1. Managing Environmental Compliance for ODOT’s OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program: Many Regulations – One Framework
Michelle Eraut Environmental Program Manager Federal Highway Administration—Oregon Division 530 Center Street, NE, Suite 100 Salem, Oregon /
Title and presenter

2. OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program
$2.5 billion transportation package
Enacted by 2003 Legislature (House Bill 2041)
Largest investment in Oregon transportation infrastructure in 50 years
Includes $1.3 billion to repair or replace almost 400 bridges on the state highway system
OTIA III Background

3. Program Stages – 365+ Bridges
Range – throughout Oregon, each ecoprovince

4. OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program Goals
5 OTIA III Program Goals
We will focus on “build projects…”

5. Environmental Stewardship Program Framework
5 OTIA III Goals
Environmental Performance Standards
Programmatics:
Regional General Permit (Corps)
General Authorization (Department of State Lands)
Biological Opinion (USFWS and NMFS)
Memorandum of Understanding (FHWA, USFS, BLM)
Documented Categorical Exclusions (with baselines)
The OTIA III Environmental Stewardship Program was founded on or supported by the 5 OTIA III Program Goals
The mission was to build “green” bridges
Therefore, Environmental Performance Standards were developed, which outline limitations on the range of effects to natural resources
These standards were used as the Proposed Action description and later, terms and conditions, for the Programmatic Permitting Process developed for the Program.
The EPS provide a SINGLE set of T&Cs for ALL the programmatics

6. Environmental Performance Standards Elements
Goal
What does success look like?
Threshold Statement
Relevant to my project?
Objectives
How do I measure success?
Means, Methods, or Materials
How can I achieve success?
Compliance Documentation
How do I document success?
Elements of an EPS
Goals of resource and regulatory agencies
MMM – not always prescriptive, these are the ‘proven’, ‘standard’, ‘accepted’ practices

7. Environmental Performance Standards
What do they cover?
Program Administration
Species
Habitat
Water Quality
Site Restoration
Compensatory Mitigation
Fluvial
Only 7 original regulatory EPS
Species (note picture – fish, wildlife, invertebrates, plants)

8. ODOT Organization Program Manager
OBDP came on with the Environmental Stewardship Program framework drafted
OBDP is the OTIA III Program Managers
OBDP is a joint venture of HDR and Fluor

9. Environmental Stewardship Tools Overview
EMS-type framework and model
Arrow starts at permitting, leads to design and concludes with construction. EDMS is throughout that process
TOOLS

10. Planning Tools Overview
Communication
Electronic Document
Management System (EDMS)
Permitting
Programmatic Agreement Reporting and Implementation Team (PARIT)
Design
Pre-Construction Assessment (PCA)
Construction
Field verification via electronic handhelds (PDAs)
EMS-type framework and model
Arrow starts at permitting, leads to design and concludes with construction. EDMS is throughout that process
TOOLS

11. Planning Tools Communication
Electronic Document Management System (EDMS)
Web-based (accessible anywhere and anytime)
Controlled access (sensitive resources)
Searchable (by title and body)
Fuzzy bunny slippers example

12. Planning Tools Permitting
Our Challenge
7 Untested Environmental Performance Standards
Undeveloped Environmental Performance Standards
Unique Programmatic Permits
Our Solution (equals)
1 PARIT
Only the framework was drafted
We still had a lot of work to do
We developed and facilitate the PARIT
Some of called this – extreme collaboration…
Programmatic Agreements Reporting and Implementation Team

13. Planning Tools Permitting
Mission of the PARIT:
Facilitate the successful implementation of the OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program’s Environmental Stewardship Program
Goals:
Develop effective communication protocols
Develop effective monitoring & reporting procedures
Calibrate understanding of permitting process, compliance, and environmental performance standard intent
Refine the permitting process to better achieve the missions and goals of all involved agencies
Adaptive Management
Continuously Refine, Evaluate and Improve the Program
Ensure we meet goals of all agencies involved

14. Planning Tools Permitting
PARIT
10+ agency participants (liaisons)
Two working meetings per month
One with “Project” focus
One with “Program” focus
One Annual Coordination Meeting
Reporting
Evaluating
Improving
More than 10 agencies represented
Meet nearly bi-weekly
Meet annually with executive management at each agency

15. Planning Tools Design Pre-Construction Assessment (PCA)
Single programmatic permitting application
From issue identification (effect) to resolution (specs)
Agency-friendly output
Metrics tracking
EPS – single set of T&C
PCA – single application, linked to Environmental database

16. Planning Tools Construction
Field verification via electronic handhelds (PDAs)
Linked to EDMS (transparency)
Environmental database
Fast, paperless
Compliance is important element of Stewardship

17. Stewardship Success!!! Coast Fork Willamette River Bridge
First bridge replaced…
Complied with Environmental Performance Standards
Reduced permitting by 100+ days
Reduced cost by $1+ Million
Pleased Contractor, ODOT, and Permitting Agencies
Sensitive to fluvial landscape, wildlife passage
Avoided long-term adverse effects
ESA from 135 days to 30 days
Saved time, allowing reuse of detour structure
Completely recovered cost of all ESA programmatic work with FIRST PROJECT OUT THE DOOR (year 1)
Contracting and regulatory community ecstatic as well

18. Conclusion Environmental Stewardship
Building projects sensitive to their communities and landscape through:
Integrating Environmental Performance Standards
Communicating with Permitting Agencies
Evaluating Performance
Improving Our Process
Back to CS3

19. Questions?
Michelle Eraut Environmental Program Manager Federal Highway Administration 530 Center Street, NE, Suite 100 Salem, Oregon
Title and presenter