2010 Mn/DOT Environmental Stewardship & Streamlining Workshop: Using the Basics to Streamline Project Delivery

Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 10:15am

United States

Program
8:30 - 8:40 a.m.	Welcome Frank Pafko, Director, Office of Environmental Services, Mn/DOT
8:40 - 9:00 a.m.	Opening Remarks Tom Sorel, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Transportation Dave Scott, Assistant Division Administrator, FHWA Minnesota Division Moderator: Frank Pafko, Mn/DOT View video of Opening Remarks and Keynote Presentation (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 1:40:20; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin)
9:00 - 10:15 a.m.	Keynote Speakers Integration of Environmental Review and Project Delivery James “Skip” Spensley, Spensley and Associates Moderator: Frank Pafko, Mn/DOT The environmental review process is an integral part of the project development process – not an added step at the end of pre-design. This session covered the major steps in the integrated process. Strategies for incorporating risk management into the process, to better identify and address potential problems, were also presented. View video of Opening Remarks and Keynote Presentation (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 1:40:20; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin) View presentation slides (1.71 MB PDF)
10:30 - 11:45 a.m.	General Session Establishing Project Purpose and Need James “Skip” Spensley, Spensley and Associates Moderator: Frank Pafko, Mn/DOT Defining the project Purpose and Need (or Problem Statement) is the foundation for development of a proposed project and for the evaluation of alternatives, ultimately resulting in selection of a preferred alternative. This session covered the basics of writing a good Purpose and Need statement and gave examples from Minnesota projects. View video of General Session and Award Ceremony (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 01:35:01; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin) View presentation slides (3.56 MB PDF)
11:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.	Award Ceremony Frank Pafko, Director of Environmental Services, Mn/DOT View video of General Session and Award Ceremony (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 01:35:01; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin) View award ceremony slides (4.82 MB PDF)
1:15 - 2:10 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions Session 1: Current Issues in Environmental Review Dan Johnson, FHWA Resource Center, Baltimore Phil Forst, FHWA MN Division Skip Spensley, Spensley and Associates Jeanne Witzig, Kimley Horn Mary Bieringer, Mn/DOT Moderator: Jennie Ross, Mn/DOT This session included presentations of new and potential future changes in environmental review process requirements, followed by a Question and Answer period. View video of session (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 00:58:10; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin) View presentation slides (1.2 MB PDF) Session 2: Noise: An Open Forum Tim Anderson, FHWA MN Division Mel Roseen, Mn/DOT Peter Wasko, Mn/DOT Moderator: Marilyn Jordahl- Larson, Mn/DOT This session was an open and informal forum including a panel discussion of noise topics and issues generated by participants’ questions and remarks. Topics included enhancements to the MINNOISE Model, the new Federal Noise Policy Rule schedule, urban versus rural noise analysis, Type II Noise Abatement Study update, rumble stripe studies and more. Session 3: Preliminary Project Footprint and Layout Estimation for Storm Water Management Dwayne Stenlund, Mn/DOT Moderator: Adam Popenhagen, Mn/DOT Federal, state and local laws regulate treatment and management of storm water that are impacted by construction activities. The laws ultimately require volume, rate and water quality treatment. In order to meet these requirements and properly incorporate design and constructability options, temporary and permanent landforms must be estimated and secured early in program delivery. This session covered the Lombardi approach of back to the basics for meeting permit requirements of NPDES, DNR, USACE and watersheds and context sensitive solutions for new and retrofit projects.
2:30 - 3:25 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions Session 4: Alternatives Development and Decision-Making: Requirements and Strategies Dan Johnson, FHWA Resource Center, Baltimore Tamara Cameron, Corps of Engineers Jennie Ross, Mn/DOT Moderator: Phil Forst, FHWA NEPA, Section 404 (wetland permitting), and Section 4(f) processes require documentation of alternatives development and decision-making. This session reviewed approaches for developing alternatives; establishing evaluation criteria based on Purpose and Need and other factors; decision-making; stakeholder/agency concurrence; and documentation. View video of session (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 00:57:17; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin) View presentation slides (386 KB PDF) Session 5: Contaminated Property Management: Liability, Acquisition, and Cleanup Nancy Radle, Mn/DOT Moderator: Brian Kamnikar, Mn/DOT This session summarized the contamination investigation process, including managing environmental liability, acquisition, and cleanup as they relate to construction project examples. View presentation slides (1.28 MB PDF) Session 6: Current Topics in Reviewing Roadside Vegetation Ken Graeve, Mn/DOT Paul Voigt, Mn/DOT Moderator: Dan Gullickson, Mn/DOT This session provided an overview of invasive species, rare/endangered plant,s and when to call for tree protection salvage reviews as it relates to environmental documentation and plan production.
3:30 - 4:25 p.m.	Concurrent Sessions Session 7: Addressing Project Revisions In NEPA Jennie Ross, Mn/DOT Phil Forst, FHWA Dan Johnson, FHWA Resource Center Skip Spensley, Spensley & Assoc. Moderator: Rick Dalton, Mn/DOT This session included a presentation on how to address project changes during and after the NEPA/MEPA process. View video of session (Mediasite Presenter, Length: 00:37:36; requires Microsoft Silverlight plugin) View presentation slides (814 KB PDF) Session 8: Section 106 Basics Kristen Zschomler, Mn/DOT Moderator: Chris Hiniker, SEH Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires consideration of a project’s effect to historic properties. This session covered the steps and timelines required for the Cultural Resources Unit to complete a Section 106 review on a project, as well as the time and cost savings that Districts and local agencies have experienced from the streamlining initiatives completed by the CRU over the past 20 years. Session 9: Complete Streets Scott Bradley, Mn/DOT Moderator: Jeanne Witzig, Kimley-Horn This session provided an overview of the philosophy, principles, and benefits of CSS as an over-arching umbrella for addressing and implementing Complete Streets. The focus of the presentation was understanding considerations of critical importance when seeking to plan, implement, operate, maintain, and sustain Complete Streets successfully within the context of urban or community environments.

Sponsors

This event was sponsored by the Mn/DOT Office of Environmental Services and facilitated by the Center for Transportation Studies at the University of Minnesota.