IMPACTS & MITIGATION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
DRAFT
TO ACCESS THE CURRENT 2045 HATS RTP, CLICK HERE.
Federal regulations require long-range transportation plans like the HATS 2050 RTP to “include a discussion of potential environmental mitigation activities and potential areas to carry out these activities, including activities that may have the greatest potential to restore and maintain the environmental functions affected by the long-range transportation plan.” To accomplish this, HATS staff undertook the analysis described below to identify areas of the greatest potential impact. For each of those areas, strategies and actions were developed to complement the typical PennDOT mitigation activities, many with the intention of coordinating environmental planning activities already undertaken by TCPRC staff with the goal of producing better mitigation projects overall.
POTENTIAL IMPACTS
ANALYSIS RESULTS —
The Sustainability & Resiliency chapter contains a comprehensive inventory of natural and cultural resources that will be potentially impacted by the development of the projects included in the regional transportation plan. To estimate those potential impacts, a GIS analysis was conducted to identify resources co-located (within 100 feet) with one of the projects included on the FFY 2025-2036 Twelve Year Plan (short-/mid-term impacts) or one of the transportation needs identified on the Project Pipeline (long-term impacts). The result of the analysis is shown in the Table 1 and Table 2 below.
It is important to note that a resource’s presence in the vicinity of a project does not necessarily mean that the resource will be impacted by the project. These considerations can only be made once design/engineering for the project has begun, and the project scope is more defined. Project-specific impact minimization is expected to significantly reduce the number of actual resource impacts.
Table 1 - Potential Impact Analysis Results
Table 2 - Potential Impact Analysis Results
The results of the Potential Impact Analysis, along with potential mitigation sites, can be explored using the interactive mapping application. Additionally, resources potentially impacted by each Project Pipeline Transportation Need will be listed on the Need Summary developed and distributed to PennDOT and the relevant municipalities. This will ensure information on potential impacts is made available early in the project development process, making the strategies aimed at minimizing impacts (discussed below) more effective.
MITIGATION STRATEGIES
OVERALL APPROACH —
For any potential impact on environmental or cultural resources resulting from a transportation improvement project, the priority is avoiding or minimizing the impact in the first place. When projects are initially programmed, the PennDOT Connects program engages PennDOT, HATS staff, project sponsors, and other stakeholders to discuss the preliminary project scope and identify potentially impacted resources. Once a scope is determined during project development, sponsors work with federal and state regulatory and resource agencies during the NEPA process to further refine, define, and identify resources and develop strategies to avoid, minimize, or mitigate any potential environmental impacts. When impacts can be neither avoided nor minimized, they must be mitigated.
In the analysis summarized above, the potential impacts – and required mitigation measures – can be divided into the following broad categories. For each, strategies are identified that will complement or enhance the typical PennDOT environmental mitigation processes and programs. These are in addition to the following general strategies that apply to all potential impacts:
-
Avoid or minimize environmental impacts resulting from transportation improvement projects
-
Improve coordination between PennDOT, regulatory agencies, and other regional stakeholders to ensure resources are accurately inventoried, mapped, and considered in the project development process
-
Utilize RTP environmental impact analysis to identify potential impacts as part of the PennDOT Connects program
-
Complement existing environmental mitigation efforts by implement strategies identified for specific resource impacts
AGRICULTURAL IMPACTS —
When PennDOT projects have the potential to impact agricultural resources, the Agricultural Resources Evaluation Handbook provides guidance on minimizing impacts and identifying potential mitigation measures consistent with federal and state laws and policies. In the HATS region, Agricultural Preservation programs are operated by each County, which participate in the statewide Farmland Preservation Program, with other important stakeholders such as the Manada Conservancy contributing as well.
Opportunities for HATS staff to compliment PennDOT’s agriculture-related mitigation processes include:
-
Coordinate with Agricultural/Farmland Preservation or Land Conservation programs in each County
-
Advocate for land use policies identified in TCRPC Regional Growth Management Plan and County Comprehensive Plans
STREAM & WETLAND IMPACTS —
Aquatic resources like streams and wetlands are among the most common impacts associated with transportation improvement projects in the region. Impacts on wetlands typically require permitting by US Army Corps of Engineers or PA Department of Environmental Protection and must be addressed with NEPA documentation. More information is available at PennDOT’s Streams and Wetlands webpage.
Other planning activities performed by TCRPC include implementation of Countywide Action Plans and the Dauphin County Water Resource Enhancement Program (WREP). These programs involve the evaluation of resource needs, coordination among multiple partners, and the identification of potential project sites, and provide an excellent opportunity to incorporate and enhance PennDOT-related mitigation projects to maximize regional impact. A map of potential mitigation sites is available in the interactive web mapping application.
Opportunities for HATS staff to compliment PennDOT’s stream- and wetland-related mitigation processes include:
-
Integrate PennDOT mitigation with implementation of existing stormwater management and water quality programs such as Countywide Action Plans, Pollutant Reduction Plans, and Dauphin County WREP
-
Investigate opportunities for wetland banking by leveraging projects/mitigation sites identified by TCRPC and other sources
-
Leverage resiliency funds (such as PROTECT program funds) to reduce transportation system vulnerabilities to flooding and other extreme weather events
WILDLIFE IMPACTS —
Transportation improvements have the potential to impact wildlife in a variety of ways. Direct impacts on Threatened & Endangered Species are regulated by federal and state laws, which are typically connected to regulations for other resources, such as streams or wetlands. Meeting the various regulations requires significant coordination between multiple state and federal agencies. More information can be found at PennDOT’s Threatened & Endangered Species webpage.
Aside from the habitat-related impacts of Threatened & Endangered Species mitigation, our transportation system can also impact wildlife through vehicular crashes. Publicly available crash data through PennDOT’s PCIT system is used to estimate potential impacts of the projects and needs identified in the RTP. This data is also used in HATS various safety-planning activities and tools, such as the HATS interactive safety application. Providing safe locations for wildlife crossings can reduce these crashes and serve as mitigation measures in areas associated with elevated totals. More information can be found at PennDOT’s Wildlife Crossings webpage.
Opportunities for HATS staff to compliment PennDOT’s wildlife-related mitigation processes include:
-
Incorporate wildlife-related crashes into HATS safety planning efforts
-
Pursue planning and/or implementation funds for wildlife crossings through federal discretionary grants and other non-traditional funding sources
-
Use county-level Return on Environment (ROE) reports to identify high-value habitat and environmental areas
CULTURAL IMPACTS —
Transportation improvements can impact historically-significant bridges, buildings, archaeological sites, and other properties listed in the National Register of Historic Places. They can also impact other culturally significant resources such parks and recreation areas. Required mitigation measures for these impacts are established by various federal and state laws and programs. Identification of the resources are aided by tools such as Pennsylvania's State Historic and Archaeological Resource Exchange (PA-SHARE), PA SHPO's online data management and cultural resources GIS tool. More information can be found at PennDOT’s Cultural Resources Management Program webpage.
Opportunities for HATS staff to compliment PennDOT’s historic and cultural resource mitigation processes include:
-
Participate in efforts to update historic and cultural resource surveys, including local resources that are not eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
-
Consider Kittatinny Ridge Sentinel Landscape goals when evaluating project impacts