Supplemental Environmental Assessment for Construction of a Concrete Casing Extension in the Hudson Yards, New York, New York
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SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR CONSTRUCTION OF A CONCRETE CASING EXTENSION IN THE HUDSON YARDS, NEW YORK, NEW YORK Prepared Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. § 4332), and FRA’s Procedures for Considering Environmental Impacts (64 FR 28545 and 78 FR 2713) by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) and Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) August 2014 This page intentionally left blank. This page intentionally left blank. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... iii Chapter One Introduction, Background, Purpose, and Need............................................................... 1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................1 1.2 Background and Scope ................................................................................2 1.3 Purpose and Need ........................................................................................2 Chapter Two Description of Proposed Action and No Action .............................................................. 4 2.1 Proposed Action ...........................................................................................4 2.1.1 Timing ............................................................................................. 4 2.1.2 Construct a Concrete Casing Extension .......................................... 4 2.2 No Action .....................................................................................................9 Chapter Three Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences .......................................... 10 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................10 3.2 Geology ......................................................................................................10 3.2.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 10 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 10 3.3 Soils............................................................................................................11 3.3.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 11 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 12 3.4 Groundwater ..............................................................................................12 3.4.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 12 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 12 3.5 Air Quality .................................................................................................13 3.5.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 13 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 15 3.6 Cultural Resources .....................................................................................17 3.6.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 17 3.6.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 18 3.7 Visual Resources ........................................................................................19 3.7.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 19 3.7.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 19 3.8 Hazardous Materials and Health and Safety ..............................................20 3.8.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 20 3.8.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 21 3.9 Noise and Vibration ...................................................................................22 3.9.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 22 3.9.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 23 3.10 Access and Traffic .....................................................................................24 3.10.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 24 3.10.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 24 3.11 Utilities and LIRR Operations ...................................................................26 3.11.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 26 3.11.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 27 3.12 Section 4(f) Evaluation of Impacts to the High Line .................................29 3.12.1 Affected Environment ................................................................... 29 3.12.2 Environmental Consequences ....................................................... 29 i TABLE OF CONTENTS 3.13 Cumulative Effects.....................................................................................30 3.13.1 Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions ....................................... 30 3.13.2 Potential Cumulative Impacts ....................................................... 31 Chapter Four Distribution ...................................................................................................................... 34 Chapter Five List of Preparers .............................................................................................................. 36 Chapter Six References ....................................................................................................................... 38 List of Appendices Appendix A Environmental Assessment for Construction of a Concrete Casing in the Hudson Yards, New York, New York, March 2013 and Finding of No Significant Impact: Construction of a Concrete Casing in the Hudson Yards, New York, New York, May 2013 Appendix B Air Quality Emissions Calculations Appendix C National Historic Preservation Act Section 106 Consultation with New York State Historic Preservation Office Figures Figure 1 Project Location Map………………….………….…………………………………...3 Figure 2 Proposed Action Components………………………………………………………....6 Tables Table 1 Applicable General Conformity De Minimis Levels ....................................................... 14 Table 2 Annual Estimated Emissions for the Proposed Action Compared with Conformity Thresholds ................................................................................................ 16 Table 3 Comparison of GHG Emissions between the Proposed Action and New York City ............................................................................................................................... 17 ii Acronyms and Abbreviations AC Alternating Current NEPA National Environmental Policy Act ACM Asbestos-Containing Materials NHPA National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 AMTRAK National Railroad Passenger Corporation NJT New Jersey Transit APE NOx Nitrogen oxide Area of Potential Effect NRHP National Register of Historic Places NYC New York City bgs below ground surface NYCTA MTA New York City Transit Authority CAA Clean Air Act NYSDEC State Department of Environmental CEQ Council on Environmental Quality Conservation CFR Code of Federal Regulations CO Carbon monoxide OPRHP New York State Office of Park, CO2e Carbon dioxide equivalent Recreation and Historic Preservation OTR Ozone transport region DC Direct Current DEP New York City Department of PM10 Particulate matter less than or equal to Environmental Protection 10 microns PM2.5 Particulate matter less than or equal to 2.5 microns EPA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency RCRA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act FR Federal Register ROW Right-of-way FRA Federal Railroad Administration RSCO Recommended Soil Cleanup FTA Federal Transit Administration Objective GHG Greenhouse Gas SHPO State Historic Preservation Office SIP State Implementation Plan LIRR Long Island Rail Road SEA Supplemental Environmental Assessment MOE Maintenance of Equipment SVOC Semivolatile Organic Compound MTA Metropolitan Transportation Authority μg/m3 micrograms per cubic meter U.S.C. U.S. Code NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality VOC Volatile Organic Compound Standards NEC Future Northeast Corridor Future Program Studies iii Acronyms and Abbreviations This page intentionally left blank. iv Introduction, Background, Purpose, and Need CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION, BACKGROUND, PURPOSE, AND NEED 1.1 INTRODUCTION This document is a Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) to a March 2013 Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) and the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). The March 2013 EA examined the potential environmental impacts of constructing an underground concrete casing through the Eastern Rail Yard of the John D. Caemmerer West Side Yard (also referred to as Hudson Yards) in New York, NY. Hudson Yards is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and used by the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). The underground concrete casing through the Eastern Rail Yard would preserve a right-of-way (ROW) for the possibility of future expansion of rail service between New Jersey and New York and would support Amtrak’s efforts to improve resiliency