation agencies, including
environment - To enhance
Washington’s quality of life
through transportation
investments that promote energy
conservation, enhance healthy
communities, and protect the
environment.
Pending Executive
order on Sustainability
Begin to build awareness, not to
define specific outcomes.
“Maintenance and Operations” at:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/publication
s/manuals/fulltext/M31-11/700.pdf
WSDOT Environmental Procedures
Manual, Chapter 790 “Implementing
Environmental Commitments” at:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyr
es/4F8AE3D2-5619-48CA-80635D1F6802A4ED/0/MaintenanceECAP.p
df
WSDOT is developing the necessary
business direction plans through the
agency’s strategic planning process.
A working committee of WSDOT
program directors in five areas is
involved in the process and is
A1-49
Drafts in progress.
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
working on educating on
sustainability and creating awareness
of sustainable practice and
organizational expectations,
throughout the department.
Oregon DOT
Environmental
Leadership in
Programmatic
Agreements
The Water Quality and Habitat
Guide Best Management Practices
for Routine Road Maintenance is
an agreement with National
Marine Fisheries Service exempting
ODOT from the take prohibition on
salmonids if ODOT implements
BMPs outlined there. This 4(d)
exemption for the DOT’s
maintenance work is intended to
comply with the federal
Endangered Species Act (ESA). The
4(d) or “Blue Book” was one of the
ODOTs’ first programmatic
approaches, instituting a standard
of practice across maintenance.
Environmental
Management and
Operations of
Maintenance
Compounds
Focuses on BMPs for the storage,
handling and use of maintenance
liquids and materials and
identifying and implementing
recycling options, increasing the
use of recycled materials, and
expanding the use of alternative
products.
Updated every five years, the latest
version dated 2009.
Water Quality and Habitat Guide Best
Management Practices 2009 (Blue
Book):
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/
OOM/docs/blue_book.pdf
An audit is conducted on a threeyear cycle for each of the 103
maintenance yards. Corrective
actions are identified, prioritized and
undertaken.
A1-50
ODOT EMS Policy Statement and ODOT
Maintenance Yards EMS Policy and
Procedures Manual 2009, found at:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/
OOM/emsdoc/policy.pdf
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Sustainability Plan
ODOT Sustainability Plan:
Goal 4 of the Oregon
Transportation Plan is
Sustainability and calls for
providing a transportation system
that meets present needs without
compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs,
distributes benefits and burdens
fairly, and is operated, maintained
and improved to be sensitive to
both the natural and built
environments.
ODOT has incorporated sustainability
and environmental stewardship
goals for maintenance in the larger
agency Plan. One goal calls for a
formal Maintenance Yard
Environmental Management System
(EMS) in and is described in Volume
2 of the ODOT Sustainability Plan.
NCDOT’s transportation system is
charged with enhancing the state’s
“well being” and supporting “the
development of sustainable,
vibrant communities” while
“preserving and enhancing our
natural and cultural resources.”
NCDOT has a strong environmental
compliance program rooted in its
state water quality program and
Integrated Vegetation Management
for roadsides, backed up by strong
training and state of the art
procedures for these topic areas.
Focuses on a broad look at
sustainability and includes a set of
key principles and objectives. Will
institutionalize sustainable
principles and practices throughout
all phases and functions of NCDOT,
including planning,
project/program development,
NCDOT is trying to determine what
the right performance metrics should
be. NCDOT is working with the
Center for Transportation and the
Environment (CTE) and has not yet
formally rolled out the blueprint to
staff.
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/SUS/Pa
ges/sustainability_plans.aspx
ODOT Sustainability Plan Volume 2:
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/SUS/do
cs/sustainability_vol2_fin.pdf
North Carolina DOT
Environmental
Stewardship Policy
Sustainability Blueprint
(Draft)
A1-51
http://www.ncdot.gov/programs/envir
onment/download/environmental_pol
icy.pdf
Link to CTE site:
http://www.itre.ncsu.edu/cte/Projects
/sustainability-blueprint.asp
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
project delivery, and internal
operations.
Florida DOT
FDOT’s mission is defined in statute
and is also a state constitutional
provision.
FDOT is guided by its
Environmental Policy.
Policy references transportation
services and goods while
encouraging environmental
stewardship to protect the human
and natural environment.
Maintenance work
largely contracted out.
About 83% of FDOT’s maintenance
work is already contracted out,
making the agency a national
leader in maintenance contracting
and performance-based
contracting. Further, future
reductions of in-house crews are
anticipated as FDOT moves toward
a goal of maintenance work that is
90% outsourced.
FDOT expects their contractors to be
knowledgeable of state and federal
environmental regulations.
Contractors are expected to comply
with all environmental policies and
regulations, and FDOT has instituted
a system of performance deductions
if contractors do not comply.
FDOT is well-integrated into a
statewide network of external
environmental land managers that
are actively coordinating and
eradicating invasive plants and
animals throughout the state.
FDOT is participating in a number
of research projects.
While FDOT does not have
partnerships with NGOs to put out
bird boxes or similar habitat
enhancement activities in the rightof-way, some Districts have
aggressive programs to control
invasive plants and animals. One
research project involves the
University of Florida to assess
highway related mowing practices to
determine how mowing cycles affect
bees, important as agricultural insect
Partnerships and
External Networking
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
pollinators. Stormwater research
involves runoff re-use, erosion and
sediment control best management
practices, as well as floating island
technology for stormwater ponds.
Maryland DOT – State Highway Administration
Environmental Policy
MDOT believes that
environmental
protection and principles
of sustainability should
be integrated into the
Headquarters Facility's
everyday business
activities and
operations. MDOT will
manage the facility in a
manner that protects the
environment and the
safety of our employees.
Environmental
Management System
(EMS)
Self-audit program and centralized
support for the administration of
long-term environmental
compliance and stewardship goals.
Environmental
Performance Policies
Policies for delivering
environmental performance are
defined in the Department’s
Environmental Handbook.
MDOT goes beyond compliance to
emphasize pollution prevention,
energy reduction, environmental
restoration on land (reforestation,
replacement of historical wetlands)
and in the Bay), continuous
improvement (agency EMS
development), implementation of
cutting edge tracking and
accountability systems, training and
celebration of accomplishments.
MDOT Environmental Policy at:
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Office
%20of%20Environmental%20Programs
/EnvironmentalPolicy.html
Caltrans
Environmental Handbook at:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/ser/vol1/vol1.
htm.
A1-53
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Caltrans’ Maintenance Division has a
wide variety of environmental
guidance documents and Tailgate
Meeting resources available to share
with other DOTs, including:
Official environmental
policy and regulatory
compliance mandates
The Maintenance Manual defines
official environmental policy and
regulatory compliance mandates
including NPDES (Stormwater),
RCRA (Hazardous Waste) and
Integrated Vegetation
Management.
Maintenance Manual at:
The Maintenance Manual also refers
to appropriate Plans, Handbooks,
Guides and Policy Directives which
further delineate compliance
responsibilities.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/
manual/maintman.htm
Michigan DOT
A1-54
Maintenance Hazardous
Waste Manual
Statewide NPDES Permit
Stormwater Quality
Handbook-Maintenance Staff
Guide
Structural Treatment BMP
Guidebook
Maintenance Bulletins
Maintenance BMPs Video
Training Modules
Maintenance Facility
Compliance Review Plan
Maintenance Activity
Compliance Review Plan
Roadway, Sweeper and
Decanting Waste Storage and
Disposal Sites Compliance
Certification Guidance and
Scheduling Document
Litter Abatement Plan
Division of Maintenance
website location dedicated to
stormwater and
environmental compliance
containing reference and
training materials
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Interagency
Partnerships
MDOT and regulatory agencies
developed a Memorandum of
Agreement setting up an
interagency committee to address
and work on environmental issues.
The primary focus is permitting
and the capital program.
MDOT provides funding for staff at
regulatory agencies to do permitting,
increasing the capacity for
environmental reviews, and has
refined partnerships in other areas,
such as joint resource mapping and
mitigation/enhancement siting.
Sustainability
MDOT does not have a formal
sustainability policy, although
“Sustainability” is a good word at
MDOT.
Improving mobility, minimizing
delays, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions are driving their decisions.
They are focusing on what needs to
be done for the economic benefit of
the state.
New York DOT
Purposes:
1) advance State environmental
policies and objectives;
2) promote an environmental ethic
throughout the Department; and
Environmental
Initiative (1999)
3) strengthen relationships with
environmental agencies and
groups.
Environmental Initiative Statement
Extensive policy and procedures
guidance was developed.
Each Region developed specific work
plans on how they would institute
the Environmental Initiative.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engi
neering/environmentalanalysis/environmentalinitiative/environmental-initiativestatement
NYSDOT created dedicated
environmental positions in design,
construction, and maintenance in
the 11 Regions
Environmental Procedures Manual
(EPM)
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engi
neering/environmentalanalysis/manuals-and-guidance/epm
A1-55
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Guidelines for the Adirondack Park
(Green Book)
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engi
neering/environmentalanalysis/repository/CH_as_PRINTED.p
df
The Environmental Handbook for
Transportation Operations
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engi
neering/environmentalanalysis/repository/oprhbook.pdf
Annual Green and Blue Highways
Reports
Green and Blue
Highways Initiative
(2005)
Integrate environmental
stewardship and context-sensitive
solutions in its planning, design,
construction and operations
Region Maintenance and Residencies
annually undertake many spot
improvements to improve the
environment
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/op
erating/oom/transportationmaintenance/green-blue-highways
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/gr
eenlites/repository/Green%20and%2
0Blue%20Highways%20Report%20for
%202008-9%20and%202009-10.pdf
A1-56
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Sustainability Policy
(2010)
Stewardship
Partnerships
Integrate sustainability into the
Department’s decisions and
practices in planning, designing,
constructing, maintaining and
operating New York State’s
transportation system
Work with other stakeholders to
address regional and statewide
environmental issues, including
invasive species, deer management
and watershed management.
GreenLITES Operations Certification
Program
Green-LITES Operations (Leadership
In Transportation and Environmental
Sustainability)
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/gre
enlites/sustainability
(2009)
NYSDOT is partnering with other
state agencies, resource managers,
non-governmental organizations,
industry, resource users, citizens and
stakeholders to combat invasive
species, including the emerald ash
borer. Invasive species are managed
statewide through eight Partnerships
for Invasive Species Management
(PRISM) managed by NYS DEC.
Maintenance staff members
participate on the deer management
citizen task forces to represent DOTs
concerns. NYSDOT maintenance
forces also participate on statewide
watershed management groups.
Partnerships for Invasive Species
Management (PRISM):
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/47433
.html
Colorado DOT
Environmental
Clarifies responsibilities and
recognizes the need for good
Environmental Stewardship Guide
(2003)
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Stewardship Guide
environmental practices in
maintenance.
Environmental Ethic
(2007)
Support and enhance efforts to
protect the environment and
quality of life for all of Colorado’s
citizens in the pursuit of providing
the best transportation systems
and services possible.
Statewide
Transportation
Operating Principles –
Policy Directive
13(2008)
Support and enhance efforts to
protect the environment and
quality of life for all its citizens in
the pursuit of providing the best
transportation systems and
services possible
Sustainability
Transportation
Environmental
Resource Council
(TERC) (200
A forum in which to discuss state
transportation decisions and plan
for environmental stewardship and
sustainability
http://www.coloradodot.info/program
s/environmental/resources/guidancestandards/esguide5-1205prepress.pdf/view
2009 Operating Principles
http://www.coloradodot.info/program
s/statewideplanning/documents/Transportation%
20Commission%20Planning%20Policies
.pdf
The TERC Sustainability
Subcommittee (TSSC) was tasked
with developing a common language
and framework within the realm of
sustainability statewide.
A1-58
NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 73
FY 2011
Research for the AASHTO
Standing Committee on the Environment
Improved Environmental Performance of Highway
Maintenance
Appendix B - Survey Questionnaire
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
SURVEY QUESTIONNAIRE - SEPTEMBER 23, 2011
The purpose of this survey is to help determine the current training, auditing, and
evaluation/measurement efforts being undertaken at state Departments of Transportation as
part of institutionalizing environmental sensitivity, stewardship, and sustainability in
maintenance and operations activities.
Please supplement this survey by completing the self-assessment found in the last three columns
of Table 1 – Typical Maintenance Activities and provide a copy of the completed table along
with your answers to this questionnaire and copies of training, auditing, or measurement
resources your agency may have. This will help us to better understand the specific activities for
which you provide training, auditing or measuring for environmental performance.
Training
1.
Does your state DOT provide specific environmental training for maintenance and
operations? (Yes/No)
2.
If yes to Q1, is the training provided by:
a) DOT staff? (Yes/No)
b) Other state and federal regulatory/resource agencies? (Yes/No)
c) NGOs or independent consultants? (Yes/No)
3.
Does your state DOT have specific training manuals or other internal guidance documents
that are provided to maintenance staff for their use? (Yes/No)
4.
If yes to Q3, are guidance materials readily available at the maintenance shops or in the
trucks for use by the maintenance field staff? (Yes/No)
5.
Does your state DOT have formal written policies prepared by management that promotes
or requires maintenance staff to perform their work in ways that encourage environmental
sensitivity, stewardship, and/or sustainability? (Yes/No)
6.
In general, do maintenance and operations staffs see environmental stewardship as
something “extra” to do rather than being an integral consideration in every activity?
(Yes/No)
7.
In general, do maintenance and operations staffs understand the potential environmental
impacts and/or ecological value (benefits) of their work activities? (Yes/No)
B-2
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
8.
Does senior DOT management provide encouragement at staff meetings, training sessions,
or conferences that encourage or reinforce the importance of an environmental or
stewardship ethic? (Yes/No)
9.
In what areas do you believe additional environmental training is required? Please list:
10. Are monies and time specifically budgeted for environmental training at your DOT?
(Yes/No)
Auditing
1.
Does your DOT conduct internal audits of your maintenance programs or activities for
conformance with your DOT environmental policies and guidance (Yes/No) or state and
federal regulatory requirements? (Yes/No)
2.
If yes to Q1, are the results of the audits specifically shared with maintenance and
operations managers (Yes/No) or their staffs (Yes/No) so that they can improve future
performance?
3.
Does your state DOT participate in external audits performed by regulatory agencies?
(Yes/No)
4.
If yes, please list the involved agencies and the types of audits performed:
5.
Are follow-up actions undertaken to see if any deficiencies identified in the audits were
corrected? (Yes/No)
6.
Were internal DOT policies, guidance documents or training materials modified to address
the cause and prevention of the deficiencies? (Yes/No)
7.
In what program or activity areas do you believe audits would be useful to your DOT to
assess environmental compliance or sustainability? Please list and describe:
Measuring – What gets measured, gets done
1.
Does your DOT have any specific written benchmarks or goals related to improving
environmental performance or stewardship? (Yes/No)
2.
Does your DOT have any specific measurement tools or metrics to assess efforts to
improve environmental conformance with state and federal regulatory requirements?
(Yes/No)
3.
Does your DOT have environmental management systems (EMS) for your facilities?
(Yes/No)
B-3
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
4.
If yes to Q5, describe any measurable goals for your facilities including, but not limited to,
such actions as energy conservation, energy efficiency, waste reduction, spill containment,
handling of hazardous wastes, recycling, and use of “green: cleaning products:
5.
Does your DOT have asset management tools that focus on environmental costs and
benefits of improvements to pavements, roadsides, drainage, lighting, signing and other
traffic control facilities? (Yes/No)
6.
Does your DOT allocate funds for voluntary environmental betterments? (Yes/No) Note:
This might include specific habitat improvement projects (e.g., bat houses on bridges,
wildlife underpasses, culvert retrofits for fish passage); construction of safety rest areas,
trailhead parking, boat launches, and handicapped fishing access; watershed and invasive
species signing, wildflower and other landscape plantings; bicycle lanes; and other context
sensitive design projects.
7.
If yes to Q8, list and describe the environmental betterment projects that your department
is involved in and how accomplishments are tracked and measured:
8.
Is there any component in group or individual performance evaluations that relate to
improving the environmental performance of the DOT? (Yes/No)
B-4
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 73
FY 2011
Research for the AASHTO
Standing Committee on the Environment
Improved Environmental Performance of Highway
Maintenance
Appendix C – Case Studies
C-1
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CASE STUDIES
C-2
INTERVIEW TOPICS
C-3
CALIFORNIA
C-8
COLORADO
C-23
FLORIDA
C-31
MARYLAND
C-37
MICHIGAN
C-48
MINNESOTA
C-50
NEW YORK
C-52
NORTH CAROLINA
C-61
OREGON
C-65
WASHINGTON
C-72
C-2
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Case Studies:
After panel approval of the final survey questions, the research team designed an electronic
survey, sent a questionnaire link to all 50 states and was able to secure responses from almost
two thirds of the states. Highlights from these responses are included in Appendix 2 of this
report. The survey was intended to help determine the current training, auditing, and
evaluation/measurement efforts being undertaken at state DOTs on environmental sensitivity,
stewardship, and sustainability across the full range of maintenance and operations activities.
Ten state DOTs from across the country (at least two from each AASHTO region) were kind
enough to relate their experience in improving environmental performance and tracking
progress. Materials and documents were reviewed and interviews conducted to get “the back
story” from these leading organizations.
The set of case study participants included states that have been developing their programs for
more than a decade, and as well as more recent practitioners. Each demonstrated successes in
some aspect of evaluation and training for sustainability, environmental stewardship, and / or
environmental compliance in highway maintenance. Final interview states were chosen from
the initially recommended set (based on geography and known work) to highlight
environmental efforts in maintenance that were noteworthy in various respects.
These states are listed below and unless otherwise noted, any quotes cited from these states
were taken from the primary interviews that occurred on the following dates, with the parties
noted in the case studies:
California DOT (Caltrans) – March 19, 2012
Colorado DOT (CDOT) – April 13, 2012
Florida DOT (FDOT) – March 6, 2012
Maryland DOT (MDOT) and State Highway Administration (SHA) – March 7, 2012
Michigan DOT (MDOT) – April 9, 2012
Minnesota DOT (MnDOT) – February 15, 2012
New York State DOT (NYSDOT) – April 11, 2012
North Carolina DOT (NCDOT) – February 29, 2012
Oregon DOT (ODT) – February 22, 2012
Washington State DOT (WSDOT) – February 21, 2012
Interviews were performed with both environmental / sustainability program and maintenance
managers and three members of the research team were in attendance at each. The research
team chose to visit many of these states in person, and also added states beyond the proposed
eight to increase comprehensiveness. This portion of the project looked for reference materials
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
and studied reasons why the maintenance and environmental leaders at these state DOTs
considered their different program elements a success as well as why they had shortcomings.
Interviews were structured along the following lines, but handled on a conversational level in
order for the research team to truly understand what was going on at the state in question, and
more importantly - why initial notes and observations were shared with the Panel in a technical
memorandum. The following more nuanced version will stand as the “official record” upon
acceptance by the interviewees.
INTERVIEW TOPICS
AASHTO Subcommittee on Maintenance, NCHRP 25-25 Program, Task
73 Interviews & Case Studies
How are state DOTs incorporating environmental requirements, stewardship, and sustainability
into their existing highway maintenance programs?
Produce/review:
In-depth descriptions of effective programs
Processes to track progress
A range of types and styles of training
A range of auditing/self-evaluation programs that are currently being used
A range of stewardship practices and ways that environmental management is being
systematized
Culture/Organizational Change Topics
Organizational culture change efforts and methods, including cultivation of staff
involvement and buy-in
DOT mission and policy statements and supporting resources, addressing environmental
stewardship goals and objectives
o How are these really used in your agency?
o Have they penetrated the organization?
o How have they been institutionalized/made meaningful?
DOT executive orders, management guides and procedures, maintenance planning and
budget decision support, quality assurance data, sustainability policies, and other tools?
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Stewardship policies and practices that are in place and how the notion of stewardship is
engendered in the agency.
Do sustainability programs and resources extend to
maintenance, at your agency?
Are environmentally sensitive activities seen as something “extra” to do rather than being
an integral consideration of every activity? How has your DOT addressed this challenge?
Do highway workers understand the environmental or ecological value or significance of
their activities? How are you attempting to influence that? How successfully? How would
you notice or mark change in this area?
How are maintenance personnel motivated to embrace and incorporate changes that will
improve environmental performance? Why/why not? What would make a difference?
How do you keep staff interested, involved, aware, and the organization building on initial
impetus in the environmental area? How does impetus initially arise?
How do you elicit staff ideas, knowledge, enthusiasm, potential contribution?
How are you folding change efforts in with existing procedure and accountability
mechanisms?
What are your leadership lessons?
Does your DOT support knowledge
management/exchange of lessons learned and continuous improvement of environmental
performance?
What are your best stories?
Structure and Coordination
How are DOT maintenance staff made aware of and accountable for environmental
requirements and sustainability/stewardship practice in highway maintenance?
How are roles and responsibilities being clarified and systematically understood, even
embraced?
Is budget allocated for environmental improvements or remediation?
Is risk management a consideration?
How are increased risks of extreme weather and other risks from climate change being
considered?
(How) does your DOT maintenance coordinate with communities?
(How) does your DOT maintenance coordinate with regulatory agencies occur?
(How) does your DOT maintenance coordinate with non-regulatory resource agencies
occur?
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Systems, Practice, and Accountability
Do all maintenance activities
practices/requirements?
Does your state have an environmental manual for maintenance? How is that
operationalized? Any tailgate resources? To what extent are training and refreshers
needed and implemented?
What are the key stewardship policies and practices delivering improved environmental
performance and/or commitment to stewardship and sustainability, in your agency, e.g.,
have
guidance
on
associated
environmental
o Environmental policies in Maintenance
o Environmental elements incorporated into MMS
o New engineering directives
o New environmental procedures (describe how development and delivery occurred)
o Environmental audits of maintenance facilities, beyond SPCCs
o EMSs or other feedback and continuous improvement systems (facilities, other
areas)
Environmental accountability in performance evaluation (indicate at what staff level this
occurs and what the metrics are)
Maintenance involvement in voluntary environmental enhancements – how do these come
about and what are their major functions for the DOT
Maintenance involvement in GHG reduction efforts
Maintenance involvement in energy saving efforts, documentation of progress
Maintenance involvement in planning for extreme weather or other effects of climate
change
Maintenance involvement in waste reduction, documentation of progress
Maintenance salt reduction effort, documentation of progress
Herbicide reduction effort and measurement of process
Mowing reduction effort and measurement of process
Staff driving reductions and tracking
Culvert retrofit/fish passage improvement and documentation of progress
Water quality retrofits and reporting/documentation of progress
Roadside erosion repair and reporting/documentation of progress
Equipment upgrades to improve environmental performance, documentation of progress
Green purchasing/materials, documentation of progress
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Asset management, condition assessment, and LOS for drainage system, reporting
structure, effectiveness of use
Asset management, condition assessment, and LOS for roadside
Other initiative by leadership or line staff (please describe)
Training
How are maintenance personnel trained so that the staff are aware of/and understand
compliance with environmental requirements and are motivated and how do they come to
embrace and incorporate changes that will improve environmental performance.
Does your state DOT offer environmental training for maintenance?
Is training delivered by “one of their own,” as is standard in DOT equipment and safety
training? Do you think this is important?
Are maintenance staff education programs updated periodically to keep them fresh,
interesting, and motivating for staff?
Are meaningful connections made between, environmental housekeeping of the right-ofway and drainage areas and keeping maintenance yards clean, orderly, and functional?
In what areas have you felt or seen that more environmental training is needed?
What key areas of training or support resources are you lacking funding, currently?
What incentives or management tools help build on the instruction personnel are
receiving?
What other stewardship or sustainability resources do you use or have you developed for
maintenance staff? What tools or communication have they found useful?
Quality Assurance / Metrics
To what extent and with what methods are you tracking and measuring environmental
activities and stewardship opportunities? Is asset management being related to
sustainability?
What (environmental performance/quality assurance) metrics do you use? Are you
documenting the occurrence of: violations/fines incurred, fewer unforeseen problems, or
fewer resources impacted, enhancement/restoration that you do?
How are environmental results evaluated?
o Condition assessments
o Level of service established for environmental attributes
o Check for consultation or consistency with resource agencies’ plans
o Performance metrics
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
o Performance per EMS or sustainability plan
o Individual performance evaluation
o Audits and/or environmental compliance or sustainability reporting
o Other self-evaluation practices
Can you see (how do you assess?) environmental and stewardship outcomes of the
different training and assessment programs?
Does your DOT maintenance employ self-evaluation practices along with the metrics being
used to evaluate success?
What metrics do you think are valuable for measuring success of process improvements,
practices and infrastructure investments?
Other
What key observations or lessons can you share with your colleagues?
Do you have a DOT sustainability program in maintenance, or does a broader program
directly incorporate or address maintenance?
How do these efforts relate to GHG mitigation and/or climate change adaptation?
What trends do you see emerging and what is your best advice for the next generation of
DOT maintenance managers?
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CALIFORNIA
Caltrans Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements, Stewardship, and
Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interview was conducted by phone with:
Tony Tavares, Chief, Division of Maintenance
Jay Norvell, Environmental Manager
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
California has an eighth of the nation’s population. It is a very large state with diverse
geography and rural and heavily urbanized areas. Caltrans has twelve autonomous Districts that
deal with local issues. The organization distributes authority, but functional areas support each
other across programmatic lines.
The Department has established organizational responsibility charts regarding stormwater and
environmental compliance. Headquarters, District Executive staff, and field supervisory staff all
have defined responsibilities. NPDES compliance responsibilities are documented in the
Department’s Stormwater Management Plan. The official policy of the Division is to follow all
appropriate State, Federal and local laws including Orders and consent decrees and to
implement best management practices while conducting essential activities.
Caltrans has had a statewide Stormwater Permit for Design, Construction and Maintenance
since 1990 that includes solid waste management. There has been an effort over the past 15
years to provide resources and staff in Maintenance and Construction to deal with permit
requirements. There has also been a proactive and green approach, focused on stormwater
requirements and opportunities.
Caltrans established a Headquarters Stormwater Management team and four Department-wide
Stormwater Advisory Teams (SWATs) from various Divisions including Maintenance. The
purpose of the SWATs is to advise the Department’s Chief Environmental Engineer of technical
issues of concern within the program, including those that may arise as a result of the quality
control, quality assurance, and the enforcement response program.
Any program
recommendations and critical issues discussed during SWAT meetings that require resolution
and action are discussed with the Headquarters Stormwater Management Team before
implementing program revisions or improvements.
Caltrans has also taken a national leadership role in implementing green approaches in several
areas, from climate change adaptation to a statewide initiative to implement LED lighting, and
Green Fleet issues. Caltrans is a leader in clean diesel and responding to California Air
Resources Board (CARB) requirements to purchase alternative fuels and low emissions vehicles.
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Maintenance forces face extraordinary pressure to just maintain highways with limited
resources, while also trying to do it in the best “green” way.
Caltrans has 5,600 field staff with dedicated environmental staff in Maintenance and
Stormwater Coordinators in all 12 districts. There is a dedicated stormwater compliance officer
in their main office. Main Office staff does training, including weekly and biweekly
teleconferences with the District Stormwater Coordinators. The SW Coordinators in turn
coordinate with District environmental staff. Together they deal with hazardous waste,
stormwater, and water quality issues.
Caltrans funding for dedicated staff in state and federal resource agencies comes entirely out of
capital construction funding. The Division of Maintenance has assigned District Coordinators
who respond to regulatory agencies when required to do so depending on the nature of issue,
and some contacts are made through the district NPDES coordinator who reports to the
Division of Environmental Analysis. Coordination is done through interagency agreements,
emails, phone calls, and meetings.
The Division of Maintenance also has contacts in each District to provide environmental
support, program suggestions and recommendations. Capital funding to local agencies is
through the local assistance program for federal “pass through” funds. The California
Stormwater Quality Association (CASQA) is a partner on research and best management
practices among MS4 permit holders.
The statewide Stormwater Permit was fundamental in creating awareness in maintenance and
its compliance mandate prompted a cultural change. The Department’s Mission and Goals
includes stewardship to preserve and enhance California's resources and assets. Stewardship is
one of Caltrans primary goals and is integral to its Mission, Vision and Goals. The agency’s
expectations extend to maintenance staff. The Maintenance Manual incorporates and helps
implement stewardship objectives.
The State of California is an environmentally conscious state and the overwhelming majority of
Division of Maintenance staff has an appreciation for the environment in which they work.
Department staff has organized and also participates as partners in such annual events as
statewide coastal cleanup days and litter collection days to raise public awareness on these
issues.
The Department evaluates the environmental benefits and consequences of its activities and
implements practices that minimize environmental impacts. Caltrans’ Environmental Division
inventories, evaluate for significance, and mitigates for impacts to biological resources from
transportation projects. The Division conducts general biological surveys including endangered
species surveys and coordination with State and Federal resource agencies, Natural
Environment Studies, wetland delineation, and participates in the Project Development
Process. Caltrans’ Environmental Division assisted in the preparation of a programmatic
authorization to conduct routine maintenance and repair activities in accordance with Section 7
of the Endangered Species Act, involving 3 north coast Districts.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
The Division of Maintenance performs its responsibilities of ensuring the safety and
preservation of California’s state highway system in compliance with a wide range of regulatory
requirements including the Federal Endangered Species Act Section 7, the California
Endangered Species Act, the California Porter-Cologne Water Quality Control Act, Cal-Recycle
Waste Management regulations, the Federal Clean Water Act , the Federal Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act, Air Resources Control Board regulations and Air Quality Act,
the California Emergency Management Agency requirements and California Fish and Game
Codes. The Division of Maintenance has many of its facilities permitted as Limited Volume
Transfer Operations for waste management.
Maintenance understanding of environmental stewardship and
sustainability
Highway workers understand the environmental or ecological value or significance of their
activities. Statewide self-audit results indicate that Division field crews recognize the
importance of incorporating best management practices into their activities. Staff training
emphasizes this point. Independent reviews of activities consistently indicate high (90-100%)
compliance with Department environmental policies. Some maintenance environmental
training is developed not so much to familiarize with regulations, but to focus on why the effort
was being done and the health effects to the workers and their families.
Periodic statewide meetings for Maintenance staff involved in environmental
compliance
Staff interest and awareness in environmental issues is supported through in-person meetings
and exchange of lessons learned. The Division of Maintenance conducts periodic statewide
meetings for staff involved in various aspects of environmental compliance. District approaches
for compliance requirements are presented and discussed. Lessons learned are shared on
successful and/or failed projects. Liaisons work between Environmental and Maintenance to
ensure compliance with Federal and State agency requirements while conducting maintenance
activities.
Leadership and participation, on multiple levels
Caltrans recognizes that to successfully implement an environmental program, knowledge and
participation and communication are required at all levels of the organization from executive
staff to the employee working in the roadside environment. The Department participates in
Federal, State and local conferences and associations to exchange experiences and ideas
related to its environmental compliance. The Department has a website which provides access
to various studies and reports.
Funding and Potential Efficiencies Are Key Drivers
Caltrans is most able to implement green practices when such approaches offer efficiencies as
well. Caltrans is using more rubber and recycled materials in pavement. Maintenance program
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
is moving toward LEDs to reduce electric power usage, greenhouse gas emissions, and need for
maintenance staff to be exposed to traffic to change bulbs. In the stormwater area, Caltrans
had been implementing a concrete basin approach to collecting and treating stormwater. They
are now trying to move to grassed swales where right-of-way is available because they are
more cost-effective and easier to maintain.
Environmental Mandates
The Maintenance Facility Group in headquarters oversees 300 maintenance stations in the
Caltrans system. Each maintenance facility has or will have a facility management plan that
includes stormwater management and solid waste plans.
Caltrans is under a state mandate to reduce energy use. Their goal is to reach Silver LEED status
or 50% reduction in energy usage at their facilities. They have an aggressive program to put
solar panels on the roofs of their facilities, although this has raised some aesthetic concerns in
some locations. Caltrans has investigated its ability to add solar developments and many
substantial solar developments are off the ROW, but many of the areas Caltrans has available
are not large enough to be financially viable.
Fleet and equipment upgrades and alternative fuels to meet Air Rule
compliance
Caltrans is purchasing low emission vehicles and is retrofitting hundreds of pieces of equipment
to meet new standards. The Division of Equipment is documenting fleet upgrades and
reporting progress to a Statewide Regulator; internally the Division is tracking bio-diesel and
other alternative fuel usage and measuring displacement of conventional fuels.
Where required for Air Rule compliance, the Division of Maintenance has upgraded its heavy
equipment fleet to alternative fuel in specific Air Quality Management Districts. The Division
also uses upgraded vacuum assist sweeper equipment in the Lake Tahoe basin to reduce
potential sediment loading of the lake. Supervisors submit annual requests for repairing and
upgrading outdated equipment.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will significantly reduce the exhaust
emissions from it’s on and off road mobile fleet in a program known within Caltrans as
"Greening the Fleet." This program will move the Caltrans fleet above and beyond the
emissions levels required by government regulation, and generate mobile source emission
reduction credits which can be used in local areas for conformity to the State Implementation
Plan or to offset emissions from local construction projects such as power plants. Many areas in
California are in non-attainment to the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for ozone and
particulate matter (PM), two principal air pollutants in California.
Caltrans will implement emissions reducing fuels and technologies to reduce NOx (precursor to
ozone) primarily, and PM secondarily. These strategies consist of converting the Caltrans diesel
fleet to ultra-low sulfur diesel along with retrofitting the heavy duty diesel fleet with exhaust
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
treatment devices, as well as expanding the use of gasoline, LPG, electric, solar, and low dust
emitting technologies. In addition, Caltrans will participate in special projects to study the
applicability and performance of emerging technologies. Partnering with private and public
entities Caltrans will demonstrate the most viable emissions reduction technologies and assist
California in meeting its air quality goals.
Pesticide use and exposure
Caltrans has been focused on pesticide reduction since 1992, when a programmatic EIR was
conducted. The results of this EIR included that the Department develop an Integrated
Vegetation Management (IVM) Program and internal “goals” were put in place for reductions in
pesticide use. There were 2 milestones set for pesticide reduction – 50% reduction in 2000 and
an 80% reduction in 2012. The 50% reduction goal was achieved and the Department prepared
a written report documenting the methods for achieving that task.
Currently, Caltrans is working on another document to record what has been done since 2000
to try and meet the 2012 milestone. Caltrans analyzes and revises its pesticide lists looking for
reduced Active Ingredient (AI) pesticides that perform the same as higher AI on the approved
list. This way Caltrans is able to reduce the total amount of AI use and still meet vegetation
control efforts in the roadside. The Department has and is working on improved design
standards to assist Maintenance with vegetation control issues and constantly evaluating
alternative methods, ranging from mechanical control to manual control, thermal control,
steam applications, corn meal, mulching, etc.
Equipment use is balanced with use of pesticides which is more effective in reducing vehicle
emissions since large areas are covered with minimal equipment use. Closed container
pesticide systems are utilized that reduce time and exposure of employees when loading
pesticides into tank mixes.
Safer alternative products and green purchasing
Statewide, the Division of Maintenance incorporates a Safer Alternative Products BMP into its
practices. The Division has a checklist for safer product selection in its chemical application
program and documents the types and quantities of products used. This information is
submitted monthly to the Department of Pesticide Regulation and annually to the State Water
resources Control Board. Mulch is used for controlling vegetation growth in the roadside.
Caltrans annually reports on the total use of mulched material.
Sensitive resources
All Districts have an inventory of cultural resources available to District maintenance staff. They
are now trying to centralize these into a statewide database. Some Districts have “paddle sign”
systems where they demarcate environmentally sensitive areas in the ROW, such as no
herbicide spray zones. Caltrans has localized agreements in environmentally sensitive areas,
including the Big Sur Coast and Merced River Canyon where there special treatment is given in
coordination with other agencies.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Caltrans Senate Bill 857 that requires an inventory for salmon and anadromous fish that is
shared with the Department of Fish and Game (DFG) and fish passage data is collected during
culvert inspection.
Training and Communication
New environmental requirements are incorporated into Division of Maintenance policy and
training, the materials for which are revised as needed. New mandates that require immediate
compliance are presented in Tailgate Meetings and a Maintenance Bulletin is prepared to
provide information to Maintenance field supervisors.
Training is delivered to the Maintenance Division’s 5,600 employees by various means,
including external resources and Division of Maintenance staff. Peer involvement increases
participation and interest. Staff members are required to receive classroom or on-line training
on various minimum intervals depending on the type of training. In addition, Tailgate training
sessions are held every two weeks or whenever there is a change in work activity. All training
activities are documented through the Learning Management System (LMS). For example, all
new employees attend stormwater management training sessions when they start and existing
staff are receiving updates at least once every four years.
Tailgate meetings assist Field Crew awareness
Division of Maintenance policy is that Supervisors conduct stormwater BMP tailgate meetings a
minimum of every 10 working days or when there is a change in the type of work activity.
Stormwater BMP tailgate meetings are usually scheduled for one half hour. Stormwater
Bulletins, Activity Cut-Sheets, and videos are available to assist in the tailgate meetings.
Training attendance is tracked in the Division of Maintenance Integrated Maintenance
Management System (IMMS) and the Department’s Learning Management System (LMS)
information systems.
The Division’s frequent Tailgate Meeting mandate assists in field crews’ awareness of the best
management practices expected for the work to be conducted. Caltrans has developed tailgate
resources (one-page fact sheets or monthly bulletins) for maintenance, pertaining to
stormwater that have been national models. These are available on Caltrans’ website. 1
Landscape maintenance-related training
Annually each landscape maintenance employee is trained in the proper application methods
for pesticide usage, understanding Labels, Materials Specification Data Sheet (MSDS), mixing,
loading, storage, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and environmental concerns.
Additionally each maintenance employees receives BMP for each activity or type of work being
performed. Supervisors have the responsibility to train employees on new pesticide products
by reading and understanding the label, and MSDS prior to the employee using the product.
IMMS keeps a data base of ESA areas.
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During the annual pesticide training employee are taught to identify and help manage
stewardship practices in their daily pesticide usage. Training consists of awareness of adjacent
property owners, water ways, and environmental concerns.
The Division of Maintenance has District Coordinators who conduct needs assessments with
field staff and listen to their concerns and program recommendations for such things as new
BMPs and types of equipment. The Division of Maintenance annually allocates resources to the
Department’s twelve Districts and compiles a prioritized needs assessment list for funding. The
Division of Maintenance has an audit of both its activities conducted in the roadside
environment and at yards and stations.
Staff receives training on the importance of General Housekeeping BMPs and their relation to
overall environmental compliance. Maintenance District Stormwater Coordinators also
conduct needs assessments in coordination with field supervisory staff. These assessments are
the basis for determining immediate or future resource requirements; The Division’s Roadside
website has proven to be a useful tool in providing compliance information.
Instruction by Maintenance peers
The Division of Maintenance training videos use District Maintenance staff to illustrate best
management practices for roadside and maintenance facility activities. Caltrans has found that
employees relate and tend to be more focused when peers are an integral part of the
instruction.
Extensive written manuals and tools guide staff
All maintenance activities have guidance on associated environmental practices/requirements.
Policies for delivering environmental performance are defined in the Department’s
Environmental Handbook which is available online: http://www.dot.ca.gov/ser/vol1/vol1.htm.
Environmental policies are defined in the Division of Maintenance, Maintenance Manual and in
Division Policy Directives. The Maintenance Manual defines official environmental policy and
regulatory compliance mandates including NPDES (Stormwater), RCRA (Hazardous Waste) and
Integrated Vegetation Management. The Maintenance Manual also refers to appropriate Plans,
Handbooks, Guides and Policy Directives which further delineate compliance responsibilities;
For stormwater, the policy states that the Division of Maintenance will implement BMPs for its
defined activities as specified in the Maintenance Staff Guide, follow all appropriate laws and
regulations and meet all requirements of Regional Water Quality Control Boards and the State
Water Resources Control Board.
Caltrans’ Maintenance Division has a wide variety of environmental guidance documents and
Tailgate Meeting resources available to share with other DOTs, including:
Maintenance Manual
Department Environmental Handbook
Maintenance Hazardous Waste Manual
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Statewide NPDES Permit
Stormwater Quality Handbook-Maintenance Staff Guide
Structural Treatment BMP Guidebook
Maintenance Bulletins
Maintenance BMPs Video Training Modules
Maintenance Facility Compliance Review Plan
Maintenance Activity Compliance Review Plan
Roadway, Sweeper and Decanting Waste Storage and Disposal Sites Compliance Certification
Guidance and Scheduling Document
Litter Abatement Plan
Division of Maintenance website location dedicated to stormwater and environmental
compliance containing reference and training materials
The Department has developed guidance that addresses the implementation of mandated
stormwater BMPs during highway maintenance activities and activities conducted at
maintenance facilities such as storage of equipment and materials and waste management.
The BMPs are grouped into families of various maintenance activities and are referenced in the
Stormwater Quality Handbook-Maintenance Staff Guide.
Maintenance Area Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that the personnel under their
direct supervision are implementing the BMPs in the Staff Guide. The Department encourages
experimentation and innovation on deploying enhanced BMPs to minimize pollution. Feedback
from the implementation of innovative measures is gathered for analysis and reporting in the
Annual Report process as required by the Department’s NPDES permit. Stormwater manuals
and training materials can be found at:
http://onramp.dot.ca.gov/hq/maint/roadside/storm_water/watqual.htm
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
Caltrans has proven systems for implementing new environmental requirements and
responding to environmental needs.
Roles, responsibilities outlined, and resources allocated
Roles and responsibilities are defined in Department policy documents and re-iterated through
chain of command and other means including direct delegation and written instruction. The
Division of Maintenance includes environmental compliance, improvements, and site
remediation in its budget. Division of Maintenance staff is made aware of environmental
requirements through emails, formal and informal training sessions and mentoring, policy
documents, guidance materials, District and Statewide meetings and the Division’s website.
Staff members are accountable through Department audits and employee disciplinary
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programs. Caltrans contracts with a third party (consultant) to conduct a compliance review of
maintenance activities and facilities for stormwater NPDES Permit compliance.
Principal accountability through Integrated Maintenance Management System
Caltrans’ Integrated Maintenance Management System provides the principal accountability
mechanism for the Division of Maintenance. This is an online data entry system which collects
the information of work activities performed throughout the State. As new activities are
generated by mandated regulations, the data entry system is revised to accommodate them.
The Division of Maintenance tracks its environmental compliance activities and generates the
following databases annually which are summarized and reported annually to the State water
resources Control Board and other regulatory agencies.
Erosion Inventory Database;
Storm Drain System Inventory Database ;
Illegal Connection/Illicit Discharge Database;
Pesticide Use Database; Maintenance Facility and Activity BMP Implementation Database;
Facilities Pollution Prevention Plans (FPPPs) Database;
Training Database;
Level of Service (LOS) - a performance based system designed to measure progress on
departmental goals;
Equipment retirement and upgrades driven by outside regulatory agency.
Asset management is conducted in accordance with the Director’s Policy. The Department is
revisiting and updating its asset management program
Environmental performance evaluations follow Maintenance Compliance Plans
Environmental performance evaluations are conducted in accordance with the Maintenance
Activities Compliance Review Plan and the Maintenance Facilities Compliance Review Plan.
Each document contains the evaluation criteria. It applies to Supervisor level and above; those
staff with oversight responsibilities.
On a statewide basis, Maintenance voluntary
environmental enhancements include participation in annual Coastal Clean Up and Litter
Abatement events.
Pesticide usage tracked and reported annually by Districts
Caltrans tracks pesticide usage monthly and report yearly on pesticide usage. The Integrated
Maintenance Management System (IMMS) keeps track of work orders and enables the
Department to track usage, hours, time, type of equipment used, number of employees
involved in application of pesticides, etc. This is an extremely useful tool to see how effective
efforts are and where reductions occur and allocation of efforts for the future. Most
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
importantly, the individual District’s prepare a yearly report – Vegetation Control Plan (Vegcon).
This report is used for the annual spray programs in each District.
These reports contain the type of control needed for a particular route, the type of pesticide
that is to be used to achieve that control, and identifies ESA’s (Environmentally Sensitive Areas)
that need to be avoided due to location (public school, bus stop where children/people are
readily present), sensitive plants/animals, well heads, shallow groundwater that may become
easily contaminated, etc.
Stormwater BMP implementation is evaluated, graded and reported
for compliance
Caltrans evaluates compliance with Division of Maintenance BMPs developed for facilities and
activities. Documentation of the compliance status is reported annually as part of the report to
the State Water Resources Control Board and other regulatory agencies. Results are evaluated
using a standardized grading system for correct BMP implementation. These grading checklists
are part of the Maintenance Activity and Maintenance Facility Compliance review Plans.
Condition assessments are conducted as part of monthly and annual mandated facility
inspections. These are documented and attached to Facility Pollution Prevention Plan (FPPP) at
each site. Deficiencies are noted and inspections repeated until corrected.
A rating system has been developed to determine the LOS achieved for facility and activity BMP
implementation. The performance metric for the Division of Maintenance is the level of correct
implementation of Division policy mandated BMPs. Performance evaluations are facility and
field activity based. The Division has an on-going monthly and annual audit program and
participates in an annual independent third party audit program conducted by the Department.
Storm patrol inspections and erosion control program
Caltrans’ Division of Maintenance has an ongoing program in accordance with the
Department’s Statewide Stormwater Management Plan (SWMP) to inspect roadside vegetated
slopes for erosion. This requirement is led by District Maintenance Stormwater Coordinators.
The inspections are conducted on a five-year cycle. In addition to the SWMP mandated
program, the Division of Maintenance conducts a storm patrol and erosion control program.
Maintenance Supervisors and delegated staff patrol the State’s highway system to inspect for
any issues related to safety, facility preservation and erosion control do to storm events.
The Division of Maintenance also investigates complaints by the public related to stormwater
damage during these times. These inspections and patrols generate erosion control projects.
The Division of Maintenance will normally conduct minor storm damage repair. During Fiscal
Year 2010-2011, District Maintenance staff logged over 2 million storm patrol inspection miles,
completed 3680 minor storm repair projects and 65 major storm repair projects, completed
1,125 highway storm related clearings and responded to 103 storm related public complaints.
Documentation is provided in the Department’s Annual Report to the State Water resources
Control Board. Major projects are addressed by the Capital Program.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Highway Slope and Erosion Inspection Program
Caltrans has established a program to periodically inspect roadside segments prone to erosion
to determine the need for remedial measures. The program is coordinated by the District
Divisions of Maintenance. Inspections are performed by maintenance managers,
superintendents, supervisors, landscape specialists, maintenance storm water coordinators,
lead workers, and other maintenance personnel. These inspections are conducted along all
roadsides at least once during an established 5-year schedule. Roadsides found to be of
significant concern are inspected on a more frequent basis.
In addition, all newly completed slopes resulting from construction projects are inspected on a
more frequent basis up to one year after project completion. Caltrans uses a standard reporting
form for recording inspection findings and identifying recommended repairs. Slides and slips
encountered during routine surveillance and inspections are evaluated for repair.
Recommendations are developed for site-specific remedial measures to maintain slope and soil
stability. Remedial measures can range from minor grading or seeding to installation of major
slope stabilization systems. A summary of the inspections conducted by each District is
submitted with the Annual Report required by the Department’s NPDES permit along with
statewide maps defining route segments prone to erosion for the reporting period.
These programs are linked to the Maintenance Stormwater Program Enforcement Response
Plan for evaluating and improving maintenance facilities and activities to ensure that they are in
compliance with the statewide stormwater permit (Permit), the Stormwater Management Plan
(SWMP), and Caltrans Maintenance Program guidance documents. This effort includes
inspecting and evaluating compliance at the maintenance facilities as well as the field activities,
assessing the trends, identifying recommendations for improvements, and incorporating
appropriate feedback loops to assure implementation of improvements and correction of any
identified deficiencies.
This independent assurance program provides oversight inspection to ensure that Maintenance
Division actions are implemented and facilities are operated and maintained so that they are
protective of water quality. The inspections are usually unannounced, unless safety or other
considerations necessitate reasonable pre-inspection notification; are conducted by properly
trained personnel who are not affiliated with the location; and are documented and
information is entered into a Maintenance Facility database for tracking. The enforcement
response program includes inspection and follow up policies that improve overall compliance
and utilize data tracking tools.
Culvert inspections and LOS surveys and reports
The Division of Maintenance has an ongoing Culvert Inspection Program including annual status
reports and website information, for public safety, asset management, and environmental
reasons. Roadside Level of Service (LOS) is surveyed and reported annually and covers
roadsides elements, including: vegetation, fences, trees/shrub encroachment, litter & debris,
graffiti, and ramps.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Facility Programs
Statewide, Facility Pollution Prevention Plans (FPPPs) are required for each subject
maintenance facility owned or operated by Caltrans. The FPPP describes the activities
conducted at the facility, the potential pollutants or issues at the facility, the BMPs to be
implemented, and the inspections that will be conducted. Facilities subject to FPPPs include:
maintenance yards/stations, material storage facilities, equipment storage and repair facilities,
roadside rest areas, agricultural and Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Facilities (CVEF), vacuum
truck decant storage or disposal locations and permanent and temporary solid and liquid waste
management sites. The FPPPs describe the activities conducted at the facility and the BMPs to
be implemented to reduce the discharge of pollutants in storm water runoff from these
facilities.
Supervisors inspect their maintenance facilities monthly to monitor the implementation and
adequacy of the BMPs. In addition to monthly facility inspections conducted by the facility
supervisor, the District Maintenance Stormwater Coordinators review at least 20% of each
District‘s facilities each year. District Maintenance Stormwater Coordinators confirm that
facility supervisors are inspecting all facilities over which they have jurisdiction, and determine
that corrective actions recommended for a particular facility are being implemented. The
District Maintenance Stormwater Coordinator works with the facility supervisor to correct any
observed instances of noncompliance identified during supervisor‘s monthly facility inspections.
Each District Maintenance Stormwater Coordinator prepares a report including the date of the
inspection, name(s) of the inspector, observations, and recommended corrective actions.
Other
Division of Maintenance is constantly monitoring pesticide usage to try and meet internal goals.
Caltrans met its goal in 2000 of a 50% reduction in pesticide use and working towards the 2012
milestone of an 80% reduction as well.
Innovative pollution control in the Lake Tahoe Basin
Caltrans’ Division of Maintenance plays a major role in controlling sediment, sand and deicing
materials in the Lake Tahoe Basin. As a result, the Department has received several Governor’s
Environmental and Economic Leadership Awards from the Cal-EPA for its Lake Tahoe
Environmental Improvement Program (EIP). The Division was part of the team which
developed a new traction sand which contains 98% less phosphorous than sand used in the
past. The Division has a state of the art reverse-osmosis filtration system for vehicle washing
for snow plow and spreader equipment, which is incorporated as part of a wash facility at the
Whitmore Maintenance Station.
The Division is also testing liquid deicing as part of its effort to find ways to reduce the amount
of deicing and traction materials. Plowed snow which is located in areas which drain to Lake
Tahoe is hauled to a facility for it to melt without residual abrasives entering the lake; the
Division of Maintenance uses state of the art sweepers and increased sweeping frequency in
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
the Lake Tahoe Basin to control sediment and sand deposition. The Division also uses vacuum
assisted highway sweepers in the basin, underscoring the Department’s commitment to its Lake
Tahoe EIP.
Caltrans’ Maintenance is responding to climate change
The increased incidence of extreme weather and other potential risks from climate change are
being considered. California has 16 climatic zones and 12 districts; each district has a distinct
ecosystems. The Department has established a Climate Change Branch office and internal
website that provides information and resources. The Department has also developed a
document, Guidance on Incorporating Sea Level Rise, for the planning program which will assist
in reducing potential maintenance requirements as adaptation is properly planned and
implemented in current projects.
Illicit Connection/Illegal Discharge (IC/ID) Program
District Maintenance staff implement the Division’s IC/ID program which includes: Initial
documentation of alleged IC/IDs on a standardized form;
Inter-departmental notifications of alleged IC/IDs;
Investigation and source identification of IC/IDs, including actions to take when dealing with
known or suspected hazardous materials;
Cleanup activities; and
Methods for pursuing parties responsible for IC/ID
Litter/Debris/Graffiti Removal Program
The Department conducts roadbed and roadside cleanup operations to provide safe highway
conditions, keep gross pollutants from the drainage system and maintain a neat and clean
appearance appropriate for the type and use of the road. Litter and debris removal activities
include sweeping of shoulders, paved medians, etc., and litter removal along the roadsides.
Litter removal also includes the maintenance of gross solids removal devices (GSRDs) which are
end of culvert structural treatment BMP collection devices. Graffiti defaces facilities, most
commonly with paint, and also by markers and stickers. The Department routinely removes
graffiti from concrete structures, road signs, sound walls, steel bridge beams and other
facilities, such as buildings and roadside rest area restrooms.
Vegetation Control Program
Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) is a philosophy for determining the most appropriate
vegetation management strategy based on economic, ecological, and sociological
considerations. The strategy often includes a combination of many methods. Environmentally
sensitive (ESA) areas are identified and recorded into a data base. The Department‘s vegetation
control program is based on integrated pest management principles, including the use of
physical, chemical and biological methods. An annual Vegetation Control Plan (VCP) is prepared
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
by each district to address the Department‘s need to eradicate noxious and invasive weeds and
maintain fire control strips. The vegetation control plans contain elements designed to:
Enhance the use of appropriate native and adapted vegetation throughout all the Department‘s
rights-of-way for the purpose of preventing erosion and removing pollutants in storm
water and non-stormwater runoff.
Apply herbicides in a manner that minimizes or eliminates the discharge of herbicides to
receiving waters. Factors to be considered include timing in relation to expected
precipitation events, proximity to water bodies, and the effects of using combinations of
chemicals.
Restrict the application of nutrients to rates necessary to establish and maintain vegetation
without causing significant nutrient runoff to surface water.
Structural Treatment BMP Maintenance Program
The effectiveness of a structural treatment BMPs is dependent on its maintenance. The
Division of Maintenance is responsible for ensuring the operation of: structural treatment
systems such as bio-strips and bio-swales; infiltration devices; detention basins; filter devices
and sediment and litter trapping devices. The Division is responsible for cleaning and
maintaining a series of sand traps in the Lake Tahoe Basin which are part of an overall sediment
reduction program from the State’s highways and facilities. Guidance manuals have been
developed for this activity including device specific information, photographs and flow
diagrams.
Snow and Ice Control Program
The snow removal and ice control program includes snow and ice removal operations and
opening of drainage inlets that get covered or blocked by snow and ice. Because salt, deicing
chemicals and abrasives may pollute storm water runoff, the Department uses no more than
the minimum amount of these materials necessary for effective snow and ice control. The
minimum amount of salt will be applied at the most effective time, as determined by the
snowstorm severity, duration and temperature.
Districts are to comply with the following requirements regarding their snow and ice control
programs:
Maintain accurate records of the locations and quantities where salt and other deicers are
used.
Provide necessary training for Maintenance personnel involved in snow and ice control efforts.
Calibrate equipment used to apply deicing and anti-icing chemicals or abrasives.
Identify areas that are potentially environmentally sensitive. This includes vegetation areas and
bodies of water receiving direct roadway runoff.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Submit to the Chief, Division of Maintenance, no later than October 15th of each year, an
annual Snow Plan for the next winter season, including proposed levels of service,
chemical usage, and any proposed changes to operations in environmentally sensitive
areas.
At the close of each winter season, no later than August 1st, each district is to submit to the
Chief, Division of Maintenance, a complete report specifying the quality of salt and
other deicers used. This report, commonly referred to as the “Salt Report”, will also
include a recapitulation of the salt inventory at the beginning of the season, the quantity
of salt received during the season and the inventory of salt on hand at the end of the
season. The same usage information is required for all other deicers used.
Highway Spill Program
When spills of hazardous or nonhazardous materials occur on state roadways or the right-ofway, the agency with jurisdiction assumes authority as the incident commander. These spills
are illicit discharges resulting from one-time deposits of materials or wastes. The Department‘s
lead is in charge of the cleanup activity unless directed otherwise by the incident commander.
All spilled materials are managed to protect public safety and the environment, including water
quality.
The Department coordinates with local health agencies and other local, state and federal
agencies (e.g., Department of Fish and Game, Coast Guard, RWQCB, etc.) as appropriate to
determine the approach and level of cleanup needed. Depending on the circumstances of the
spill, this coordination is made directly or through the California Emergency Management
Agency. The Department tracks all incidences and maintains a list of contractors available
statewide to assist in cleaning up spilled materials if additional resources are needed.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
COLORADO
Colorado DOT (CDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements,
Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interview was conducted by phone and in person with:
David Wieder – Maintenance and Operations Manager
Sarah Mitchell – Sustainability Coordinator
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is responsible for a 9,146 mile highway
system, including 3,447 bridges. Each year, this system handles over 27.4 billion vehicle miles of
travel. Although the Interstate system accounts for only about 10 percent (914 miles) of the
total mileage on the state system, 40 percent of vehicle miles traveled in the state take place
on Interstate highways. CDOT is organized into six regions.
CDOT Maintenance utilizes headquarters landscape architects and environmental specialists to
conduct environmental training for maintenance, and CDOT Maintenance has its own
environmental personnel to deal with hazardous waste and certifications. The headquarters
maintenance director’s office includes three environmental staff (one is a microbiologist, two
geologists) and are responsible for asbestos testing for all demolitions, whether a bridge or a
house, and meth lab testing.
Outside of these, Regional Maintenance offices can call on environmental generalists in the
Regions or environmental specialists at headquarters, for support as needed. Landscape
architects and water quality staff are most likely to be called, given Maintenance familiarity
with these staff members through training events or these staff members’ other field work.
Main Office environmental staff members also oversee the Maintenance Facility Runoff Control
Plans and Spill Prevention Control Plans.
Regional environmental groups guide regional permitting efforts and advise
Maintenance staff
CDOT Regions each have their own design, construction and maintenance programs. Each
Region has its own environmental group to guide the regional groups in permitting. Regional
environmental staff members also go out and review construction projects and advise
maintenance before they take over the facility.
Regional environmental staff, as well as headquarters water quality specialists and landscape
architects also help train staff in construction of stormwater facilities. CDOT maintenance staff
members are also willing to help each other out however it is needed; there is a real ethic of
cooperation. Maintenance staff members also participate on the Regional Erosion Control
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Assessment Teams, which primarily assess erosion and sedimentation control activities on
active projects.
CDOT formalized the agency’s environmental ethic in 2003
The Colorado Transportation Commission adopted CDOT’s environmental ethic in 2003, which
states that: “The Colorado Department of Transportation will support and enhance efforts to
protect the environment and quality of life for all of Colorado’s citizens in the pursuit of
providing the best transportation systems and services possible.”
Developing an environmental ethic in Maintenance was not a big stretch; most staff come from
farming or ranching backgrounds or are fisherman and hunters. The nature of the
transportation business tracks outdoor activities. CDOT’s Maintenance and Operations
Manager comes from a ranching family in the northern part of the state and still helps out
there. As he describes, “It’s not a stretch to get them thinking green, when your supper
sometimes comes out of the stream behind the maintenance shed.”
CDOT also has an Environmental Stewardship Guide, adopted in 2003, that clarifies
responsibilities and recognizes the need for good environmental practices in maintenance. This
guide describes “how the agency will go out and protect the environment while going about its
mission.”2
Greening State Government Executive Orders
In 2007, the Governor issued two “Greening of State Government” Executive Orders. One set
goals and objectives and the other serves as the implementing document. It establishes several
goals for the reduction of energy consumption in state facilities and vehicles, and for the use of
efficient materials and resources by 2012
Reduce energy consumption by 20%
Cut the use of paper by 20%
Reduce water consumption by 10%
Purchase more environmentally friendly products
Cut the use of petroleum products in state vehicles by 25%
Leadership from the top and competition among regions
The nine Maintenance Superintendents provide leadership and “really push the environmental
ethic.” Also, the Regional Transportation Directors are very competitive. Part of what they
compete is the Executive Director’s Cup every year. And, part of that competition is their
environmental program. Region 4 won this year due to the strength of their environmental
program.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Context Sensitive Solutions involving the local communities has been embraced by CDOT Design
and Construction since the early 1990s. Management leadership in the early 2000s helped set
the environmental ethic within CDOT.
Interagency collaboration has helped advance culture change
Colorado’s Greening Government Council encourages interagency sharing, so relationships are
improving as well. Agencies are willing to share best practices and lessons learned. For
example, CDOT has installed photovoltaic and solar thermal projects and the Colorado
Department of Public Health and the Environment is leading in waste diversion. CDOT has been
invited to participate in an electronics recycling event. CDOT is also exploring hybrids for its
hydraulic boom trucks.
CDOT’s Green Maintenance initiative developed a set of guidelines
and checklists
The Green Maintenance Program was developed by 2 of CDOT’s 9 Maintenance Sections as a
Pilot Program in response to interests that ranged from environmental stewardship and
commitment to best practice usage and pollution prevention, to environmental compliance,
and more efficient, healthier, and cost-effective facilities. The program also highlighted current
effective environmental activities and developed an awards program to recognize existing and
new environmentally sound practices.
The project attempted to instill a sense of pride in the environmental accomplishments of CDOT
Maintenance, encourage reuse and waste minimization practices, and improve environmental
performance. Expected co-benefits were: reduced environmental impacts associated with
maintenance facilities and operations, avoided potential violations, and a positive image of
CDOT facilities. CDOT Maintenance demonstrated that environmental stewardship and
efficient business operations can go hand in hand. They also expected they could stimulate
further cost saving suggestions.
CDOT’s Transportation Operating Principles guides efforts to protect and
enhance the environment and quality of life
In 2008, CDOT issued Policy Directive 13, stating CDOT’s Transportation Operating Principles.
CDOT will support efforts to enhance environment by preserving the natural and enhancing the
created environment. A Sustainability Coordinator position was established. 3 The 2008
Statewide Transportation Operating Principles stated that CDOT will support and enhance
efforts to protect the environment and quality of life for all its citizens in the pursuit of
providing the best transportation systems and services possible.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
CDOT will:
Promote a transportation system that is environmentally responsible and encourages
preservation of the natural and enhancement of the created environment for current
and future generations;
Incorporate social, economic, environmental concerns into the planning, design, construction,
maintenance, and operations of the state’s existing and future transportation system;
Through the active participation of the general public, federal, state and local agencies,
objectively consider all reasonable alternatives to avoid or minimize adverse impacts;
Ensure that measures are taken to avoid and minimize the environmental impacts of
construction and maintenance of the transportation system, all activities are in
compliance with all environmental statutes and regulations, and that mitigation
commitments are implemented and maintained;
Plan, design, construct, maintain and operate the transportation system in a manner which
helps preserve Colorado’s historic and natural heritage and fits harmoniously into the
community, local culture and the natural environment; and
Promote a sense of environmental responsibility for all employees in the course of all CDOT
activities and we will go beyond environmental compliance and strive for environmental
excellence.
Federal, state, and local resource agencies participate in a forum to improve working
relationships
CDOT and FHWA initiated the effort in 2002 to form the Transportation Environmental
Resource Council (TERC). The TERC provides a forum in which to discuss state transportation
decisions and plan for environmental stewardship. A strong working relationship has blossomed
and continues to grow among fifteen federal, state and local resource agencies in Colorado.
The forum allows the resource agencies to anticipate and get ahead of interagency challenges. 4
The TERC’s sustainability committee has become one of its most active subprograms. The TERC
Sustainability Subcommittee (TSSC) was tasked with developing a common language and
framework within the realm of sustainability statewide. Agency members from the TSSC
attended the structured, sequential series of workshops which focused on refining and
advancing existing sustainability principles into a meaningful framework.
The topics of the workshops were as follows:
Workshop #1 – Moving from Principles to Guiding Framework
Workshop #2 – Developing Performance Measures for Sustainability
Workshop #3 – Evaluating and Planning for Sustainability in Projects
Workshop #4 – Resolving Conflicts and Constructing Partnerships
Workshop #5 – Building the Centralized Resource
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
During the workshops the TSSC agreed to a common language and framework that included
three Key Topic areas: community well-being, environmental stewardship, and economic
vitality and quality. A hierarchy of terms was agreed to beneath the Key Topic areas:
Participants agreed that the workshop:5
Resulted in a common language and framework structure for agencies to use in streamlining
and enhancing statewide sustainability work thus providing a more effective mechanism
for agencies to collaborate on and achieve success with sustainability goals and
objectives.
Advanced individual agencies’ efforts to become more effective, efficient, and elegant in their
sustainability programs benefitting both internal and external agency sustainability
functions.
Set the foundation for the TERC to achieve success in sustainability by providing tools to
facilitate the development of setting achievable goals and priorities, determining
strategic agency teaming partners, measuring and monitoring progress, and prioritizing
initiatives to best use limited funds.
The five workshops also included the development and dissemination of eight tools to assist
agencies with integrating sustainability into their policies and projects. 6 (See table on the
following page).
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Figure 1: Tools Developed - TERC Sustainability Subcommittee Workshops
Training and Communications
CDOT’s Maintenance Academy annually teaches environmental ethic and technical skills
CDOT takes 1,500 employees through its Maintenance Academy on an annual basis. They
review CDOT’s environmental ethic and cover a wide variety of issue areas. New hires receive
two weeks of training and existing staff receive one week. Last year, a new session was
developed, called “Water Quality - Friend or Foe?” Instructors initiated a discussion with
Maintenance staff, who decided it is both. The class included instruction on water quality
permits in Colorado.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Environmental awareness training is its own class; new hires and returning staff receive 4-6
hours annually.
Hands on work in the field is key to Maintenance Academy
The Maintenance Academy and environmental courses are well-received. Because the
maintenance workforce is so involved in the outdoors, CDOT’s training gets staff members out
of the classroom and into the field for hands on exercises as quickly as possible.
CDOT has a Best Management Practices training facility used to train construction as well as
maintenance staff. At day-long sessions, headquarters staff teach field staff how to properly
install BMPs, with hands-on opportunities to install BMPs, such as hay bales, slope runoff
protection, and silt fence in the field and evaluate their performance under
simulated precipitation run-off conditions.7 These training sessions are open to non-CDOT
employees and industry professionals that have completed the CDOT Erosion and
Sedimentation Control Certification training, as well as CDOT staff.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
Annual road condition surveys tied to performance based budget
CDOT performs annual surveys of roadway conditions. There are nine (9) maintenance
program areas covering all activities. Two of those have environmental activities – roadside
facilities including maintaining drainage structures and keeping ditches cleaned and mowed and
maintaining grass-lined swales. The results of these surveys are used in CDOT’s performancebased budget system.8
CDOT maintains animal crossings, including one near Golden, Colorado, and an elk crossing
structure with a 96-inch high fence and one-way ramps and gates. The crossing structure
includes large animal detectors that activate flashing lights to warn motorists.
The structure has significantly reduced vehicle-elk accidents. Maintenance staff uses software
to track roadkill cleanup locations; noting the type of animal killed and the nearest mile marker
post. This information is made available to designers for consideration of animal crossing signs
or crossing structures.9
Other
Capturing brine wash water keeps salt for reuse
A Maintenance professional in CDOT Region 5 came to the property management group and
proposed a method to capture wash water from the snow plows, remove heavy metals, and
keep the salt brine for reuse. CDOT is now using 3/5 less salt and another good idea from staff
was implemented, with social, economic, and environmental benefits.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Recycled asphalt shingles are now used in asphalt repaving projects
CDOT uses about 134,000 tons of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) annually, containing 4%
asphalt binder and used millings as aggregate. In using the recycled asphalt shingles for binder,
CDOT did not have to pay for additional binder. Millings are also used under guardrail and on
maintenance yards.
Idle reduction equipment is saving fuel and greenhouse gas emissions
There is a fuel reduction executive order to reduce miles driven. CDOT Maintenance is
purchasing vehicles, 1 ton and above, with an automatic governor so that after 10 minutes of
idle they shut off automatically.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
FLORIDA
Florida DOT (FDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements, Stewardship,
and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interview was conducted by phone with:
Tim Lattner, Director, Office of Maintenance
Chris McGrary, Roadway Maintenance Engineer
Jeff Caster, State Transportation Landscape Architect
Marjorie Bixby, Manager, Environmental Management Office
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
Decentralized structure with increasing outsourcing of maintenance activities
FDOT has a decentralized structure with seven (7) regional Districts and a Turnpike District.
Maintenance currently has about 1,900 staff. About 83% of FDOT’s maintenance work is
already contracted out, making the agency a national leader in maintenance contracting and
performance-based contracting. Further, future reductions of in-house crews are anticipated
as FDOT moves toward a goal of maintenance work that is 90% outsourced.
“Push button” contracts have good track record of environmental compliance
About 50% of the outsourced maintenance program is conducted with small-scale “pushbutton” contracts, while the remaining is set by larger, asset maintenance contracts. These
small scale contracts are designed to be streamlined and easy to use. Push button contracts
also allow FDOT to respond rapidly to observed needs. They have their own set of
specifications. FDOT’s Push Button Contract is similar to the NYDOT Job Order Contracting
(JOC) for multiple tasks. The “push button” contracts are reviewed by Environmental
Management Office and recommendations are made on environmental requirements.
FDOT’s staff and its contractors have a good track record of compliance with
environmental rules and regulations.
FDOT expects their contractors to be knowledgeable of state and federal environmental
regulations. Contract documents refer them to FDOTs Environmental Manual.10 Contractors
are expected to comply with all environmental policies and regulations, and FDOT has instituted
a system of performance deductions if contractors do not comply. FDOT has found that the
system works effectively for them and the agency believes they have few if any compliance
problems.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Environmental Management Office provides assistance to Districts and oversees
work permits
Housekeeping at District maintenance facilities is overseen by District Contamination Impact
Coordinators. Assistance is provided by the Environmental Management Office on an as
needed basis. District Maintenance Engineers are concerned with environmental issues and
seek assistance from the Environmental Management Office in the course of their work, as
needed. Their concerns vary widely based on the type of work to be done, the physical location
of the projects, and the sensitivities of the areas they work in.
Environmental stewardship and awareness supplements safety and
infrastructure preservation focus
FDOT is guided by its Environmental Policy, which references transportation services and goods
while encouraging environmental stewardship to protect the human and natural environment.
FDOT’s mission is defined in statute and is also a state constitutional provision.
Maintenance forces are aware of FDOT’s environmental policy and mission, in conducting their
maintenance activities. Safety and infrastructure preservation are the two top priorities for
maintenance, as they are for many other DOTs, but “compliance with environmental rules and
regulations is well understood and is a constant consideration as they do their work.”
To the maintenance staff, environmental stewardship means protection of air, water,
vegetation, and wildlife resources.
Among other things, environmental stewardship means conserving energy and reducing
emissions by using 20% E10 biodiesel fuel in their vehicles. Also, tourism is a key industry in
which the natural environment plays a critical role in Florida and everyone understands this.
FDOT tries to build environmental amenities into projects and maintenance supports this, for
example, turtle lighting under which maintenance forces manage overhead lights during the
nesting season.11 FDOT acknowledged that previous roadway lighting standards addressed
motorist and pedestrian safety in the design of roadway lighting systems, but improvements
were needed to more fully consider and respond to conditions in the surrounding environment.
Accordingly, Florida Atlantic University (FAU) conducted a research study to determine the
effects of embedded LED lighting system in Boca Raton on sea turtle hatchlings and found a 98
percent decrease in disoriented hatchlings on the adjacent beach (i.e., hatchlings went the
“right” way, to the water, after hatching, rather than being attracted to roadway lights).12
FDOT and partner agencies know that, “of the estimated 6.2 million hatchlings in Florida each
year, about 1 million die from predation, dehydration, collisions with vehicles on roadways, or
sun and heat exposure.” 13
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Communication and Training
FDOT is well-integrated into a statewide network of external environmental land managers
Training is provided for the herbicide program with continuing education credits provided to
keep licenses active. FDOT’s Drainage Manual is the primary way FDOT staff gets information
on appropriate stormwater practices.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance, and Accountability
Well-established rating program guides condition assessments
FDOT’s Maintenance Rating Program has been in effect since the 1980s and Florida DOT was
one of the first DOTs to invest in mapping of culvert and drainage infrastructure locations.
FDOT’s investment in this was also used to launch and underwrite FDOT’s initial funding of the
Florida Geographic Data Library, which initially became the core of FDOT and other agencies’
Efficient Transportation Decision Making Process.
FDOT ensures condition assessments are conducted for roadsides, ditches, stormwater
facilities, culverts, inlets, and cross-drains. With the new MS4 permit, FDOT is now trying to
quantify how much debris they are picking up as well, and, by extension, the prevention of
nitrogen entering the aquatic system through runoff.
FDOT conducts quality assurance reviews for maintenance contracts
FDOT evaluates the performance outcomes of its asset maintenance contracts by undertaking
quality assurance reviews of its roadways and reviewing required paperwork in its Maintenance
Rating Program Handbook. Disincentives are included in maintenance contracts.
Other
Partnerships, Research, and Environmental Enhancement Efforts
FDOT is participating in a number of research projects. One involves the University of Florida to
assess highway related mowing practices to determine how mowing cycles affect bees,
important as agricultural insect pollinators. Stormwater research involves runoff re-use,
erosion and sediment control best management practices, as well as floating island technology
for stormwater ponds. This information is then incorporated into FDOT’s Drainage Design
Manual.
Habitat improvement features including wildlife crossings, which are included in FDOT projects
as appropriate. These best practices are documented on FHWA’s State Stewardship Practices
website. Turtle lighting and tunnels have been provided in some critical areas.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Partnerships look to restore lands and manage forests
Ten years ago, FDOT worked with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) on a property TNC owned and
was interested in restoring. TNC’s heavily disturbed property was similar to the after effects of
roadway construction, so FDOT partnered with them on a multi-year study
FDOT maintains an extensive heavily forested right-of-way (ROW), particularly in the I-10, I-95,
and I-75 interstate corridors. FDOT ROW management is based, in part, on maintaining the
clear zone horizontal and vertical geometry from encroachment. FDOT worked with the Florida
State Forest Service to see whether timber harvesting within the highway ROW could be a
source of revenue for the State of Florida and determined it would not generate significant
revenue. Now that the forest is reaching a mature state, it is seen as an attractive roadside
feature to be maintained. FDOT is working with the Florida State Forest Service to determine
ways to improve forest health, wildlife habitat, and to provide storm damage mitigation within
the highway ROW.
Well established partnerships effectively control invasive species
FDOT is partnering with FDEP and local groups to deal with invasive plant species within the
ROW and on adjacent private lands. Cooperative Invasive Species Management Agreements
have been established throughout the state involving interagency, inter-governmental, and
public-private groups that share equipment and manpower to provide weed and invasive
species management in natural areas. In order to provide effective weed control, treatments
must be conducted simultaneously on the highway ROW and adjacent private lands, and so the
agreements facilitate timing for maximally effective results. Through this partnership, FDOT
and other agencies are making headway in a very difficult area.
Prescribed burning maintains open landscapes
FDOT is a leader in prescribed burning within the highway ROW. There is more prescribed
burning in Florida than any other state, an effort for which FDOT has received awards. FDOT
has demonstrated that prescribed burning can be done safely along its roadway.
In one case, prescribed burning was mainly done for aesthetics; where a two-lane road was
widened to 4-lane. The adjacent plantation owners on either side of the ROW donated land for
the widening. One of the conditions of the acquisition agreements was that DOT would
continue to maintain the land as it had been, with beautiful open landscapes and views to the
long-leaf pine forests.14
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Sub-Appendix - Maintaining Native Ecosystems on Florida's Kate
Ireland Parkway
The Kate Ireland Parkway is a 9-mile stretch of US-319 (Florida
SR-61) that runs from Tallahassee, Florida, to the FloridaGeorgia border. In 2008, the Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) recognized the ecological importance of a publicprivate partnership that crafted a unique landscape and
maintenance plan for the Kate Ireland Parkway. This
partnership pioneered the use of prescribed burning on the
highway median to conserve and restore the native longleaf
pine-wiregrass ecosystem.
Longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystems are one of the most densely diverse environments in North
America. As many as 40 plant species, including forbs, grasses, and woody plants, can grow
within a 10-square-foot area. Many of these species depend on frequent fires to thin the tree
canopy and provide ground-level sunlight. Ongoing development in longleaf pine-wiregrass
areas in the Red Hills region of northern Florida and southern Georgia has threatened these
plants' survival.
In 1992, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT)
planned to widen US Highway 319 (SR-61). US-319 winds
through Tallahassee and the Red Hills region of the Florida
Panhandle. In order to widen the road, FDOT needed to
acquire additional right-of-way, largely from the owner of a
single historic plantation. The owner of Foshallee Plantation,
Miss Kate Ireland, agreed to donate enough right-of-way and
scenic easements to construct four traffic lanes — as long as
FDOT agreed to preserve the rural character of the corridor
and use prescribed burns to maintain the donated right of
way. Prescribed burning replicates the effects of frequent
natural fires that allow longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystems to
survive. The controlled fires help to cycle nutrients, control
invasive species, and reduce the chances of destructive
wildfires. Prescribed burn maintenance has been used on
Foshallee Plantation and other Red Hills plantations for
generations. After FDOT completed the highway widening
project in 2001, Miss Ireland donated an additional $300,000
to landscape the median with native oak hammock and
longleaf pine-wiregrass plants. This donation allowed FDOT
and the Florida Division of Forestry to add valuable habitat for
threatened plants.
FDOT brought together a mix of public and private entities to
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
analyze the planting strategy for the median and the safety strategy for the prescribed burns.
Partner agencies included the Tall Timbers Research Center, a local nonprofit devoted to
researching the native ecology of the Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass system; the Florida Division of
Forestry; the Florida Highway Patrol; and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
The Tall Timbers Research Center and the Division of Forestry developed a plan to plant a
mixture of native oak hammock, longleaf pine-wiregrass, and wetland plants. This mixture of
ecosystems replicated the Kate Ireland Parkway's surrounding environment and was highly
suitable for prescribed burn maintenance. In order to ensure public safety during prescribed
burns, the Division of Forestry planned to carefully manage the plant fuels used in the burns. In
conjunction with the Florida Highway Patrol FDOT developed a safety plan to address possible
smoke-related visibility problems and other hazardous conditions.
As of February 2009, seven miles of the Kate Ireland Parkway project were complete. The
highway median and scenic easements surrounding the highway provide an opportunity for
motorists to experience the beauty and diversity of the Red Hills landscape. The median also
provides a haven for the plants of the longleaf pine-wiregrass ecosystem.
The success of the Kate Ireland Parkway project led FDOT to consider a wider application of
prescribed burning on right-of-way vegetation. This public-private partnership may soon lead to
a more sustainable and less energy intensive practice of highway maintenance across Florida
and the United States.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
MARYLAND
Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental
Requirements, Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interview was conducted by phone with the following staff and supplemented with additional
research and team knowledge.
Russell Yurek, Director, Office of Maintenance
Sonal Sanghavi , Director, Office of Environmental Design
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
Office of Environment provides compliance, stewardship and sustainability
leadership across all modes of transportation
The Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Headquarters' Office of Environment
provides leadership and guidance in the areas of environmental compliance, stewardship and
sustainability to the Department’s six transportation agencies -- Maryland Aviation
Administration, Maryland Transportation Authority, Maryland Port Administration, Maryland
Transit Administration, Motor Vehicle Administration, and State Highway Administration (SHA).
MDOT is the only state DOT nationally to comprehensively encompass all modes of
transportation within a single Department, itself an environmental achievement in their degree
of commitment to multi-modality.
Under its State Highway Administration, MDOT has seven Districts in Operations. The Office of
Maintenance holds a monthly Statewide Maintenance Council meeting to discuss key aspects of
their program. The MDOT Environmental Compliance Division works with the district
maintenance staff in this geographically small state. Environmental staff members are not
embedded in the maintenance shops as headquarters is not far away. Four District
Environmental Coordinators support highway maintenance and operations in the seven
districts.
SHA has a Performance Excellence Division in the SHA Administrator’s Office, which oversees
business planning on a three-year cycle. An impressive array of objectives and strategies for
the agency’s priorities populate the SHA’s FHY 2012-2015 business plan, which is available at:
http://www.marylandroads.com/oc/shabusinessetnl.pdf.
SHA has an Environmental Compliance Division and that Division led development and
implementation of a compliance-focused Environmental Management System (EMS) at SHA,
developed and administered the self-audit program, and centralized support for the
administration of long-term environmental compliance and stewardship goals. The District-level
positions helped implement the changes and SHA assessed performance improvements in five
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
outcome areas (compliance performance, cost-effective strategies, best management practices,
intergovernmental relationships, and stakeholder confidence).
As described by Sanghavi et al. in 2007, SHA’s EMS framework fits within the context of the
SHA’s environmental stewardship framework. In addition to documenting regulatory
compliance, SHA’s objectives in developing an EMS were achieving higher levels of
environmental stewardship, building the agency’s “trust bank” with regulatory agencies,
providing increased confidence to internal management, and improving the agency’s image and
relationships with the public.
MDOT & SHA help execute state environmental improvement objectives, including
reforestation and water quality improvement
SHA says, “As an organization whose goal it is to construct highways, it is sometimes easy to
overlook the environmental responsibilities we have as stewards of large amounts of land
within the State.”15 While the agency pays careful attention to impact avoidance, where
avoidance “is not possible, every effort is made to replace the impacted area with carefully
designed plantings to help speed up the ‘environmental healing’ that must take place in order
to return the impacted area to a sound ecological community.”16
SHA also “develops partnerships with local governments, community organizations and garden
clubs for the purpose of beautifying highways and improving the environment. Community
gateway plantings, reforestation plantings, streetscapes and highway beautification plantings
are examples of the types of projects that have been completed within the Partnership Planting
Program.”17 SHA is also helping implement state goals related to water quality improvement,
reforestation, and restoration.
A cooperative, collaborative approach with environmental agencies and stakeholders has been
the key to SHA’s success. SHA reaches out to stakeholders at project initiation, identifies their
needs and interests, and then strives diligently and creatively to accomplish those, along with
the agency’s transportation mission.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Stewardship built on business planning, performance and compliance
orientation
SHA has a strong culture of environmental
stewardship, built on a long-standing
commitment to environmental compliance.
The agency has worked on making the business
case of the importance of environmental
management to improving overall agency
performance.
MDOT has adopted an
Environmental Policy, which is publicly available
on the agency’s website:18
MDOT goes beyond compliance to emphasize
pollution prevention, energy reduction,
environmental
restoration
on
land
(reforestation, replacement of historical
wetlands in the Bay), continuous improvement
(agency EMS development), implementation of
cutting edge tracking and accountability
systems, training and celebration of
accomplishments.
MDOT’s environmental
policy supports the state’s “Smart, Green &
Growing” initiative to help Marylanders create
a more sustainable future for their State; the
goal is to involve every Marylander in reducing
his or her carbon footprint, preserving our most
valuable resource lands and restoring the
health of the Chesapeake Bay.”19
With its long tradition of environmental
performance measurement and accountability,
SHA
has
incorporated
environmental
performance metrics into agency business plans
as long as or longer than any other state DOT.
Environmental metrics were fully incorporated
into the SHA’s business processes a decade ago;
at that time, SHA not only had established a
goal of doing its work in an environmentally
responsible manner, their program of tracking
environmental
performance
included
maintenance as well as other areas of
organizational operations.20 Metrics include:
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MDOT Environmental Policy
MDOT believes that environmental
protection and principles of
sustainability should be integrated into
the Department's everyday business
activities and operations. MDOT will
manage the facility in a manner that
protects the environment and the safety
of our employees. Guided by our policy,
we will:
Comply fully with all Federal, State and
local environmental laws and
regulations.
Prevent pollution by reducing energy
consumption, water usage, and waste
production, and recycling whenever
possible.
Consider environmental factors when
making planning, purchasing and
operating decisions.
Establish an Environmental Management
System for the Headquarters Facility
and strive for its continuous
improvement.
Provide training to employees so they can
be environmentally responsible on the
job.
Recognize and celebrate environmental
accomplishments.
Communicate and reinforce this policy
throughout the Headquarters'
Organization.
In addition to an annual review of our
progress on environmental goals and
adherence to this policy, we invite
interested parties to provide us feedback
on this policy.
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Area spread of invasive plants in the rights-of-way (acres of Canada thistle reduced)
Wetland acres mitigated annually, toward goal of mitigation of historical impacts to tidal and
non-tidal wetlands (by implication, improved water quality)
Sediment and erosion control ratings of B or better on 90% of construction projects annually
(by implication, benefit or minimize impact to all resources)
Satisfaction of environmental commitments (by implication, improve water quality)
Satisfaction of NPDES permit requirements
Review time for environmental documents for proposed improvements along existing
highways (regulatory streamlining)
SHA’s stewardship orientation was not only evident in its early utilization of environmental
metrics and development of EMSs for all maintenance facilities, but also in stretch goals such as
mitigating for historic (not just current) impacts to non-tidal wetlands
Maintenance facility EMS addresses many agency environmental objectives
In 2006, SHA decided to develop and fund an EMS effort for maintenance facilities, in order
to:21
Improve environmental performance.
Directly incorporate environmental requirements into daily operations and be held accountable
For achieving environmental goals.
Ensure ongoing compliance.
Put programs in place to identify root causes for problems and ensure ongoing compliance, to
avoid having to address (and pay for) the same issues again down the road.
Save money. Reduce the risk of highly expensive cleanups and regulatory fines.
Train employees. Achieve/improve employee awareness of environmental issues and
responsibilities.
Do the right thing. It is everyone’s collective responsibility to ensure that our air, water, soil,
and natural resources are protected for future generations.
Develop and implement the procedures and tools to help protect our environment.
As part of EMS implementation, SHA plans to bring all SHA buildings and maintenance facilities
into compliance with environmental goals by 2015.22
Sustainability means smart and focused management of natural resources
Sustainability is understood by the maintenance staff to mean “being smart and conscious of
how you manage your resources.” It involves minimizing work, assessing cost-effectiveness of
operations, and being aware of life-cycle costs. “Staff will make good choices if it makes sense
to them.”
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Stewardship and sustainability are focused on natural resources. The Governor has specific
initiatives for environmental improvement including such goals as planting one million trees,
creating 200 acres of wetlands and restoring five miles of streams. MDOT has received funding
to plant trees in the right-of-way and in Department of Natural Resources (DNR) state parks and
natural areas.
Good coordination and keeping commitments improves relationships with state
and federal agencies
MDOT has a very positive working relationship with DNR and other state and federal
environmental agencies. MDOT realizes that the coordination and commitments made in the
permitting process must be followed up in maintaining the completed capital and maintenance
projects. While permitting for capital projects occurs over lengthy timeframes of a year or
more, maintenance staff members are oriented to short timelines and are called when
emergency fixes are needed. SHA is able to rely on good working relationships with DNR based
on the DOT and SHA’s track record of good work. MDOT staff built good trust and
communication with DNR by asking DNR staff to tell maintenance staff what they would like to
see in completed work. When emergencies like Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee
occurred, MDOT maintenance staff by a single email were able to get permission to do repair
work on short notice, based on the trust that has been developed over the years.
Training and Communication
Annual, mandatory environmental ethics training, monthly discussion of environmental agenda
items at maintenance shops
MDOT provides mandatory environmental ethics training along with their customer service
training annually to all employees. SHA conducts annual environmental ethics training for all
staff and an annual highway maintenance seminar. Environmental topics are on the agenda at
their annual Highway Maintenance Seminar where some District maintenance shops are
recognized for their EPA compliance. There is an annual Awards Day.
Town meetings are held monthly in the maintenance shops where environmental issues such as
control of invasive species are included on the agenda along with safety and other operational
aspects. Because the seven Districts have different types of projects and highway
environments they have different concerns.
Transparency and communication with agencies and the public are important
aspects of MDOT’s approach
MDOT has been opting for greater levels of transparency, openness, and collaboration with
agencies and the public for a long time. As the agency states on their website: “This is where
you can see how our department is performing in critical areas. Explore this site and let us
know where we can improve our performance as well as the way we communicate about our
performance. We encourage you to come back and check our progress.” 23
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
MDOT was also the first DOT to provide other agencies access to the agency commitment
tracking system, which MDOT calls the Independent Environmental Monitor Toolkit. SHA tells
how the system has increased trust and confidence among resource agencies; agencies know,
are notified, and can see online how problems are being dealt with and resolved, within 24
hours of a problem being found by the monitors.
Improved communication between Design, Construction, and Maintenance
leading to more easily maintainable designs
During the past three years, SHA has been working on better communication between design,
construction and maintenance. This has led to better designs and thus fewer maintenance
problems in the future. For example, grass medians need to be sufficiently wide so that they
can be mowed. In the future, brick or paved medians may be used in some locations because it
is safer if maintenance staff does not have to mow in heavy traffic areas. If projects are
constructed properly it reduces future maintenance. A recent focus has been to assure that
turf is properly established at the end of construction and the contract not closed out too early.
Properly established turf reduces future erosion problems and prevents water quality impacts.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
National acknowledgement for performance assessment and reporting
In 2011, MDOT received national recognition from the Association of Government Accountants
both for the agency’s performance management programs and the agency’s annual reporting.
“Additionally, a joint report by the Pew Center on the States and the Rockefeller Foundation
identified Maryland as one of five states ‘leading the way’ in tracking how our transportation
system is advancing safety, jobs and commerce, mobility, access, environmental stewardship
and infrastructure preservation.”24
MDOT also adds context and avoids going for the minimum/easy measurement of number of
violations on permits annually, for its 100% compliance goal. For example, in its most recent
Annual Attainment report, MDOT reported the agency is tracking and estimating pounds of
various pollutants released as runoff every year, not just a paper-based process or compliance
violation. SHA is tracking:
Number of pounds per year of nitrogen pollution abated.
Number of pounds per year of phosphorus pollution abated.
Number of pounds per year of sediment abated.
Number of acres of untreated pavement retrofitted for stormwater management (SWM)
controls each fiscal year.
Combined annual cost in dollars of total maximum daily load (TMDL) program.
SHA’s strategies in these areas include:
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Addressing water quality and natural resources goals through development and
implementation of a green asset management plan.
Developing watershed implementation plans (WIP) to comprehensively reduce pollutant
loads from SHA right-of-way.
Communicate SHA environmental initiatives and accomplishments for Chesapeake Bay
restoration to internal and external customers through effective use of training and
web-based messaging and other social media.
Pursuing banking opportunities for project mitigation and TMDL compliance for wetlands,
streams and forests.
Comprehensive drainage infrastructure condition assessment and asset
management system was the first in the country, at a state highway agency
SHA’s comprehensive drainage infrastructure condition assessment and asset management
system was the first in the country, at a state highway agency. SHA “developed a thorough and
duplicable grade-based rating system for stormwater management facilities and has developed
an inventory, database, and photographic record of all facilities statewide and their
maintenance status (those graded A or B are considered functionally adequate).” 25 After
establishing a baseline, SHA set goals.
By 2006, the agency aimed to have 80% or more of the state highway storm water
management facilities rated functionally adequate, and 95% by 2010, goals the agency
exceeded; information in SHA’s drainage management system assists the agency with decisions
on inspection, maintenance, repair, and retro-fit of BMP facilities.26 SHA’s system allows GISbased queries for systems according to the following:27
By individual structure or system and BMPs (e.g., pipes, inlets, manholes, end walls) and their
associated data attributes
By outfall (e.g., size, type)
Within a drainage area
Within a watershed
Within a jurisdiction
Statewide and Roadway contract
SHA’s system also supports hydrologic analysis of the drainage systems for the preparation of
estimates of the quantity and quality of storm water runoff from the ROW, with the goal of
analyzing the effects of changes the agency can conceivably make in storm water management
practices. Initially, SHA scanned existing hard copy plans and located all facilities with GPS.
Now, SHA tries to ensure that its database is automatically updated as water quality facilities
are developed. Upon completion of construction of all stormwater management facilities on
state projects, SHA requires submission of both an As-built Plan Certification Statement and Asbuilt Tabulations.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Maintenance sustainability performance measures in use by the SHA
To ensure ongoing compliance and environmental enhancements “on SHA Highways and at SHA
Facilities,” SHA is integrating “sustainable strategies to maintain SHA highways and facilities in
an environmentally sensitive manner” and is measuring:28
Number of acres of roadside planted/replanted in no/low maintenance groundcovers or native
meadows.
Number of road salt management best practices pilot projects implemented each fiscal year.
Number of staff trained in each district each fiscal year for winter maintenance activities
involving use of road salt.
Number of SHA operations and maintenance staff (sign, signal shops, labs and maintenance
staff) receiving environmental compliance training each fiscal year.
Percentage of stormwater management facilities rated as functionally adequate each fiscal
year.
Number of SHA buildings and maintenance facilities assessed annually.
Number of non-compliance findings for SHA buildings and maintenance facilities.
Number of SHA buildings and maintenance facilities with non-compliance findings.
Number of non-compliance findings addressed according to schedule for SHA buildings and
maintenance facilities.
Percentage of targeted non-compliance findings addressed for SHA buildings and maintenance
facilities.
Acres of Canada thistle identified in SHA right-of-way each calendar year.
Acres of phragmites identified in SHA right-of-way each calendar year.
Acres of Canada thistle treated each calendar year.
Acres of phragmites treated each calendar year.
Number of Partnership Planting projects completed each calendar year.
To help address these priority areas, SHA is moving to a more sustainable vegetation
management approach based on individualized plans for every major highway corridor
(includes US and interstate routes) and a general plan for non-targeted roads based on highway
classification, context, and geographical area. SHA implements Partnership Planting projects to
enhance the appearance of communities adjacent to state highways and has a visual
assessment component of assessment of its stormwater management facilities, where the SHA
maintains a high level of service.
SHA continues to improve invasive species control outcomes through innovative vegetation
management techniques. For water quality and resource savings, SHA is developing and
implementing a plan to manage salt. Environmental Compliance and Stewardship co-chairs also
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
periodically attend SHA maintenance council meetings to facilitate discussion on what and how
the maintenance community is doing to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability.
To mitigate for climate change, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, SHA
is continuing to increase usage of alternative fuels, fleet and congestion management and
emissions reduction strategies in highway maintenance and construction, using the following
performance measures:
Annual percentage increase in use of E-85 in the SHA light fleet.
Annual carbon footprint (CO2e) calculated for total SHA fuel usage.
Annual percentage increase in the number of flex-fuel vehicles added to the SHA fleet each
year.
Annual reduction in GHG resulting from congestion management projects.
Annual usage of alternative fuels.
Percent of fuel usage that is alternative fuel.
Total fuel usage of the SHA light fleet.
SHA is continuing to try to reduce GHG emissions through fuel and fleet management practices,
by adding specs to contracts and requiring contractors to follow contract specifications, and
building an inventory of opportunities for GHG reduction in construction activities. SHA is also
reducing GHG emissions through roadside maintenance policies and activities, including
developing a carbon management program that operates to reduce SHA’s carbon footprint
while saving energy and enhancing sustainability credentials.
SHA’s Climate Change Adaptation efforts include implementation of strategies to manage SHA
assets, modify business practices and adapt infrastructure to climate change. The agency is
working on developing a long-term strategic climate change plan and working with OOTS to
identify traffic signals vulnerable to power loss and develop plan to provide battery back-up
systems. Measures include:
Number of SHA facilities with adaptation strategies documented in the SHA Climate
Adaptation Plan.
Number of state-maintained lane-miles with adaptation strategies documented in the SHA
Climate Adaptation Plan.
Number of SHA bridges, structures and culverts with adaptation strategies documented in
the SHA Climate Adaptation Plan.
Number of traffic signals where battery back-ups have been installed.
SHA is also adopting a green materials management approach to reduce waste and achieve
higher levels of re-use and recycling, tracking:
Total non-Maryland Recycling Act (MRA) tons recycled each calendar year.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Total MRA tons recycled each calendar year.
MRA recycling rate each calendar year.
Tons of reclaimed concrete aggregate used annually on SHA paving projects to replace
virgin graded aggregate base (GAB).
Tons of fly ash used annually in SHA concrete pavement applications.
Tons of blast furnace slag used annually as aggregate in SHA concrete pavement
applications.
Number of recyclable material applications covered by SHA policies or specifications.
Percent of recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) used annually on SHA paving projects.
(Expressed as a percent of the total hot mixed asphalt (HMA) tonnage placed on
state roadways).
Tons of RAP used annually in HMA on SHA paving projects.
Toward this end, the agency has been creating a recycling clearinghouse/business unit to
coordinate facility and equipment recycling initiatives and to develop policy and programs to
identify resources and uses, create or promote markets, facilitate procurement services and
revenue streams.
To reduce energy consumption for highways and other facilities, SHA has been undertaking an
ongoing process of researching and implementing new technologies and business processes
while continuing to encourage an SHA-wide conservation culture. SHA has been developing an
SHA policy for best management practices to reduce usage and conserve energy in highway
lighting, signage and signals. They are tracking:
Annual percentage reduction in kilowatt hours resulting from LED conversion of traffic signals.
Percentage of poles eliminated each fiscal year under the SHA lighting reduction program.
SHA is also implementing organization-wide energy reduction strategies at facilities.
Audits demonstrate compliance and lead to ongoing improvements
MDOT developed a voluntary Self-Audit Program in cooperation with EPA region 3, a first in the
nation to continually assess, correct and improve operational practices that may impact the
environment. The self-audit program helps ensure MDOT's compliance with all applicable
federal, state and local regulations. NYSDOT undertakes a self-audit now as well.
MDOT ensures multi-media audits are performed at all 109 facilities and storage yards for all
modes of transportation, including ports and aviation. These involve third party inspections
and disclose the findings publicly.
MDOT built their facilities and compliance EMS on the results of the audit, which was also used
to justify increased capital and maintenance funding. Improvements at the facilities are
ongoing, including those for salt storage facilities, communications towers, sign shops,
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
moveable bridges and materials labs. Performance metrics built into the annual inspections
have led to a healthy competition between the shops to improve housekeeping and
environmental compliance.
Asset management program helps create the business case for maintenance
funding
The MDOT larger asset management program is robust and focused on pavement and large
structure preservation. With their detailed inventory, SHA has a listing of backlogged capital
and maintenance projects that are ready to go, as WSDOT is doing. The agency is then able to
document the business case to justify needed funding. There are still some gaps, but the
program serves the SHA very well.
MDOT has a performance measurement component for compliance in their maintenance
facilities and operations, as well as measures related to vegetation management and invasive
species. Based on these performance measures, MDOT has been able to obtain capital funds
for environmental improvements at their shops, including new tools, storage bins, underground
tanks and stormwater facilities.
SHA and other modes each report on current environmental priorities in Annual
Attainment report
SHA’s current environmental compliance and stewardship goals, performance measures, and
strategies are included in the agency’s business plan. While compliance is at the heart of a
stated goal, SHA’s performance measures go beyond, to effectively “provide a positive
contribution to Chesapeake Bay water quality;” thus the department estimates its pollutants
and doesn’t just track permit violations.
In their 2012 Annual Attainment Report, SHA lists the following initiatives or priorities: 29
Vegetation Management: Continue to expand and enhance the “Mowing for Meadows”
program, which has reduced mowing costs by over $1 million each year and avoided significant
emissions from mowing equipment and pollutant runoff.
Climate Change:
o Develop SHA’s draft adaptation plan/risk policy into a Climate Action Plan
o Continue to track vulnerable transportation assets and climate adaptation measures
o Identify opportunities to address climate change in project development.
Stormwater Management: Develop a draft plan for SHA pollutant load reductions to achieve
Chesapeake Bay Total Maximum Daily Load goals and to safeguard water quality. SHA
identified $55.1 million in the FY2012–FY2017 CTP toward restoration of the Chesapeake Bay
and compliance with Total Maximum Daily Load standards.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
MICHIGAN
Michigan DOT (MDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements,
Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interviews were conducted by phone with:
Steven Cook
Margaret Barondess
Kristin Schuster
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
MDOT’s environmental functions are mostly compliance based, although there is a stewardship
focus as well. For example, MDOT has undertaken joint research efforts with DEQ and DNR to
look at green infrastructure in a partnering effort and in siting DOT mitigation or ecological
investments.
Standard operating procedures routinely address environmental compliance, and a recent audit
of about one-third of the maintenance garages revealed a high level of compliance along with
opportunities for improvement at many others. Michigan DOT has found success teaching
stormwater management expectations along with safety and security procedures and
incorporating stormwater procedures into the latter.
MDOT well understands that their maintenance and operations activities support the economic
leg of the triple bottom line. In the I-94 Corridor from Chicago to Detroit, they are tracking user
delay costs. New software is being used to measure real-time travel speeds down through the
corridor. The specific goal is to avoid delays of more than 40 minutes from Chicago to Detroit
(10 minutes within the SW region, 10 minutes within the university region, and 15 min in
Detroit area). They are assessing how much time it takes to get travel back up to the original
speed when traffic encounters snow removal equipment or a work zone.
Interagency partnership and working group provides support on environmental
issues
MDOT and regulatory agencies developed a Memorandum of Agreement setting up an
interagency committee to address and work on environmental issues. The primary focus is
permitting and the capital program. MDOT has found that the counties often struggle with
some of the environmental aspects because they do not have environmental specialists and are
not active with the committee, which proactively works out some issues. MDOT provides
funding for staff at regulatory agencies to do permitting, increasing the capacity for
environmental reviews, and has refined partnerships in other areas, such as joint resource
mapping and mitigation/enhancement siting.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Training and Communications
Environmental training is focused on regulatory reporting. Most of this is done on the regional
level. Formal stormwater training will be addressed next year, but for now stormwater
management expectations, procedures, and training are combined with safety and security.
Region Resource Specialists provide necessary to the maintenance staff for stormwater and
other environmental guidance as needed.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
Maintenance monitoring focuses on reductions in salt usage and environmental performance at
yards.
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MINNESOTA
Minnesota DOT (MnDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements,
Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interviews were conducted by phone with:
Steve Lund, MnDOT Maintenance Director
Frank Pafko, MnDOT Environmental Director
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
Stewardship culture is well established
MnDOT staff’s local familiarity with and respect for their environment drive their efforts
towards environmental protection. MnDOT’s internal discussions on building a stewardship
culture started over two decades ago, beginning as a follow-up to an NCHRP project where
building an “environmental culture” was discussed.
MnDOT’s stewardship effort began with staff that had an outdoor hunting and fishing
orientation, responding with practical ideas that made sense and that benefited wildlife and
fisheries. The stewardship focus has had a strong “bottom-up” component. Kestrel and
bluebird nesting boxes were constructed and native prairie grasses were established and
maintenance staff helped with controlled burns. MnDOT built a rest area on the shores of a
premier fishery and installed a boat ramp.
Maintenance staff has internalized stewardship concepts and believe in it. MnDOT
Environmental and Maintenance Directors noted that if maintenance staff members think an
(environmental) action makes sense, they will buy into it. The stewardship ethic is reinvigorated by annual messaging in pre-season winter training and road salt symposiums.
There is considerable attention given to stewardship and environmental protection that staff
has picked up on. Acceptance turns into belief and then into expectation. Vegetation
management and wildlife enhancement are accepted practices even to a focus on proper grass
seed selection to reduce future maintenance.
Executive Order focuses current efforts
MnDOT recently combined management directives and previous governor executive orders into
one Executive Order, to refocus the agency’s efforts. MnDOT has a new focus on sustainability,
moving to alternative fuels, reducing carbon footprint, and trying to recycle more.
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MnDOT leadership guided and encouraged stewardship practice with awards
and recognition
MnDOT leaders have used staff recognition and awards to create an atmosphere where sound
environmental work is recognized and encouraged.
The Commissioner recognizes the top
three residencies in an annual ceremony. And, maintenance staff also appreciated
environmental excellence awards and plaques from FHWA, notably for their archaeology
decision support system and for the historic bridge programmatic agreement. The latter
helped bridge engineers take extra care in maintaining what they came to view as “their”
historic bridge.
Training and communications
Environmentally-related training areas include the following: Formal training is conducted for
pesticide application and management of invasive species where MnDOT is beginning to
experiment with biological controls. Other training has been more of a grassroots effort.
MnDOT forestry and vegetation units assist with ongoing problems identifying hazard trees,
controlling emerald ash borer, and advising on erosion control problems. These staff visits
enable one-on-one interaction with the in-house environmental expert and the maintenance
personnel building trust and embedding an environmental awareness in the overall
organization.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance & Accountability
MnDOT tracks salt usage and pesticide application as environmental metrics.
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NEW YORK
New York State DOT (NYSDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements,
Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interviews were conducted on-site and by phone with:
Debra Nelson, Assistant to the Operations Director, NYSDOT
John Rowen, Vegetation and Environmental Program Manager - Maintenance
Kyle Williams, Environmental Science Bureau
Dave Graves, Environmental Sciences Bureau, Water/Ecology Section
Joe Doherty, Roadside Maintenance
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
The transportation network under NYSDOT includes a state and local highway system that
annually handles over 130 billion vehicle miles encompassing more than 113,000 highway miles
and more than 17,400 bridges, an extensive 35,000-mile rail network, 85 public and private
aviation facilities through which more than 80 million people travel each year, over 130 public
transit operators serving more than 80 million passengers each day, and 12 major public and
private ports.
Environmental Initiative
In the late 1990s, NYSDOT embarked on an “Environmental Initiative” to:
Advance State environmental policies and objectives;
Promote an environmental ethic throughout the Department; and
Strengthen relationships with environmental agencies and groups.30
The initiative had three components:
First, NYSDOT funded and implemented a number of “environmental benefit projects” on
property owned by the NYSDOT as a straightforward and visible demonstration of
environmental commitment. These enhancement projects were designed to improve water
quality, restore wetlands, protect fish and wildlife, promote eco-tourism, and enhance
transportation corridors.
Second, NYSDOT initiated an “environmental betterments program” in which specific
environmental improvements were advanced as part of NYSDOT’s capital construction
program. This included landscaping, park amenities, historic preservation, noise barriers,
wetlands, stormwater basins, and wildlife plantings that were funded by local agencies or
groups and were incorporated into NYSDOT capital projects. The “better than before” concept
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became widely influential among DOTs nationwide, and was supported by a video profiling
agency environmental activities around the state. It was used both internally and externally to
build understanding and support of the environmental work the agency could and would do.
Third, NYSDOT committed to “improve its environmental performance” by reducing
environmental toxins, improve air quality, increase the use of recycled materials, and preserve
and enhance New York’s historic and natural character.
The Environmental Initiative required each Region to develop specific work plans on how they
would institute the Environmental Initiative and the three approaches. The Environmental
Initiative was undertaken at the same time the DOT was implementing “Quality through
Participation.” From the main office, the guidance to the regions was broad. Regional staff was
empowered to come back with their specific programs and good ideas in response to the
agency priority areas.
EAB staff tried to maximize their ownership, initiative and enthusiasm; they avoided dictating to
staff and encouraged the staff to think more deeply about how to make changes in their own
work. The program areas had ownership and decided how to implement the initiative. As they
described it, EAB often “re-drew the bulls-eye” based on what they observed and what Regions
suggested, so the Regions did not see it incorporated and understood their concerns and
objectives. The environmental initiative fit with the decentralized nature of the agency. The
Regions owned it and it became part of their culture.
The Environmental Initiative work plans developed by the Regions varied in scope and
complexity. To further support implementation, EAB developed report formats for Regions to
use that tracked progress. Some Regions were clearly further along in their environmental
awareness and in developing environmental benefit and betterment projects. There is always a
certain amount of peer pressure/competitiveness among regions – regions could see what
others were doing and want to “up their game”.
Environmental positions
As the Environmental Initiative progressed, NYSDOT realized that addressing environmental
issues in the permitting design phase did not ensure environmental compliance in Construction
or Maintenance. More support was needed in these critical areas. Consequently, The
Environmental Analysis Bureau (EAB) together with DOT executive management made a
deliberate effort to create environmental positions in Design, Construction, and Maintenance.
The Regional Environmental Coordinators (RECs) in Design, the Construction Environmental
Coordinators (CECs) and the Maintenance Environmental Coordinators (MECs) were established
in all eleven Regions. They are all “coordinators”, not necessarily the environmental “doers.”
Their role is to pull people together, collaborate, come up with solutions, and involve other
people to foster awareness, buy-in, and implement solutions. This is fundamentally a technical
management role, with a high degree of sophistication and responsibility.
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When setting up the MEC positions, it was determined that the positions had to actually be
imbedded in the regional Maintenance units so that the MECs knew, on a day-to- day basis,
what the maintenance staff did and how best to support them. Establishing a senior Civil
Service grade level was critical for the sense of authority and responsibility. NYSDOT believed
the new duties would be very challenging. Candidates for the MEC positions had to be solution
oriented and good communicators in order to collaborate and co-develop improved practical
solutions.
Since establishment the MEC’s have accumulated a wealth of knowledge on what matters to,
and works for, front line staff in construction and maintenance. In addition to “how to”
knowledge with regard to practical implementation of environmental needs and opportunities,
MEC’s have developed longstanding relationships with resource agency staff on the local and
state level, facilitating collaborative relationships that further benefit the department.
Supervisory responsibilities have been added to several of the CEC and MEC positions as their
workload and stature has increased in the Regions.
Another coordination change implemented in 2008 is the establishment of Regional Liaisons
within EAB. Each Regional Liaison is responsible for working closely with assigned Regions to
help address their specific support needs on a daily basis and to help identify statewide
priorities. The Liaisons also travel to the Regions once or twice per year and meet face-to-face
with the Regional Environmental Unit Supervisors, CECs and MECs to discuss needs, challenges,
successes, etc. as a group. As usual, there are standard agendas and written summaries and
follow-ups with identified action items and responsible parties.
Executive support
Having executive level support for any culture change is important and certainly was critical in
expanding the environmental positions into design, construction and maintenance. As EAB
leaders stated, “You need to have the people doing the work fired up to do it, but they will keep
hitting a wall unless mid-level managers get the message and direction from executive
leadership.” NYSDOT started with an Environmental Initiative, environmental policy, and
associated engineering directive. Executives backed this up with funding for additional
environmental technical assistance expertise for Construction and Operations. Further
leadership and executive support extended these initiatives with the agency’s sustainability
policy.
Environmental Policy
In 2000 NYSDOT developed an Environmental Policy, now supplanted by a Sustainability
Policy.31 The Environmental Initiative can now be viewed as an early take on one circle of the
sustainability triple-bottom line that now also focuses on economic competitiveness and social
benefits. This was an evolutionary process.
Sustainability is now in the capital program update. Regions must now address how their
capital projects relate to sustainability and is incorporated into the Department’s preservation
strategy. This helped to make the concept of sustainability more understandable and raised
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awareness. Every region is to have a sustainability and asset management team, developing
common language and approaches.
Green and Blue Highways
NYSDOT continues to integrate environmental stewardship and context-sensitive solutions in its
planning, design, construction and operations. In 2005, the Office of Transportation
Maintenance started Green and Blue Highways as a further grassroots effort to support &
capitalize on field staff insights and capabilities.32 The Green and Blue Highways Initiative is
another of the NYSDOT maintenance program’s evolving efforts to bring environmental
stewardship and sustainability into maintenance activities. The initiative encourages a
stewardship /operations maintenance synergy. Under this program regions and Residencies
annually undertake many spot improvements to improve the environment, such as installation
of nesting boxes for the American Kestrel, an endangered bird of prey, at safe locations on the
right of way - - or providing millings to improve fishing and trailhead parking lots.
Completed projects include:
Planting living snow fence to address the safety issue of blowing/drifting snow on highways
and in maintenance facility yards;
Re-vegetating rights of way with native vegetation;
Improving parking areas with new paving, fencing, and picnic tables for parking area users;
Testing low and no mow grasses to simplify right of way management; and
Using vegetation to screen maintenance facilities.
Training and Communication
Maintenance staff has developed - -and actively participate in - - training that improves the
environment, including courses on: how to design and install living snow fence, stream
restoration, hazardous tree and tree skills and safe and productive herbicide use. Many of these
courses are structured so maintenance staff learns by doing, and much of what the workers do
is provided and explained by the maintenance workers themselves. For example, the living
snow fence class actually installs a living snow fence, which provides future snow and ice
control benefits. A bi-annual report is prepared and shared among the Regions. This way they
can hear about the good things others are doing and consider whether they can do these things
themselves.
NYSDOT also provides internal training for its maintenance managers on building trust,
choosing a leadership style, explaining work, and demonstrating skills, which may be found at.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/trns-maint-train
When the Environmental Initiative was begun, Main Office environmental staff organized
environmental training for regional staff. In setting up stormwater and erosion and sediment
control training around the state, DOT staff members from Design, Construction, and
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Maintenance and other state and federal regulatory agencies were invited. Within the DOT,
the goal was to have Design, Construction and Maintenance staff participate in the courses
together so that they could better understand how stormwater facilities and erosion and
sedimentation control best management practices (BMPs) were designed, how they needed to
be constructed to operate properly, and how they would need to be maintained once turned
over to maintenance forces. This generated good dialogue while helping staff to get to know
one another across functional lines.
Monthly statewide training
Three years ago, NYSDOT Office of Environment initiated an Environmental and Landscape
Architecture Training Series (ELATS). It occurs monthly in the form of a statewide Webinar for
regional staff. There are ELATS Coordinators in every region that facilitate facilities, attendance
lists, and manage CEU and PDH credits. Average attendance is about 130 people, due to the
convenient, regular format and interesting content. RECs, CECs, and MECs frequently
participate. The presentations are also available on the DOT internal website or on CD. The
topics that are selected come from solicited ideas. The topics are focused on Maintenance,
Construction, and Design.
Involving regulatory agencies
NYSDOT EAB staff also makes a deliberate effort to invite state and federal agencies to DOT
training courses so that the regulatory agencies can see what the DOT is doing and to give staff
from the different agencies a chance to get to know one another. This has significantly
improved interagency trust, communication, and coordination; and has been of help when the
inevitable problems arise in the field. DEC, Army Corps, and Adirondack Park Agency staff have
all participated in various trainings. Recent courses were given on the Rosgen Training for
stream restoration. Many RECs and MECs have excellent experience in stream restoration
work. DEC wants to get training out to local agencies on remedial stream work following recent
tropical storms. NYSDOT offered to could help and improve credibility since NYSDOT staff often
more experience with construction than the DEC staff.
Local governments
NYSDOT participates in training for local governments through the Local Technical Assistance
Program (LTAP). The LTAP Center enables local counties, townships, cities and towns to
improve their abilities to maintain roads and bridges under their jurisdiction.
New York State’s LTAP Center provides technical engineering services and training in several
highway-related transportation applications and associated issues to local highway personnel
from rural and small urbanized areas, towns, counties, cities, and villages. NYS LTAP Program
services provide assistance and information to municipal officials and employees responsible
for the maintenance, construction and management of local highways and bridges in New York
State. Technology transfer services are provided through formal instructional classes, delivered
throughout the State and through other means, such as direct mailings, conferences, phone
calls, e-mails, maintenance of a website and reference/library.
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The following technical topics are the subjects of NYS’s LTAP training program:
Asphalt paving principles,
Basics of a good road,
Complete streets,
Planning safer communities for bicyclists and pedestrians,
Effective communications skills for highway and public works officials,
Managing people,
Pavement maintenance,
Power and duties of local highway officials,
Reduction liability for local highway officials,
Road safety fundamentals,
Roadway and roadside drainage,
Signs, small Highways department management,
Snow and ice control operations for local highway departments,
Surveying methods for local highway department, and
Work zone traffic control for local roads.
NYSDOT maintenance staff also participate in the NY Local Roads Program out of Cornell
University, a land grant college. Every June, they conduct a roads school and bring in local
government highway managers, and they put on other programs as well. At a recent meeting,
FHWA contributed and talked about invasive species and living snow fences. Typically when
maintenance does training at the regional or residency level, they invite their regulatory
counterparts to come. The relationships are such that the agencies often invite each other to
field meetings and have regional points of contact, fostering cooperation. 33
Materials and Documentation
The Office of Environment (OOE) develops policies, procedures and technical guidance
materials to Department staff to ensure compliance with State and Federal laws and
regulations. The Environmental Manual (TEM) is a comprehensive source for the Department of
Transportation’s policy, procedure and technical guidance on environmental matters relating to
the planning, design, construction and maintenance of transportation facilities. As such, it is the
basis for most of NYSDOT’s environmental quality assurance, training and continuous
improvement processes. This manual is undergoing revisions.34 Staff clarify reasons and
requirements, along with guidance. As chapters in the TEM are revised, a new section specific
to “Maintenance” is being added. The Guidelines for the Adirondack Park provides additional
interagency (DOT, DEC, APA) direction for the design, construction and maintenance of
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highways and maintenance facilities in the Adirondack Park, a unique area roughly 1/6 th in size
of the State of New York.35
The Environmental Handbook for Transportation Operations is a summary of the environmental
requirements and best practices for maintaining and constructing highways and transportation
systems.36 This handbook is intended to provide NYSDOT personnel with general awareness
and guidance of the primary requirements that apply to the types of activities conducted by
NYSDOT Operations. Achieving the Department’s mission requires NYSDOT to conduct
maintenance, manage equipment, and perform construction activities appropriately to prevent
and/or minimize adverse impacts to the environment. The handbook is updated every two
years.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance & Accountability
GreenLITES integrates sustainability principles into programs and projects
NYSDOT developed the Green-LITES (Leadership In Transportation and Environmental
Sustainability) certification program to help integrate sustainability principles into
transportation using the building industry’s LEED system as a model.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/greenlites The program is used on a continuous basis and formally
ranks capital projects as well as operations and maintenance work on a sub-regional basis, and
all region-wide investments made (and not made) on an annual cycle for internal review and
comparison.
Initially used as a tool for the assessment of environmental sustainability on individual capital
projects, GreenLITES’ potential to address transportation investments across a range of
program areas soon became apparent, and a more holistic approach to the “triple bottom line”
of economy, society, and environment was adopted. As a result, the GreenLITES program now
includes a growing collection of tools (rating systems, spreadsheets, and other metrics) for the
planning and assessment of projects, operational activities, maintenance programs, and
regional investments.
GreenLITES is a transparent, metrics based, self-assessment program to institutionalize triple
bottom line thinking, continuously measure performance, and foster best practices throughout
NYSDOT. GreenLITES also provides an impetus for partnering with others and helps relate
transportation investments to jobs, quality of life, and environmental stewardship. A
continuing work in progress, the program has been implemented in stages, starting with the
September 2008 Green-LITES Project Design Program.
Green-LITES Operations was launched into its pilot year on Earth Day 2009. The program
encourages Transportation Maintenance, Fleet Administration, Traffic, Safety & Mobility, and
Modal Safety and Security to advance sustainability principles in all aspects of DOT’s work. The
GreenLITES Maintenance/Operations Plan Spreadsheet is tied to the Maintenance and
Operations Plan (MOP – Budget development system) and the ongoing March 2010 Regional
Pilot Program. GreenLITES Operations tracks what they have done for the year. NYSDOT has a
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draft Operations Certification Program. https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/greenlites/operations-cert
are also working on a draft Regional Infrastructure Sustainability Elements (RISE) table.
They
Audits
NYSDOT does self-audits to measure compliance with all NYS Department of Environmental
Conservation environmental regulations. The audits are implemented regionally. Typically the
MEC is the audit coordinator.
Other
Working in partnerships to manage watersheds and control invasive species
NYSDOT maintenance staff brings critical perspective and contributions to the many
partnerships. For example, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) is
partnering with other state agencies, resource managers, non-governmental organizations,
industry, resource users, citizens and stakeholders to combat invasive species. Invasive species
are managed statewide through eight Partnerships for Invasive Species Management (PRISM)
managed by NYS DEC. NYSDOT is an active participant and NYSDOT maintenance staff
represents the department on many of the PRISMs. The strategy is to give a reality check to
what is practical and providing grassroots bottom-up input and capacity to management
strategies.
DEC manages Deer Management Units throughout New York State. Each unit has a Citizen Task
Force. Each is directed by DEC and decides what level the deer herd will be managed at in
different units of the state. Sportsmen want deer populations high and farmers want it lower,
as does the DOT for highway safety. Maintenance staff members participate on the citizen task
forces to represent DOTs concerns.
NYSDOT maintenance forces also participate on watershed management groups. NYSDOT
interfaces with the streams more than any other entity, given their 18,000 bridges and one
million culverts. NYSDOT is heavily engaged in the business end of watershed management as
the state agency with “boots and equipment” on the ground.
DOT Maintenance staff also coordinated with DEC staff on the Emerald ash borer and best
management practices to control it. The borer is an invasive species affecting ash trees that
was initially found in the southern part of the state, and DEC has regulatory restrictions on
moving firewood and downed wood. DOT staff had to deal with lots of damaged trees and
wood debris from Tropical Storms Lee and Irene. DOT equipment operator instructors turned
out to be a great resource. They met with DEC staff and were able to show them how certain
DOT wood chippers could chip the fallen wood to a small size that could prevent the spread of
Emerald Ash Borer larvae.
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Proactively Addressing Climate Change
NYSDOT plays an active role in addressing climate change and trying to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions.37 NYSDOT is one of 15 member agencies that comprise the New York Climate Action
Council (CAC). The CAC was created by and is responsible for all charges set forth in Governor’s
Executive Order 24 . NYSDOT sponsors Clean Air NY, a marketing and outreach program in the
New York City metro area to educate travelers about the small changes they can make every
day in their transportation choices. The goal is to reduce the number of vehicular miles traveled
(VMT), thus improving air quality. NYSDOT is working on several fronts to reduce the number of
vehicle miles traveled (VMT). In 2007, NYSDOT displaced more than 750,000 gallons of
petroleum by using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) light-duty vehicles in its fleet.
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NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina DOT (NCDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements,
Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interviews were conducted by phone with:
Julie Hunkins, Director, NCDOT Office of Environmental Quality
Ken Pace, Environmental Operations and Rest Area
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
NCDOT has environmental sensitivity in its mission statement and the agency has an
environmental stewardship policy. NCDOT’s mission was broadened recently and now states:
“Connecting people and places, safely and efficiently, with accountability and environmental
sensitivity to enhance the economy, health and well-being of North Carolina”. 38 Customer
expectations include protection of natural resources as well as the cultural and social values of
their communities. 39
NCDOT has 14 statewide divisions, 100 counties, and different types of roadways. All fourteen divisions have
environmental staff that serve environmental program delivery roles. Division Environmental Officers handle
resource agency permitting and provide some
construction oversight for permit compliance,
particularly for Section 401 and 404 permits. The
Division Environmental Officers have varying reporting
structures within the Divisions. Some report directly
to the Division Engineer, or are staffed directly to
Maintenance, Construction or Operations Sections
within the divisions.
NCDOT’s
stewardship
activities
in
maintenance started with erosion and
sedimentation control in the 1970s and a
delegated erosion and sedimentation control
program, with performance tracking.
Environmental
stewardship
and
sustainability, with continuous improvement,
are the agency’s way of doing business.
NCDOT has an Integrated Vegetation
Management (IVM) Policy with associated
manuals and training programs. If protected
species sites are identified, they avoid or
specially manage those sites. NCDOT also
has its own National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Individual Permit that allows the
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Department to discharge general roadway and railway drainage, non-roadway drainage,
construction stormwater, borrow pit wastewater and stormwater associated with industrial
activities. NCDOT has a strong environmental compliance program rooted in its state water
quality program and Integrated Vegetation Management for roadsides, backed up by strong
training and state of the art procedures for these topic areas.
Progress in other areas of environmental stewardship and sustainability is following these
models, and NCDOT has made a significant investment in the development of a framework that
will support the integration of sustainability throughout the department’s policies, projects,
programs and services. The Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) at NC State
University has provided research, analysis, synthesis and support for the development of the
framework, which includes triple-bottom line Principles and Objectives, as well as performance
metrics.
Communication and Training
NCDOT continuously provides training to its maintenance staff through various initiatives.
There are formal training programs and operations manuals for IVM, Erosion and Sediment
Control, and Stormwater Management. NCDOT requires its contractors and maintenance staff
that perform erosion and sediment control functions to maintain an Erosion and Sediment
Control/Stormwater certification. There are three training levels for this program: Level 1 – for
crew supervisors who manage the installation of erosion and sediment control on project
construction sites, Level 2 – supervisors who manage grading work, culvert replacement work
and bridge construction, and Level 3 – for those with design responsibilities.
Stormwater Pollution Prevention training is provided to operations staff in the NCDOT facilities,
including training on salt management, good housekeeping, and spill containment. Educational
flyers are periodically distributed to county maintenance facilities to educate staff on
stormwater pollution prevention. An example is a flyer entitled “Stormwater, What’s My
Connection” pointing out different ways maintenance activities could impact water resources.
NCDOT also has a Continuous Improvement Program with an environmental stewardship
category that encourages staff to submit ways to do work more efficiently and in a more
environmentally responsible manner. Staff are encouraged to identify the problems they are
trying to solve and to quantify the difference that their new process or standard would make.
NCDOT has a “Fail quickly, scale quickly” motto that encourages getting innovative ideas out
there quickly so staff can try them and see if they are effective. The program scales across
divisions and the state and provides recognition for staff. Quantifying the benefits has been
challenging. Improvement efforts have been focused mainly on saving time and money.
NCDOT is also looking at other benefits, including safety, public health, injury avoidance, and
improved water quality or habitat.
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Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
NCDOT compliance metrics are rolled up through the counties, the divisions, and to executive
staff and are reported to the public on NCDOT’s Organizational Performance Dashboard; this
underscores NCDOT’s commitment to accountability and transparency. NCDOT tracks internal
corrective actions. The E&S Control program has been so successful that it is ingrained in the
culture. Managers and supervisors understand the environmental significance of maintaining
the delegated program. Some sustainability benefits and objectives will be in alignment with
the current executive dashboard and will compare outputs versus outcomes.
From the secretary’s level down, NCDOT has excellent managers who provide leadership and
articulate the need to work together with an emphasis on environmental stewardship. Staff
has had environmental metrics included in their performance reviews for the past 4 years.
NCDOT has embarked on a number of efforts that are helping them do a better job on
environmental issues in maintenance. Their E&S Control program set the stage for the
stewardship policy and having it make sense to staff. The policy translated into focused training
– policy, process, guidance, and performance metrics.
Condition Assessment
NCDOT conducts a Maintenance Condition Assessment on a two-year cycle to evaluate the
condition of the state’s highway infrastructure. In addition to the evaluation of bridges,
pavements and various roadside elements, these assessments report on the condition of
vegetative elements and overall environmental quality. NCDOT reviews selected road segments
of its 80,000 miles of highway for erosion and sediment control, vegetation control and
conducts inspections of structural stormwater controls. Whenever land-disturbing activities
occur in projects, field inspection staff check on erosion and sediment control practices and
give a LOS rating or compliance score.
There are 120 stormwater pollution prevention plans (SPPP) in place at NCDOT facilities. They
have well established Best Management Practices (BMPs), guidance manuals and training, and
an online SPPP compliance reporting system so they can track compliance from a central
location. They recently integrated a spill prevention, control and counter measure (SPCC)
system that can also be tracked online. Central office managers can go to an online website for
each facility and see where they are at in terms of compliance.
Other
Sustainability principles guide ongoing green improvements and programs
NCDOT considers sustainability in terms of both the natural environment and in human
concerns for safety, aesthetics and multi-modal facilities. In their resurfacing program and
consistent with NCDOT’s Complete Streets implementation, NCDOT is looking at how to restripe the road differently to accommodate multi-modal use while improving safety. They are
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using biofuels in their vehicle fleet. They are greening their rest areas and have one gold, LEEDCertified rest area.
NCDOT was instrumental in developing the “Drive Green/Save Green”
campaign, which was scaled up through the I-95 corridor last year. NCDOT also provides
teaching materials relating to stormwater management and initiated a river basin signing
program through a partnership with the NC Department of Environment and Natural
Resources.
NCDOT developed an initial video on sustainability. It provides some examples, including a
vegetation management effort to plant slow and low growing turf grass to lower the frequency
of the mowing cycle, improve work safety and reduce emissions. NCDOT also has a clear zone
improvement program where larger trees are removed and replaced with small native
flowering trees (dogwoods, red buds) and native grasses. They are researching carbon
sequestration. They planted canola in the ROW near one of the biofuels facilities to draw
attention to the issue and are participating in educational outreach to draw attention to green
industries in NC.
As the sustainability program progresses, NCDOT is asking about how to incentivize good
results. They may revamp their continuous improvement program categories to fit
sustainability principles. Currently, there is also legislated program, called NCThinks, where
staff can submit a basic improvement ideas; if it is subsequently chosen for a pilot and if there
are cost savings that accrue, then the employee can receive a certain percentage of the actual
cost savings, or get a few days off, or get a combination thereof; but it has been difficult to
quantify the actual cost savings and cannot be used if federal money is involved.
Positions in state and federal resource agencies
NCDOT funds about 25 positions in state and federal resource agencies (including NC
Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NC Department of Wildlife, NC Cultural
Resources, NC Coastal Resources, USFWS, USEPA). Maintenance field staff has a good
understanding of when to involve NCDOT environmental staff and the resource agencies. The
federal agencies work with NCDOT in the NEPA process. NCDOT upholds their responsibilities
and commitments on the maintenance end so as not to affect project delivery. At all levels,
the relationship and trust NCDOT has developed across the agency and with the resource
agency partners is important.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
OREGON
Oregon DOT (ODOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements, Stewardship,
and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
This interview was conducted on-site and by phone with:
Patti Caswell, ODOT Maintenance Environmental Section Manager
With follow-up with:
Luci Moore, ODOT Maintenance Manager
Margi Lifsey Bradway, Sustainability Program Manager
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
In the 1990s, Oregon DOT focused a high degree of attention to the environment and a number
of their programs achieved and retain national prominence. A key step was the ODOT’s 4(d)
exemption for routine road maintenance work to comply with the federal Endangered Species
Act (ESA). Their Water Quality and Habitat Guide Best Management Practices for Routine Road
Maintenance was a condition for National Marine Fisheries Service exempting ODOT from the
take prohibition on salmonids (allowed under Section 4(d) of the Endangered Species Act), per
the BMPs outlined. The “Blue Book” was initially completed in 1997-98 and was one of the
DOTs first programmatic approaches, initiating a standard of practice across maintenance. Now
it is updated every five years, the latest version dated 2009.
To develop the programmatic standards contained in the guide, ODOT convened a collaborative
process to develop the BMPs and ensure they would meet the intent of environmental
regulations that protect water quality and fish habitat, and be workable for maintenance
forces. ODOT developed color-coded GIS mapping of restricted area management zones for
various maintenance activities that noted which activities were restricted or subject to caution
in sensitive environmental areas. The system ODOT remains a national best practice.
Environmental staff assist Maintenance forces
Each of ODOT’s five Regions has at least one Region Environmental Coordinator (REC), who
provides direct support for both construction project development and maintenance
projects/work.
Each Region has technical experts in biology, wetlands, and other
environmental disciplines. ODOT has a well-established process for coordination between
environmental staff and maintenance staff, so that consultation occurs as needed. Region 5 is
the only region with REC dedicated to providing support to Maintenance, without added
construction project development responsibilities. The Statewide Office of Maintenance and
Operations provides statewide policy and standards including the development of statewide
programmatic agreements that benefit maintenance, such as the blue book. Additional
support is provided by ODOT Technical Services Branch, which houses the Geo Environmental
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Section (GE). ODOT GE provides technical support for biology, wetlands, NEPA, and Erosion
and Sediment Control.
At the Statewide Office of Maintenance and Operations, ODOT staffs a management position
that is responsible for overseeing, among other things, Maintenance environmental initiatives,
including the ODOT Environmental Management System for Maintenance Yards (EMS) and who
is involved in ODOT’s sustainability planning. The statewide office has six staff that work on
environmental issues, among other things; one focused on roadside Integrated Vegetation
Management (IVM), two foresters for hazard tree identification and timber sales, and three
water quality specialists. Environmental staff members provide training on winter deicing
chemicals, Storm water (MS4), and Environmental Management System (EMS).
ODOT has a Sustainability Plan in Volume 2 of their EMS focusing on the seven key areas
covered by an audit the agency performed. This plan provides support and direction for
sustainability efforts. ODOT has incorporated sustainability goals for maintenance in the larger
agency Plan supported by a formal Environmental Management System (EMS) in Maintenance.
Resources related to ODOT’s EMS are available at http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OOM/EMS.shtml,
Communication and Training
Biannual full day training in spring and fall
As part of the ODOT Maintenance academy ODOT conducts full-day environmental training
twice a year to new maintenance employees, in spring and fall, where ODOT policies, goals, and
practice are discussed. Managers and peers show PowerPoints and give “practicals” on how to
keep appropriate records as well as additional training on erosion and sediment control (ESC).
Further communication occurs through newsletters celebrating the good work staff is doing.
Environmental and safety focused newsletters are sent to staff twice a year. They address
everything from why a clean, safe maintenance yard is desirable to how to safely handle
materials commonly found in maintenance yards such as mercury-containing light bulbs. The
newsletters list the staff that participated in EMS regional audits and thank them for their great
work.
EMS training, focused on the use, storage, and disposal of materials commonly found in
maintenance yards is for maintenance managers, coordinators, and crew leaders, and the key
person who does the monthly EMS paperwork.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
ODOT’s Maintenance Environmental Management System (EMS) provides a pathway for
achieving and tracking stewardship objectives. As ODOT’s Maintenance & Operations
Leadership Team stated in their March 2009 letter, ODOT’s Environmental Management
System (EMS) Policy and Procedures Manual represents a commitment by them and the
agency. “The EMS is a cornerstone of the Maintenance commitment in the ODOT Sustainability
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Plan, identifying and implementing recycling options, increasing the use of recycled materials,
and expanding the use of alternative products.” 40
ODOT’s EMS system facilitates an understanding of priorities by dividing actions into “must,”
per ODOT policy or state/federal regulation, those that are “should” and those that are
“recommended.”
Audits
ODOT Office of Maintenance and Operations keeps metrics are based on the audits of the
seven priority areas, which they conduct every three years for each of the 103 maintenance
yards. Every maintenance yard is audited at least once every 3 years, with about 35 of the 103
yards audited each year. The audits focus on oil use and management, fuel, aerosols, lighting,
winter maintenance chemicals, drainage, and pesticides.
ODOT environmental leaders find that the audits provide a good opportunity to talk about the
program and its intent at a higher level and compare targets and objectives to on-the-ground
results. It is great opportunity for folks in the statewide Office of Maintenance and Operations
to meet face-to-face with the maintenance staff to hear their concerns and learn their
perspective and issues.
At ODOT, District Managers must be present during EMS audits. There is a department policy
encouraging managers to recognize employees for their good work in EMS. “Driving Force
Awards” are given to deserving staff.
While all ODOT maintenance yards are recognized as conditionally exempt under hazardous
waste management regulations, ODOT maintenance staff routinely complete waste generation
and disposal logs. Thus, the EMS has helped the agency to meet a higher standard than
environmental compliance alone would dictate.
ODOT has found that EMS implementation is more efficient, consistent, and reliable if one
person does the monthly paperwork for the whole crew, as it takes some specialty knowledge
to learn how to do the paperwork correctly. The downside is other staff may not be relied
upon
to
learn,
know
and
implement
the
program.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Complete EMS Manual available
Oregon DOT’s entire EMS manual is available on the web as well, for other DOTs to use. It
represents both an investment and a resource.
1.1 Storage
1.2 Materials Handling
1.3 Wastes
1.4 Empty Containers
1.5 Absorbents and Spills
1.6 Secondary Containers
2. LABELS AND SIGNS
2.1 Identification Labels
2.2 Hazard Warning Labels and Signs
2.3 Signs on Buildings, Room or Cargo
Containers
2.4 Signs and Posted Permits at ODOT
Fueling Stations
2.5 Labels on Containers and Tanks
3. TANKS
3.1 Stationary (Fixed Location) Tanks
3.2 Mobile Tanks
4. DRAINAGE AND WATER QUALITY
4.1 Stormwater Conveyances
4.2 Septic Systems
4.3 Wastewater Discharges
4.4 Water Treatment
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
5A EMS MATERIAL SPECIFIC PROCEDURES
5.1 Aerosol Cans
5.2 Asphalt Paving Products
5.3 Automotive Fluids and Parts
5.4 Batteries
5.5 Cleaning Products
5.6 Compressed Gas
5.7 Electronic Equipment and Computers
5.8 Epoxy
5.9 Equipment and Fleet
5.10 Fertilizer and Lime
5B EMS MATERIAL SPECIFIC PROCEDURES
5.11 Fuel
5.12 Lighting
5.13 Oil
5.14 Paint
5.15 Pavement Marking
5.16 Pesticide
5.17 Propane
5.18 Roadwaste
5.19 Solvent
5.20 Treated Timber
5.21 Winter Maintenance Chemicals
ACRONYMS
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
DEFINITION OF TERMS
CROSS REFERENCE
EMS APPENDICES
APPENDIX A–Legal Citations
APPENDIX B–Blank EMS Documents
APPENDIX C–Maintenance EMS Monthly
Audit
APPENDIX D–Waste Logs and Waste
Characterization
APPENDIX E–Waste Cheat Sheet
APPENDIX F–ODOT Hazardous
Communication
APPENDIX G–Chemical Compatibility
APPENDIX H–Spills
APPENDIX I–DEQ Fact Sheets and Policy
Sheets
APPENDIX J–Permitted Landfills
APPENDIX K–Spill Prevention Control and
Countermeasures
APPENDIX L–Poly Tanks
APPENDIX M–Roadwaste
APPENDIX N–Oregon State Fire Marshal
APPENDIX O–Brake and Clutch Work
APPENDIX P–Fueling
APPENDIX Q–Used Oil Transfers
APPENDIX R–Pesticide Containers
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Primary Forms
Monthly Field Audit
Corrective Action (page 1)
Corrective Action (page 2)
Waste Generation Log (blank)
Waste Generation Log (started)
Waste Disposal Log
Other Forms (as needed)
Poly Tank Inspection - Stationary
Poly Tank Inspection - Transport
Poly Tank Inventory
Used Oil Transfer
Waste Profile
Emergency Contacts
Spill Response
EMS Crew-level Course Outline
Self Check for the Waste Generation Logs
Other
Budgets reflect environmental concern
The Statewide Maintenance Engineer and each District Manager work on an annual budget that
includes a facilities inventory and maintenance BMPs to address environmental needs and
priorities. Maintenance tracks and posts how much money they spent on ditch cleaning every
quarter, but they lack more granular data on the stormwater facilities that they have been
routinely maintaining for years. ODOT tracks expenditure and work by section of highway they
maintain and type of activity (e.g., culvert cleaning, etc), but not always specifically work by
facility type (such as stormwater treatment facility).
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State DOT (WSDOT) Case Study on Incorporation of Environmental Requirements,
Stewardship, and Sustainability into Highway Maintenance Programs
Interviews were conducted in person and by phone with:
Greg Selsted, Assistant State Maintenance Engineer
Chris Christopher, Maintenance and Operations Director
Megan White, Environmental Office
Carol Lee, Environmental Policy
Gregor Myer, Maintenance Environmental, Water Quality
Rico Baroga, Maintenance Performance Measurement
Seth Stark, Sustainability
Ray Willard, Roadside Maintenance
Structure, Culture, and Staffing
Strategic Goals and Where Sustainability Fits In
In 2007, the Governor and Legislature enacted a law establishing five policy goals for
transportation agencies in Washington State (Chapter 516, Laws of 2007). The five statewide
transportation policy goals initially developed include:
Safety: To provide for and improve the safety and security of transportation customers and the
transportation system;
Preservation: To maintain, preserve, and extend the life and utility of prior investments in
transportation systems and services;
Mobility (Congestion Relief): To improve the predictable movement of goods and people
throughout Washington;
Environment: To enhance Washington’s quality of life through transportation investments that
promote energy conservation, enhance healthy communities, and protect the
environment;
Stewardship: To continuously improve the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of the
transportation system.
In March 2010, the Governor and Legislature added a new policy goal for transportation:
Economic Vitality. It directs WSDOT to “promote and develop transportation systems that
stimulate, support, and enhance the movement of people and goods to ensure a prosperous
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
economy.” WSDOT is developing the necessary business direction plans through the agency’s
strategic planning process.
WSDOT responds to the environmental standards of a very aware populace and reports their
performance to environmental agencies and the public, in reports, in the press, and in the
agency’s nationally acclaimed Gray Notebook.
Regional Maintenance Environmental Coordinators
WSDOT funds Regional Maintenance Environmental Coordinators (RMECs) to support
maintenance forces and provide technical assistance. RMECs also serve as contacts for
WSDOT’s Environmental Compliance Assurance Procedure (ECAP) for Maintenance Work
Activities. In addition to other Regional environmental staff, WSDOT also has a full complement
of environmental specialists serving the entire state at headquarters, in addition to funded
positions or liaisons at state and federal resource agencies.
Permit compliance
WSDOT has a well-established stewardship focus. Permit compliance has also been a big
emphasis over the last decade. WSDOT environmental staff members work closely with
maintenance staff to assure compliance with permit conditions and project commitments.
Permit compliance helped motivate WSDOT to develop systems to assure that project
commitments and permit conditions were conveyed to maintenance and that the needed
“follow through” occurred. Compliance parameters have been important in establishing
priorities and what the agency will measure. For example, in the past WSDOT was not
maintaining water quality facilities at the prescribed interval because it was not really
“required” to do so.
The new NPDES clarifies expectations of the department, and maintenance planning staff
members are helping to translate those requirements into costs. As WSDOT’s maintenance
leaders described, “While crews understand the value of installing and maintaining a BMP,
budget priorities and the tight linkage between that and organizational performance objectives
guide their approach to their responsibilities.” WSDOT recently spent $4-5 million installing
hundreds of water quality best management practices (BMPs).
Further, WSDOT has
committed funding to maintain and monitor these BMPs and to keep necessary records to
demonstrate that they met their commitments to maintain these facilities.
Training and Communication
The Vegetation Management section has a training program focused on weed control.
Endangered species concerns led the need for compliance 15 years earlier. Now, the crews are
trained and experienced in species identification and can better target control practices. IVM
has developed intelligent, targeted/tailored programs for the roadsides, tailored to each
District, using trained professionals.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
WSDOT conducts an annual day and a half Westside-Eastside Conference in the spring. This
involves training sessions and staff gets continuing education credits that help maintenance
staff retain their herbicide applicators’ licenses. Over the last decade, licensed applicators have
moved into supervisory positions improving awareness and acceptance of environmental
stewardship.
Systems, Practice, Quality Assurance and Accountability
WSDOT tracks fish passage improvements and culvert barriers removed, as well as the number
of stream miles above the removed barrier subsequently opened up as potential habitat for the
target species. WSDOT also tracks herbicide use and the beneficial use of recycled materials, as
well as noncompliance events. The agency also correlated the number of dead deer
maintenance forces were picking along the highways with “investments in fencing specialized
roadside reflectors, wildlife crossings, and flashing signs to make inferences regarding the
effectiveness of these efforts.”41, but this is just a small part of a large effort,
Gray Notebook
At WSDOT, a new level of data collection and analysis began with a series of legislative
mandates and transitioned into performance measurement over the course of the decade over
which their “Gray Notebook” expanded and continued to build on WSDOT’s legacy of data
collection and systems analysis. Performance measures focus on multi-modal system
performance and includes organizational performance reports for select topics such as project
delivery and worker safety.
Annually, WSDOT uses well over 100 specific performance measures in its accountability
reporting that encompass all key agency mandates, functions, and transportation modes.
Internally, the performance measures have become a core management tool and cultural
philosophy at WSDOT – “What gets measured gets managed.” WSDOT reports on performance
to multiple audiences through several mechanisms.
In particular, WSDOT must report on attainment or progress toward Strategic Plan objectives:
Attainment Report (OFM). The Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM)
ensures objectives and performance measures are set for state goals and reports on
attainment to the Governor and Legislature each biennium.
WSDOT Strategic Plan (WSDOT) is the agency’s primary business documentation provided to
OFM, the Legislature, and the Governor. In it, WSDOT provides a six year outlook on
agency financial obligations and priorities, utilizing performance measures found in the
OFM Attainment Report, POG, and GMAP. The Strategic Plan has specific, measurable
objectives for each of the six transportation policy goals. The document is updated
every two years to be reflective of past performance, and the direction that WSDOT will
take in the next six years. Strategic plan and OFM work is informed by an investment
prioritization process, supported by workgroups composed of government agency and
private sector representatives that identify results that citizens expect from government
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
and evaluate the performance of state agency activities and services against those
expected results.
WSDOT Accountability website includes a performance measure index, GNB Archive,
Performance Audits, and updates for the Attainment Report, GMAP, and the Strategic
Plan.
Budget cycle
WSDOT has made the budget system responsive to the agency’s maintenance objectives and
responsibilities and has successfully documented maintenance backlogs and the need to do
more preventive maintenance. Similarly, compliance parameters have been important in
establishing priorities and measurement related to environmental matters. Maintenance
funding is accompanied by record-keeping requirements and accountability; compliance and
progress are expected. This is building a culture of accountability and performance metrics, as
well as increasingly responsible environmental stewardship.
In the budget cycle, WSDOT’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit
is a major driver, with explicit requirements for maintenance of catch basins, swales, etc., and
WSDOT’s Maintenance Management System for inspection and maintenance of catch basins
and stormwater treatments, called Highway Activity Tracking System or HATS will help provide
the needed information. By monitoring performance and reporting back through the budget
process, WSDOT management “closes the loop” and documents WSDOT’s progress both in
maintaining the system and complying with environmental permits and expectations
Automated data systems
To respond to maintenance staff needing to do more with less, WSDOT is trying to implement
more automated data systems. GPS/AVL equipment has been installed on about half of the
fleet and provides real-time location, condition recording, materials use, and application rates.
The data is sent to a vendor and the vendor feeds the WSDOT database. WSDOT is doing this
with striping trucks, vacuum trucks, and snow and ice treatment.
For field staff managing many functional elements across broad geographic areas, WSDOT has
developed systems staff can use to retrieve information on the work that was done and to
serve as a basis for lessons learned and establishing new priorities. Within their IVM program,
WSDOT tracks key locations on an annual cycle, evaluates completed work, and refines work
plans. WSDOT’s NPDES stormwater permit requires inspection and maintenance of all BMPs
annually. An inventory of all the catch basins is now being compiled and a tracking system put
in place to monitor it. WSDOT anticipates this will produce valuable information on
maintenance practices and needs.
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Other
Passing on environmental commitments from construction to maintenance
WSDOT has ECAP – Environmental Compliance Assurance Procedures, which was developed “to
avoid environmental problems that could occur during highway maintenance activities and to
understand the appropriate response measures to prevent violations.” 42 The procedure is a
supplement to the Programmatic Field Book for Maintenance Work and serves as ECAP for
maintenance as provisioned in WSDOT General HPA permits and consistent with Chapter 790
Implementing Environmental Commitments of the WSDOT Environmental Procedures Manual
(EPM).43
Environmental commitments made in the capital program are passed on to maintenance staff
for long-term compliance and monitoring. At the regional level, when a non-compliance event
occurs, the violation quickly gets communicated up for action and resolution. The situation is
examined for lessons learned to help assure it doesn’t happen again. ECAP also includes the
contact information for Regional Maintenance Environmental Coordinators.
1
Caltrans Maintenance Stormwater Pollution Prevention Bulletins.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/env/stormwater/publicat/maintain/.
2
Colorado DOT. Environmental Stewardship Guide. 2003.
http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/environmental/resources/guidance-standards/esguide5-1205prepress.pdf/view
3
Colorado DOT, Operating Principles, 2009. http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/statewideplanning/documents/Transportation%20Commission%20Planning%20Policies.pdf
4
CDOT Transportation Environmental Resources Council, CDOT website.
http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/environmental/transportation-environmental-resources-council-terc
5
TERC Sustainability Workshop recommendations.
http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/environmental/transportation-environmental-resources-councilterc/TSSC%20Final%20Recommend%20to%20TERC%20063011.pdf
6
TERC Sustainability Workshop Tools.
7
Colorado DOT Water Quality BMP training facility description.
http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/environmental/water-quality/bmp-training-facility
8
CDOT annual performance report.
http://www.coloradodot.info/library/AnnualReports/FINAL%20FY11%20Annual%20Performance%20Report.pdf/vi
ew
9
CDOT wildlife crossing structures and data collection. CDOT website.
http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/environmental/wildlife/data
10
Florida DOT Environmental Manual, http://www.dot.state.fl.us/emo/pubs/pdeman/pdeman1.shtm.
11
Michael Salmon, Jeanette, Wyneken, “Impacts of Coastal Roadway Lighting on Endangered and Threatened Sea
Turtles,” prepared for the Florida Department of Transportation, April 2003. http://www.dot.state.fl.us/researchcenter/Completed_Proj/Summary_EMO/FDOT_BB850_rpt.pdf
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
12
FHWA Successes in Stewardship Newsletter, “Installing Turtle-Friendly Lighting on Florida’s Coastal Roadways,”
May 2012, http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/strmlng/newsletters/may12nl.asp.
13
FHWA Successes in Stewardship Newsletter, “Installing Turtle-Friendly Lighting on Florida’s Coastal Roadways,”
May 2012, http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/strmlng/newsletters/may12nl.asp.
14
FHWA, Maintaining Native Ecosystems on Florida's Kate Ireland Parkway, 2008.
http://environment.fhwa.dot.gov/ecosystems/eei/fl08-kate.asp
15
MDSHA Tree Preservation initiatives, http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=325.
16
MDSHA Tree Preservation initiatives, http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=325.
17
MDSHA Tree Planting Partnership Program, http://www.roads.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=321.
18
Maryland State DOT, Environmental Policy,
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Office%20of%20Environmental%20Programs/EnvironmentalPolicy.html
19
Maryland DOT, Office of Environmental Programs Resource Links, Smart Green & Growing Initiative,
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Office%20of%20Environmental%20Programs/EnvironmentalResources.html
20
Venner, M. “Measuring Environmental Performance at State Transportation Agencies,” National Academies
Transportation Research Record, National Academy of Sciences, Volume 1859 / 2003, p. 17.
21
Sonal Sanghavi, MDSHA manager, Environmental Compliance Division, EMS presentation, May 2006. Cited in
Sanghavi, et al., “Current DOT Environmental Management System (EMS) Development Efforts,” Transportation
Research Record, National Academy of Sciences, 2007.
22
Maryland State Highway Administration Performance Excellence Division, Fiscal Year 2012-2015 business plan,
http://www.marylandroads.com/oc/shabusinessetnl.pdf.
23
Maryland DOT, 2012 Attainment Report Highlights and Previous Reports, web page,
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Office%20of%20Planning%20and%20Capital%20Programming/Dashboard/AR_Hi
ghlights.html.
24
Maryland DOT, 2012 Attainment Report Highlights.
25
Venner, M. “Maintenance Quality Management and Environmental Stewardship: Best Practices in Information
Management and Decision Support,” National Academies Transportation Research Record, Volume 1911, 2005, p.
7.
26
Ibid.
27
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Procedure Manual. Maryland State Highway Administration,
Hanover, Md., Jan. 2001, updated.
28
MDSHA, Performance Excellence Division, FY 2012-2015 business plan.
29
Maryland State Highway Administration Performance Excellence Division, FY 2012-2015 business plan,
www.marylandroads.com/oc/shabusinessetnl.pdf.http://www.marylandroads.com/oc/shabusinessetnl.pdf
30
NYSDOT Environmental Initiative statement. https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/environmentalanalysis/environmental-initiative/environmental-initiative-statement
31
NYSDOT Sustainability Policy. https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/greenlites/sustainability
32
NYSDOT Operations and Maintenance, Blue and Green Highways Initiative.
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/greenlites/repository/Green%20and%20Blue%20Highways%20Report%20for%
202008-9%20and%202009-10.pdf
33
http://www.clrp.cornell.edu/TrainingEvents/bridgeConference.htm
36
NYSDOT, Environmental Handbook for Transportation Operations,
https://www.dot.ny.gov/divisions/engineering/environmental-analysis/repository/oprhbook.pdf
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
37
https://www.dot.ny.gov/programs/climate-change
38
NCDOT Environmental Policy, 2002. http://www.ncdot.gov/performance/missiongoals/.
http://www.ncdot.gov/programs/environment/download/environmental_policy.pdf
39
NCDOT Environmental Policy, 2002.
http://www.ncdot.gov/programs/environment/download/environmental_policy.pdf
40
Maintenance & Operations Leadership Team, March 2009 Letter, 3-year M&O EMS Re-evaluation,
http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/OOM/EMSdoc/Letter.pdf.
41
WSDOT Gray Notebook: “Measures, Markers, and Mileposts,” archived quarterly at
www.wsdot.wa.gov/accountability/default.htm.
42
WSDOT, Environmental Compliance Assurance Procedures for Maintenance Activities,
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/6928F8C8-EA65-4F08-A473-F794562C0817/0/ECAP.pdf
43
WSDOT Environmental Manual, Implementation of Environmental Commitments during Maintenance and
Operations, p. 790. http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/4F8AE3D2-5619-48CA-80635D1F6802`A4ED/0/MaintenanceECAP.pdf
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
NCHRP Project 25-25, Task 73
FY 2011
Research for the AASHTO
Standing Committee on the Environment
Improved Environmental Performance of Highway
Maintenance
Appendix D – Acronyms and Abbreviations
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NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Acronym
Definition
AASHTO
American Association of State Highway
and Transportation Officials
APA
American Planning Association
BMP
Best Management Practice
Caltrans
California DOT
CARB
California Air Resources Board
CDOT
Colorado DOT
CEC
Construction Environmental Coordinator
CNG
Compressed Natural Gas
CTE
Center for Transportation and the
Environment (NC)
DEC
Department of Environmental
Conservation (NY)
DNR
Department of Natural Resources (MD)
DOT
Department of Transportation
E-85
Gasoline with 85% Ethanol
EAB
Environmental Analysis Bureau (NYSDOT)
ECAP
Environmental Compliance Assurance
Procedure
ELATS
Environmental Landscape Architecture
Training System (NYSDOT)
EMS
Environmental Management System
EPM
Environmental Procedures Manual
ESA
Endangered Species Act (Federal)
D-81
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Acronym
Definition
ESC
Erosion and Sediment Control
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
FDEP
Florida Department of Environmental
Protection
FDOT
Florida DOT
FHWA
Federal Highway Administration
FY
Fiscal Year
GHG
Green House Gas
GIS
Geographic Information Systems
GPS
Global Positioning System
GPS/AVL
Global Positioning System/
Automatic Vehicle LocationHPA - Historic
Preservation Act
HPA
IVM
Integrated Vegetation Management
LED
Light Emitting Diode
LOS
Level of Service
M&O
Maintenance and Operations
MDOT
Michigan or Maryland DOT
MEC
Maintenance Environmental Coordinator
MMS
Maintenance Management System
MnDOT
Minnesota DOT
MOP
Maintenance and Operations Plan
(NYSDOT)
MS4
Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System
D-82
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Acronym
Definition
(MS4) Permits
MSDS
Maintenance Support Decision System or
Material Safety Data Sheet
NCDOT
North Carolina DOT
NCHRP
National Cooperative Highway Research
Program
NEPA
National Environmental Policy Act
NGO
Non Government Organization
NPDES
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System
NYSDOT
New York State DOT
ODOT
Oregon DOT
PDH
Professional Development Hour
PM
Project Manager
RAP
Recycled Asphalt Pavement or
Remedial Action Plan
RECs
Regional Environmental Contacts
RMECs
Regional Maintenance Environmental
Coordinator
ROW
Right of Way
SCOE
Standing Committee on Environment
SHA
State Highway Administration (Maryland)
SOM
Standing Committee on Highway
Subcommittee on Maintenance
D-83
NCHRP 25-25 Task 73: Improved Environmental Performance of Highway Maintenance
Acronym
Definition
SOP
Standard Operating Procedure
SWM
Stormwater Management
TBL
Triple Bottom Line
TMDL
Total Maximum Discharge Load (water)
USCOE
US Army Corps of Engineers
USEPA
US Environmental Protection Agency
USFWS
US Fish and Wildlife Service
UST
Underground Storage Tank
VTrans
Vermont Transportation Agency
WIP
Watershed Implementation Plan
WSDOT
Washington State DOT
D-84