Environmental Management Program (EMP) for Construction
WSDOT has developed an Environmental Management Program (EMP) specifically for construction activities. The program is based on regional environmental compliance plans, training, and work procedures that apply to construction activities. At this time WSDOT measures environmental performance based on its ability to comply with applicable environmental requirements. WSDOT reports on progress made in this program annually in the Gray Notebook.
Regional Environmental Compliance Plans
Each region, including the Urban Corridors Office, has developed a plan to assure compliance with environmental requirements during construction. The basic elements include written procedures, training, tracking performance, conducting constructability reviews, and commitment tracking.
Training
A key component of the Construction EMP is training the appropriate personnel on the applicable procedures to ensure compliance with environmental requirements during construction. Available construction training can be found on the Environmental training courses webpage.
General environmental controls applicable to construction
The general body of procedures that address the Contractor's responsibilities to meet environmental requirements during construction are in the Standard Specifications for Road, Bridge and Municipal Construction. Environmental issues are addressed throughout much of the Standard Specifications. Erosion control and water quality issues are specifically addressed in Division 8-01. Other Contractor responsibilities are contained within special provisions of a contract.
WSDOT also has a set of environmental responsibilities during construction. Those can be found in the Construction Manual project files for a given project, and the Highway Runoff Manual. The Environmental Compliance Assurance Procedure for construction (pdf 215 kb) is a very important tool for recognizing, communicating and remedying actual and potential non-compliance events during construction.
Environmental Management Program (EMP) for Road Maintenance
WSDOT has developed and is implementing a comprehensive Environmental Management Program for Road Maintenance that includes a Regional Road Maintenance Program (RRMP) and several Regional Environmental Compliance Plans. The EMP also includes a Maintenance Violation Notification Process (as found in the WSDOT Environmental Procedures Manual), which constitutes an Environmental Compliance Assurance Procedure for maintenance. WSDOT reports on progress in reducing violations annually in the Gray Notebook.
Regional Road Maintenance Program (RRMP)
In response to the listing of several species of salmon and trout under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), WSDOT's Maintenance and Operations Programs developed a Regional Road Maintenance Program (RRMP) to indicate how WSDOT will comply with some Regional Road Maintenance Endangered Species Act Program Guidelines agreed to by various local government agencies, WSDOT, the National Marine Fisheries Service, and other interested parties. The guidelines were adopted to comply with the specific requirements of the ESA and provide Best Management Practices for environmental compliance when conducting roadside maintenance. The RRMP consists of ten program elements, including one for training (which includes training in ESA, erosion and sediment control for compliance with various WDFW General Hydraulic Project Approvals and Ecology National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits applicable to WSDOT, and compliance monitoring and reporting). More details on the RRMP can be found on the Regional Road Maintenance Endangered Species Act Program Guidelines website.