One of the strategic goals of the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) is to "protect and enhance communities and the
natural environment affected by transportation." Environmental protection
is accomplished through
Environmental Assessments and Environmental Impact
Statements (EIS) that seek to prevent adverse environmental effects from taking
place rather than mitigating problems caused by past activities or practices.
EISs are conducted in the context of an overall decision-making process that is
inexact and fluid. Despite the fact that EISs are conducted in accordance with
Executive Orders, environmental laws, and regulations, the process is laced
with subjective components, such as "significant impact," "best
available data," and loosely defined accuracy requirements. Although the
rationale for EISs is environmental protection, they are not in and of
themselves regulatory. The cost to the environment is weighed against the
benefits of the proposed project. EISs are simply a source of information on
which to base informed decisions.
For the most part, there are no hard and
fast rules or requirements in EIS preparation. The laws and regulations tend to
address the process, not specific procedures.
The courts have determined that the best method does not even have to be used.
The information used, however, should have sufficient scientific and analytical
substance to provide a basis for comparing alternatives, and should contain
sufficient supporting information or results of analyses to establish the
reasonableness of the conclusions on impacts. Decisions regarding the adequacy
of certain data or methods are up to the discretion of the engineer overseeing
the assessment.
Although the data issue is a very small
part of an overall streamlining effort, the U.S. Department of Transportation
seeks to determine if remote sensing can contribute to streamlining the
environmental assessment process. The framework noted above contains
significant latitude for the application of remote sensing as a supplemental or
alternative source of environmental information associated with transportation
development.
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Of the 25 environmental impact areas the FHWA recommends
addressing in an EIS, 13 are good candidates for remote sensing in some
capacity. In many cases, current "off-the-shelf" techniques can be
utilized directly. In other cases, the assessment requirements require using
newer data sets for which experience is limited or for which image processing
techniques need to be refined or developed altogether. However, these issues do
not appear to be insurmountable obstacles.
Perhaps the greatest challenge is in
obtaining broad utilization and acceptance of remotely sensed imagery. Skepticism,
unfamiliarity, cost, capital equipment and human resource needs are just of few
of the anticipated impediments that must be addressed before broad utilization
and acceptance can be achieved. In some cases, these impediments are real and
substantial, but in many instances, they are fairly trivial. The NCRST-E is
appropriately postured to provide the research and development and outreach
services needed to raise remote sensing to the forefront of environmental
assessment in transportation. The lessons learned over the last fifteen years
with the implementation of GIS and GPS technology in transportation planning
and engineering should be applied to remote sensing technology as well. A broad
array of demonstration projects are needed, not simply to provide examples of
remote sensing capabilities, but to engage the stakeholders in the process,
assess the costs and benefits relative to performance indicators, and
demonstrate overall that there is intrinsic value in accepting change.
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