TIER 1 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NORTHERN SECTION OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH SPEED INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL SEPTEMBER 2009 TIER ONE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR NORTH SECTION OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR IN OKLAHOMA Located In Oklahoma, Lincoln, Creek and Tulsa Counties, Oklahoma The focus of this document is to provide a Tier 1 Environmental Assessment pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). This documentation will focus on broad issues such as purpose and need, general location of alternatives, and avoidance and minimization of potential environmental effects for the North (Oklahoma City/Tulsa) Section for Oklahoma's portion of the South Central High Speed Rail Corridor. Prepared For: Oklahoma Department of Transportation & Federal Railroad Administration Prepared By: Able Consulting 9225 North 133rd East Avenue Owasso, Oklahoma 74055 September 2009 ENVIRONMENTAL CORRIDOR ANALYSIS 2009 TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE ...................................................................................................................................................... 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 3 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND LOCATION ...................................................................................................... 5 2.0 PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT ...................................................................................... 8 3.0 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED ......................................................................................................... 9 3.1 NO BUILD ALTERNATIVE ....................................................................................................... 10 3.2 ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED AND DISMISSED ................................................................ 10 3.3 BUILD ALTERNATIVE (TURNPIKE CORRIDOR) ................................................................... 11 3.4 URBAN CONNECTIONS ............................................................................................................. 11 3.5 PREFERRED CORRIDOR ...................................................................................................... 12 4.0 SERVICE LEVEL NEPA - TIERED PROCESS .................................................................................. 14 5.0 SOCIAL, ECONOMIC, AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS .............................................................. 15 5.1 LAND USE ............................................................................................................................... 15 5.2 FARMLAND ............................................................................................................................. 17 5.3 RIGHT OF WAY AND DISPLACEMENTS ............................................................................... 18 5.3.1 ESTIMATED DISPLACEMENTS ................................................................................ 18 5.3.2 ESTIMATED RIGHT-OF-WAY REQUIREMENTS ...................................................... 19 5.3.3 TRIBAL LAND ............................................................................................................. 19 5.4 EFFECTS ON PUBLIC PARKS, WILDLIFE AND WATERFOWL REFUGES .......................... 19 5.4.1 PARKS ........................................................................................................................ 20 5.4.2 WILDLIFE AND WATERFOWL REFUGES ................................................................ 20 5.5 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE .................. 21 5.5.1 POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS .......................................................................... 21 I ENVIRONMENTAL CORRIDOR ANALYSIS 2009 5.5.2 ECONOMIC PROFILE ................................................................................................ 22 5.5.3 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE ..................................................................................... 22 5.6 NOISE ...................................................................................................................................... 24 5.7 AIR QUALITY ........................................................................................................................... 25 5.8 VIBRATION .............................................................................................................................. 26 5.9 WATER QUALITY .................................................................................................................... 26 5.9.1 WATER BODIES ........................................................................................................ 27 5.9.2 AQUIFERS .................................................................................................................. 27 5.10 POTENTIAL JURISDICTIONAL WATERS AND WETLANDS ................................................. 29 5.11 FLOODPLAINS ........................................................................................................................ 29 5.12 THREATENED/ENDANGERED SPECIES AND OTHER BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES .......... 30 5.13 HISTORIC/ARCHEOLOGICAL PRESERVATION ................................................................... 32 5.14 HAZARDOUS WASTE INFORMATION ................................................................................... 35 5.15 VISUAL RESOURCES ............................................................................................................. 36 5.16 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 36 6.0 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT AND AGENCY COORDINATION .............................................................. 36 6.1 SOLICITATION LETTERS ....................................................................................................... 36 6.2 PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT ......................................................................................................... 37 LIST OF TABLES TABLE E.1: SUMMARY OF IMPACTS IDENTIFIED FOR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA SECTION FOR SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH SPEED INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL ........................ 4 TABLE 5.1: LAND USE ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR ............................. 15 TABLE 5.2: PRIME FARMLAND ALONG PROPOSED HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .................................................................................................................... 18 II ENVIRONMENTAL CORRIDOR ANALYSIS 2009 TABLE 5.3: POTENTIAL DISPLACEMENTS ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .................................................................................................................... 18 TABLE 5.4: PARKS AND REFUGES ................................................................................................ 21 TABLE 5.5: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU DATA - POPULATION CHANGE (2008) ................................ 21 TABLE 5.6: 2008 U.S. CENSUS BUREAU DATA - HOUSING AND INCOME ............................... 22 TABLE 5.7: HSROK CENSUS TRACK SUMMARY DATA ................................................................ 23 TABLE 5.9: NOISE IMPACT DISTANCES ........................................................................................ 24 TABLE 5.10: RESIDENTIAL RECEPTORS WITHIN HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .................................................................................................................... 25 TABLE 5.11: RESIDENTIAL HOMES WITHIN 100 FEET OF HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .................................................................................................................... 26 TABLE 5.12: NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY MAP DATA ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .............................................................................................. 29 TABLE 5.13: MAPPED FLOODPLAINS ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR ...... 30 TABLE 5.14: THREATENED/ENDANGERED SPECIES ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .................................................................................................................... 31 TABLE 5.15: CULTURAL RESOURCES DATABASE SEARCH RESULTS ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR ........................................................................ 32 TABLE 5.16: ISA DATABASE SEARCH RESULTS ALONG HSIPR OKLAHOMA CITY/TULSA CORRIDOR .................................................................................................................... 35 TABLE6.1: SUMMARY OF PUBLIC COMMENTS RECEIVED ........................................................ 38 LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1.1: VISION FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL IN AMERICA BY CONGRESS (2001) ........................ 6 FIGURE 1.2: SOUTH CENTRAL REGION HIGH SPEED RAIL CORRIDOR ........................................ 7 FIGURE 3.1: OKLAHOMA CITY / TULSA SECTION OF SOUTH CENTRAL HIGH SPEED RAIL LOCATION MAP ............................................................................................................ 13 FIGURE 5.1: OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR LAND USE .......... 15 FIGURE 5.2: MAJOR GROUNDWATER AQUIFERS .......................................................................... 28 III ENVIRONMENTAL CORRIDOR ANALYSIS 2009 APPENDICES APPENDIX A .............................. ITEMS NORMALLY CONSIDERED DURING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT APPENDIX B .................................................................................