3. ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND CONSEQUENCES This chapter discusses the environmental CHAPTER CONTENTS analysis and effects associated with the proposed project, including the development 3.1 ACQUISITIONS AND DISPLACEMENTS ................................... 3-2 3.2 LAND USE AND ECONOMY ............................................... 3-10 and operation of light rail and the 3.3 COMMUNITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT .................................... 3-50 completion of the streetcar loop. The chapter 3.4 VISUAL QUALITY AND AESTHETICS .................................... 3-75 includes seventeen sections, covering topics 3.5 HISTORIC, ARCHAEOLOGICAL, AND CULTURAL RESOURCES . 3-100 including multiple aspects of the built 3.6 PARKS AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES ......................... 3-119 3.7 GEOLOGY, SOILS, AND GROUNDWATER ........................... 3-131 environment (e.g., acquisitions and 3.8 ECOSYSTEMS ............................................................. 3-140 displacements, land use), the natural 3.9 WATER QUALITY AND HYDROLOGY .................................. 3-177 environment (e.g., ecosystems, water 3.10 NOISE AND VIBRATION ................................................ 3-198 quality), historic and cultural resources, and 3.11 AIR QUALITY ............................................................. 3-241 safety and security. 3.12 ENERGY ANALYSIS ..................................................... 3-249 3.13 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS ............................................. 3-253 Each section in this chapter provides an 3.14 UTILITIES ................................................................. 3-272 3.15 PUBLIC SERVICES ...................................................... 3-280 overview of the affected environment, 3.16 SAFETY AND SECURITY ............................................... 3-290 presents an analysis of the potential 3.17 SECTION 4(F) ............................................................ 3-300 environmental consequences that would result from the No-Build Alternative and the Locally Preferred Alternative (including options and related facilities), and proposes mitigation and enhancement strategies to minimize negative environmental effects. The analysis of impacts in each section covers long-term, short-term (construction), and cumulative impacts. The analysis of long-term impacts of the project covers the permanent changes that would occur with the completed project. This includes the light rail facilities and related improvements such as reconstructed streets, sidewalks, and landscaping, and any mitigation measures developed as part of the project. The ongoing operation of the project is also considered in the long-term impacts analysis. The analysis of short-term or construction effects covers the activities required to build the light rail project, including all of the heavy construction activities and staging that would occur during the construction period. Typical construction impacts would include the following: Land use and economics – construction-related land use and economic impacts would typically consist of short-term increases in construction and related employment and temporary access, parking and localized effects on surrounding land uses, including businesses. Social and neighborhoods – construction-related impacts to neighborhoods could result from increased traffic congestion, truck traffic, noise, vibration, and dust. Temporary street closures, traffic, and bus reroutes and traffic detours could temporarily increase or decrease traffic within neighborhoods. Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project FEIS 3-1 Chapter 3. Environmental Analysis and Consequences Noise and vibration – the operation of machinery used in construction (e.g., bulldozers, scrapers and pavers, pile drivers, and jackhammers) would typically generate noise and vibration during construction. Pile driving would likely occur where new structures would be constructed. Ecosystems, water quality, and soils – construction impacts typically include water quality related impacts, fish and wildlife habitat removal or temporary disruption, and soil erosion from ground cover removal. Hazardous materials – disturbing hazardous materials can cause contamination in waterbodies, groundwater or soils; hazardous materials that are used or stored on sites can be dangerous to construction workers and release contaminants into the environment. Public utilities and services – temporary interruption of some utilities and services could occur during construction. Air quality – construction-related impacts could occur from truck and equipment emissions, dust from excavation and demolition, and emissions from increased congestion. The FEIS also considers the secondary or indirect effects to the environment with the project in place. As defined under 40 CFR Section 1508.8(b), indirect effects “are caused by the action and are later in time or farther removed in distance, but are still reasonably foreseeable. Indirect effects may include growth inducing effects and other effects related to induced changes in the pattern of land use, population density or growth rate, and related effects on air and water and other natural systems, including ecosystems.” The analysis of cumulative impacts considers the overall changes to the environment over time, including past, present, or reasonably foreseeable future actions, and evaluates the added effects of the proposed project. For example, the proposal to build a new Willamette River bridge would be considered within the context of other changes to the river over time. 3.1 ACQUISITIONS AND DISPLACEMENTS This section discusses the effects of potential property acquisitions and displacements of existing uses that may be required to construct and operate the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project. The secondary effects of the property acquisitions and displacements, including changes in employment, tax revenues, or changes in community character, are discussed in Section 3.2, Land Use and Economy, and Section 3.3, Community Impact Assessment. For additional information on the properties identified as being affected, see Appendix G of this FEIS, Properties Affected by Acquisitions. 3.1.1 Affected Environment The project area includes public and private properties, the Willamette River, and railroad and public rights-of-way. Most of the land within the project area is developed, although vacant lots, parks, and other lands are interspersed among the residential, institutional, and employment uses. The project area is within the cities of Portland, Milwaukie, Gresham, and an unincorporated area of Clackamas County. 3-2 Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project FEIS Section 3.1. Acquisitions and Displacements Starting from the north, the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project begins in downtown Portland, a high-density area with mixed uses that includes commercial and residential tower developments. It continues to the South Waterfront area, where there are established as well as planned development areas with a mix of uses, including residential, office/commercial, and institutional (Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU)). The corridor then crosses the Willamette River. On the east side of the river, properties include institutions such as the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and the Portland Opera, as well as businesses and waterfront uses in an industrial area. Moving south in the corridor, uses are primarily industrial with some commercial and residential neighborhoods nearby. The project would occupy property owned by the Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) from southeast Portland into downtown Milwaukie. Residential neighborhoods lie to the east of the UPRR. The corridor then passes primarily industrial and commercial uses as it approaches downtown Milwaukie, with a residential neighborhood located on the east side of the tracks between the Springwater Corridor Trail and SE Mailwell Drive. In Downtown Milwaukie there is a mix of uses including commercial, residential, governmental, and educational. From downtown Milwaukie to SE Park Avenue, there is a mix of uses that include properties owned by the State of Oregon as well as businesses, residences, and a planned park adjacent to SE McLoughlin Boulevard. In Gresham, the land uses around the Ruby Junction Facility include a varied mix of single-family residences, service businesses, and industrial businesses. A relocation plan completed for TriMet by Universal Field Services (2009) researched in detail the potential for available property for industrial, commercial, and residential relocations. The relocation plan concluded that the existing and recent past vacancy rates for industrial and office property indicate that the supply of vacant properties appears to be adequate to allow relocation. The plan also concluded that there is an adequate supply of residential properties on the market to accommodate relocations needed by the project. Section 3.2, Land Use and Economy, and Section 3.3, Community Impact Assessment, provide further details on land use and economic and social conditions in the project area. These sections also provide more detail on secondary impacts of property acquisitions and displacements. 3.1.2 Environmental Impacts 3.1.2.1 Long-Term Impacts The construction and operation of a major transportation improvement such as the Portland- Milwaukie Light Rail Project typically require the acquisition and use of property. In most locations of the project corridor, the light rail project has been routed to use