MaineDOT considers the impacts a proposed project may have on minority and low-income populations. MaineDOT complies with the existing Executive Orders (EO), Environmental Justice requirements, and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Transportation decision-making involves properly addressing the needs of different socio-economic groups. A process which involves diverse populations in the development of a project may result in greater equity.
The Environmental Office assesses impacts of projects with a federal nexus on properties, sites, buildings, structures and places that are listed on, or may be eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.
MaineDOT conducts database and field assessments to address issues of liability and materials management which may affect transportation projects. The assessment addresses the liability of acquiring portions or the entire property, and liability within the Right of Way under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and the Superfund Amendment and Reauthorization Act (SARA).
Several laws (including the Endangered Species Act (ESA), Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act and Marine Mammal Protection Act) require that all proposed actions with a federal nexus undergo assessment to determine the impacts projects have on fisheries and wildlife.
The Clean Air Act established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for six priority pollutants to protect public health and the environment. Transportation conformity, as required by the CAA, ensures that Federally-funded or approved transportation plans, programs, and projects conform to the air quality objectives established in the State Implementation Plan (SIP).
Procedures for abatement of highway traffic noise and construction noise under 23 CFR 772 and MaineDOT’s Highway Traffic Noise Policy apply to MaineDOT Type I and Type II projects.
A major goal of NEPA is that state and federal transportation agencies develop a process that provides an opportunity for stakeholders and the public to actively participate in transportation decision-making. MaineDOT is required to consider and assess the social, natural, cultural, and economic impacts a project may have on a community. The overall goal is to gain meaningful input from stakeholders, the public, and interested parties. MaineDOT’s Public Involvement Plan and NEPA Public Involvement Plan guide projects through the public process.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a federal procedural law that establishes a national environmental policy. NEPA provides a framework for environmental planning and decision-making for projects that receive federal funds or require federal approvals. NEPA requires federal agencies (or states that have assumed responsibility under 23 U.S.C. 326 or 23 U.S.C. 327) when planning projects to conduct environmental reviews to consider the potential impacts on the environment by their proposed actions.
Section 6005(a) of the Safe Affordable Flexible Efficient Transportation Act (SAFETEA-LU) and updated by the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) established a Surface Transportation Project Delivery Program that allows the Secretary of the United States Department of Transportation to assign, and a State to assume, the USDOT Secretary's responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a federal procedural law that establishes a national environmental policy.
Section 101 of NEPA provides a national policy "to use all practicable means and measures, including financial and technical assistance, in a manner calculated to foster and promote the general welfare, to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans." 42 U.S.C. 4331(a).