| OTIA III State Bridge Delivery |
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| Web Brief (Apr 06) |
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Environmental successes on the bridge program highlighted at annual stakeholder meeting
ODOT made a commitment with the OTIA III State Bridge Delivery Program to build bridges in ways that not only reduce negative impacts on the environment, but enhance and improve it. ODOT’s successful implementation of environmental protection and enhancement initiatives in 2005 on bridge program projects was the focus of the second annual Program Coordination Meeting in Portland. The March 16 meeting brought together representatives from key stakeholder groups to share environmental successes on the bridge program and discuss ways to improve environmental stewardship in 2006.
“These meetings are so important and a valuable use of our time,” said Susan Sturges of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Our efforts positively influence the behavior of contractors, and it’s rewarding to see the results of all our work.”
The meeting gathered representatives from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, Department of State Lands, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, National Marine Fisheries Service, Oregon State University, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Oregon Bridge Delivery Partners and ODOT. Work in 2005 on environmental initiatives, including streamlined environmental permitting, habitat enhancements, field visits and mitigation banking, culminated in this gathering of regulatory agencies and stakeholders committed to making the bridge program an environmental success.
“We have been so happy with the early coordination and partnering, and it has proven to be of enormous benefit to this program,” said Simon Wray of ODFW. “Where the rubber meets the road is really at the bridge sites, so the continued dedication to promoting and enforcing these environmental standards is most important moving forward.”
The group highlighted environmental programmatic permitting, a streamlined permitting process that saves money and speeds the completion of work, as a major environmental success in 2005. Participants discussed ways to make the process even more effective in 2006 with streamlined document routing and approval procedures. Under the moderation of OBDP Environmental Project Manager Jason Gillespie, the group also discussed the improved environmental performance on the 21 bridge program projects that were designed and permitted under this process in 2005.
The meeting focused on additional environmental accomplishments such as bat and Oregon chub fish habitat enhancements, mandatory environmental stewardship meetings, and the environmental monitoring process. More than 200 construction site inspection visits were conducted in 2005 by ODOT/OBDP environmental staff with no permit violations issued, proving that environmental performance standards such as these were successful in 2005.
“We are pleased with how successful the permitting process has proven to be,” said Tom Mellville of Oregon DEQ. “Working together, we have been able to develop environmental standards that everyone is happy with.”
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