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Indicators of the Environmental Impacts of Transportation

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Indicators of the Environmental Impacts of Transportation United States Policy, Planning, EPA 230-R-96-009 Environmental Protection and Evaluation October 1996 Agency (2126) Indicators of the Environmental Impacts of Transportation Highway, Rail, Aviation, and Maritime Transport FOREWORD This document presents quantitative national estimates of the magnitude of transportation’s impacts on the natural environment. It is the most comprehensive compilation of environmental and transportation data to date. This document addresses all primary modes of transportation (highway, rail, aviation, and maritime transport) and all environmental media (air, water, and land resources), and covers the full “life-cycle” of transportation, from construction of infrastructure and manufacture of vehicles to disposal of vehicles and parts. The information presented in this report highlights that the impacts of transportation are multi-media and extend beyond the air quality impacts of vehicle travel. In addition to presenting quantitative data, this report presents a framework for developing various types of indicators and for categorizing transportation activities that affect the environment. This framework is useful for understanding the limitations and uses of different types of indicators and for identifying existing data gaps. In some cases, where quantified indicators were not available from existing sources, new indicators were developed for this report. In other cases, it is clear that significant gaps in knowledge remain. The report concludes with a description of next steps in the effort to develop and utilize indicators of the environmental impacts of transportation. The development of this report involved cooperative work between EPA and DOT/BTS in collecting data, and addresses issues on which these and other agencies can continue to collaborate to develop tools for measuring and modeling impacts. This report was prepared under contract for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation by Mark Corrales, Michael Grant, and Evelyn Chan of Apogee Research, Inc. This report is part of a series on transportation and the environment issued by the Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation. Additional information can be obtained by calling 202-260-4034. TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................................... i INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE................................................................................................................. i ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT ............................................................................................................. i STUDY APPROACH ...................................................................................................................................... ii WHAT INDICATORS CAN AND CANNOT PROVIDE................................................................................. iii SELECTING APPROPRIATE INDICATORS.................................................................................................iv CATEGORIZING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TRANSPORTATION........................................vii THE INDICATORS FOR HIGHWAY, RAIL, AVIATION, AND MARITIME TRANSPORTATION..............viii NEXT STEPS ..............................................................................................................................................xviii I. STUDY APPROACH ........................................................................................................................................1 INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE.................................................................................................................1 ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT .............................................................................................................1 PRIOR AND RELATED EFFORTS.................................................................................................................3 SCOPE OF STUDY.........................................................................................................................................5 PRODUCTS OF THIS STUDY........................................................................................................................7 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY..............................................................................................................................7 II. WHAT INDICATORS CAN AND CANNOT PROVIDE ............................................................................9 THE LIMITATIONS OF INDICATORS...........................................................................................................9 HOW INDICATORS CAN BE USEFUL........................................................................................................11 III. SELECTING APPROPRIATE INDICATORS .........................................................................................13 COMMONLY CITED “INDICATORS” HAVE LIMITATIONS ....................................................................13 FRAMEWORK – HOW TO DESIGN INDICATORS.....................................................................................15 WHAT IS AN IDEAL INDICATOR?..............................................................................................................20 AVAILABLE INDICATORS...........................................................................................................................23 DATA GAPS ..................................................................................................................................................23 IV. CATEGORIZING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TRANSPORTATION ..........................27 FIVE BASIC ACTIVITIES CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS .........................................................27 DETAILED LIST OF ACTIVITIES CAUSING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS............................................28 V. THE INDICATORS.......................................................................................................................................33 HIGHWAY ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 35 HOW EACH IMPACT IS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION.........................................................................35 1. ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE .....................................................................................41 2. MOTOR VEHICLE AND PARTS MANUFACTURE.................................................................................57 3. ROAD VEHICLE TRAVEL........................................................................................................................63 4. MOTOR VEHICLE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT.............................................................................83 5. DISPOSAL OF VEHICLES AND PARTS..................................................................................................89 RAIL ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 95 HOW EACH IMPACT IS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION.........................................................................95 1. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, AND ABANDONMENT................................................99 2. RAIL CAR AND PARTS MANUFACTURE.............................................................................................103 3. RAIL TRAVEL .........................................................................................................................................107 4. RAIL CAR MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT.........................................................................................117 5. DISPOSAL OF RAIL CARS AND PARTS ...............................................................................................121 AVIATION ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 123 HOW EACH IMPACT IS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION.......................................................................123 1. AIRPORT CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE, AND EXPANSION .....................................................127 2. AIRCRAFT AND PARTS MANUFACTURE............................................................................................133 3. AVIATION TRAVEL................................................................................................................................137 4. AIRPORT OPERATION ..........................................................................................................................151 5. DISPOSAL OF AIRCRAFT AND PARTS................................................................................................155 MARITIME ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS 157 HOW EACH IMPACT IS PRESENTED IN THIS SECTION.......................................................................157 1. CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE OF NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENTS..................................161 2. MANUFACTURE OF MARITIME VESSELS AND PARTS ....................................................................169 3. MARITIME TRAVEL...............................................................................................................................173 4. MARITIME VESSEL MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT ........................................................................189 5. DISPOSAL OF MARITIME VESSELS AND PARTS...............................................................................193 VI. NEXT STEPS ..............................................................................................................................................195 COLLECT RAW DATA OR LOCAL DATA WHERE NEEDED ..................................................................195
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