All emergency actions in or adjacent to streams,
wetlands, lakes, ponds or other water bodies, or historic
resources require some form of environmental review
and notification to regulatory agencies and thus should
be coordinated through DOT environmental specialists
or landscape architects. To qualify as an emergency,
the damage or threat to bridges, roads or other transportation
facilities must present an immediate threat to life,
health, property or natural resources and must be the
result of a single event, not long-term neglect. Agency
notification should include:
- Description of the proposed action.
- Location map and plan of the proposed project.
- Reasons why the situation is an emergency.
In addition, many emergency projects require authorization
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service and must be coordinated appropriately.
For large-scale disasters, batches of emergency projects
may be approved with a single authorization, at the
discretion of the regulatory agencies. In addition,
the following environmental stewardship practices should
be employed: [N]
[N]
- All emergency work should be performed to cause
the least modification, disturbance, or damage to
the course or bed of a stream and its banks, or any
adjacent wetlands. Avoid additional impacts to wetlands
or streams where possible and repair any damage to
fishery or water resources caused by DOT Maintenance
responses to the emergency. Remedial actions for emergencies
include bioengineering and fish friendly designs,
where practicable for stability and safety.
- No equipment should be operated in the water unless
it has been approved by the state permitting agency.
- Identify and plan for slide debris disposal sites
as part of local disposal plans. Appropriate sites
for long and short-term material disposal should be
identified and cleared for any potential wetland or
sensitive species impact and mapped.
- When conducting emergency work, all general and
special permit conditions must be followed, and if
significant project modifications occur during construction,
these changes should be coordinated with the environmental
specialist and/or the permitting agencies.
- Provide quick response and first inspection, and
notify appropriate resource staff in a timely manner.
- Provide, if possible, adequate erosion control
or bank stabilization necessary to keep material from
entering watercourses.
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