ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT VOLUME 1 NUECES, KLEBERG, KENEDY, WILLACY, AND CAMERON COUNTIES CSJ: 1111-07-004 Prepared by: US Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Texas Division And Texas Department of Transportation Corpus Christi and Pharr Districts June 2012 Environmental Assessment US 77 CSJ: 1111-07-004 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1.0 - INTRODUCTION............................................................................................... 1 1.1 PROJECT BACKGROUND ............................................................................................ 1 1.1.1 Freeway Standards............................................................................................. 3 1.1.2 Planning and Programming Status...................................................................... 4 1.1.3 Corridor Trade Influences ................................................................................... 7 SECTION 2.0 - NEED AND PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................................10 2.1 NEED FOR THE PROJECT ..........................................................................................10 2.1.1 At-Grade Intersections Compromise Safety on this High-Speed Facility ............10 2.1.2 At-Grade Intersections within the Project Limits Experience Higher Crash Rates ..........................................................................................................................10 2.1.3 Projected Increases in Traffic on US 77 Will Increase the Potential for Incidents Associated with the Numerous At-Grade Intersections ......................................12 2.1.4 System Continuity Does Not Meet Driver Expectations......................................14 2.2 PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT .....................................................................................14 SECTION 3.0 - DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES ...............................................................15 3.1 OPTIONS EVALUATED ................................................................................................16 3.1.1 Options Considered ...........................................................................................16 3.1.2 Options Dismissed from Detailed Further Study.................................................27 3.2 ALTERNATIVES ADVANCED FOR DETAILED STUDY ...............................................32 3.2.1 Existing Facility – No Build Alternative ...............................................................32 3.2.2 Proposed Facility – Build Alternative..................................................................32 3.3 SELECTION OF THE BUILD ALTERNATIVE................................................................37 SECTION 4.0 - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....38 4.1 ROW DISPLACEMENTS/RELOCATIONS ....................................................................38 4.1.1 Legal and Regulatory Context............................................................................38 4.1.2 No Build Alternative – ROW Displacements/Relocations Consequences...........39 4.1.3 Build Alternative – ROW Displacements/Relocations Consequences ................39 4.2 SOCIOECONOMIC DATA.............................................................................................46 4.2.1 Demographics....................................................................................................46 4.2.2 LEP Populations ................................................................................................47 4.2.3 Economics .........................................................................................................50 4.2.4 Community Cohesion.........................................................................................57 4.2.5 Visual Quality and Aesthetics.............................................................................62 4.2.6 No Build Alternative – Socioeconomic Consequences .......................................67 4.2.7 Build Alternative – Socioeconomic Consequences.............................................67 4.3 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE........................................................................................69 4.3.1 Population, Race, and Ethnicity .........................................................................70 4.3.2 Income...............................................................................................................72 4.3.3 Household Occupancy.......................................................................................76 4.3.4 Tolling and Environmental Justice - Overview....................................................79 4.3.5 No Build Alternative – Environmental Justice Consequences.............................87 4.3.6 Build Alternative – Environmental Justice Consequences..................................87 4.4 LAND USE ....................................................................................................................93 4.4.1 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................93 4.4.2 Local Land Use Plans/Policies ...........................................................................96 4.4.3 Legislation and Other Regulations .....................................................................99 June 2012 i Environmental Assessment US 77 CSJ: 1111-07-004 4.4.4 No Build Alternative – Land Use Consequences..............................................101 4.4.5 Build Alternative – Land Use Consequences ...................................................101 4.5 PRIME FARMLANDS INCLUDING SOILS ..................................................................102 4.5.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................102 4.5.2 No Build Alternative – Prime Farmlands Consequences ..................................104 4.5.3 Build Alternative – Prime Farmlands Consequences........................................104 4.6 VEGETATION/WILDLIFE HABITATS..........................................................................105 4.6.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................105 4.6.2 No Build Alternative – Vegetation /Wildlife Habitats Consequences.................111 4.6.3 Build Alternative – Vegetation /Wildlife Habitats Consequences ......................111 4.7 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED SPECIES .........................................................114 4.7.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................115 4.7.2 No Build Alternative – Threatened and Endangered Species Consequences ..138 4.7.3 Build Alternative – Threatened and Endangered Species Consequences........138 4.8 CULTURAL RESOURCES ..........................................................................................142 4.8.1 Historic Resources...........................................................................................143 4.8.2 Archeology.......................................................................................................147 4.9 SECTION 4(F) AND SECTION 6(F) RESOURCES.....................................................151 4.9.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................151 4.9.2 No Build Alternative – Section 4(f) and Section 6(f) Resources Consequences ........................................................................................................................151 4.9.3 Build Alternative – Section 4(f) and Section 6(f) Resources Consequences.....151 4.10 WATER RESOURCES/WATER QUALITY ..................................................................151 4.10.1 Existing Conditions ..........................................................................................152 4.10.2 No Build Alternative – Water Resources and Water Quality Consequences.....162 4.10.3 Build Alternative – Water Resources and Water Quality Consequences ..........162 4.11 AIR QUALITY..............................................................................................................170 4.11.1 Traffic Air Quality Analysis (TAQA) ..................................................................170 4.11.2 Mobile Source Air Toxics (MSATs) ..................................................................171 4.11.3 No Build Alternative – Air Quality Consequences.............................................179 4.11.4 Build Alternative – Air Quality Consequences ..................................................179 4.12 NOISE.........................................................................................................................179 4.12.1 No Build Alternative – Noise Consequences....................................................190 4.12.2 Build Alternative – Noise Consequences .........................................................190 4.13 HAZARDOUS MATERIALS.........................................................................................191 4.13.1 No Build Alternative – Hazardous Materials Consequences.............................191 4.13.2 Build Alternative – Hazardous Materials Consequences ..................................191 4.14 UTILITY RELOCATION IMPACTS ..............................................................................198 4.14.1 No Build Alternative – Utilities Consequences..................................................198 4.14.2 Build Alternative – Utilities Consequences .......................................................198