Final Environmental Assessment for The Ohio State University, Ohio 4-H Center with Green Building Technologies DOE/EA 1571 Franklin County, Ohio December 2006 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY GOLDEN FIELD OFFICE 1617 Cole Boulevard Golden, Colorado 80401 Ohio State 4-H Center with Green Building Technologies Franklin County, OH TABLE OF CONTENTS Environmental Assessment Ohio 4-H Building with Green Building Technologies Franklin County, Ohio SUMMARY............................................................................................................................. S-1 1.0 INTRODUCTION.........................................................................................................1-1 1.1. National Environmental Policy Act and Related Procedures...........................1-1 1.2. Background .....................................................................................................1-1 1.3. Scoping: Process and Results ........................................................................1-7 1.3.1 Environmental Issues ..........................................................................1-7 1.3.2 Alternatives..........................................................................................1-7 1.4. Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action....................................................1-8 1.5. Organization, Content, and Objectives of this Environmental Assessment.....1-8 2.0 PROPOSED ACTION AND ALTERNATIVES.............................................................2-1 2.1. Description of the Proposed Action .................................................................2-1 2.1.1 Project Applicants................................................................................2-1 2.1.2 Project Location...................................................................................2-1 2.1.3 Building Design, Construction, Operation and Maintenance ...............2-1 2.1.4 Environmental Management Commitments.........................................2-9 2.2. Description of the No Action Alternative........................................................2-10 3.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT......................................................................................3-1 3.1. Land Use and Transportation..........................................................................3-1 3.1.1 Project Site and Zoning .......................................................................3-1 3.1.2 Surrounding Area.................................................................................3-1 3.1.3 Transportation and Access..................................................................3-2 3.2. Visual Quality/Aesthetics.................................................................................3-3 3.2.1 Visual Characteristics of the Project Site.............................................3-3 3.2.2 Public Vantage Points/Site Visibility ....................................................3-3 3.3. Public Services and Utilities ............................................................................3-3 3.3.1 Storm Water Management...................................................................3-3 3.3.2 Sanitary Sewer ....................................................................................3-3 3.3.3 Domestic and Fire Water Supply.........................................................3-4 3.3.4 Electric Utilities ....................................................................................3-4 3.4. Noise ...............................................................................................................3-4 3.4.1 Regulations and Guidelines.................................................................3-4 3.4.2 Sensitive Receptors.............................................................................3-5 3.4.3 Existing Noise Levels and Sources .....................................................3-6 3.5. Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice ...................................................3-6 3.5.1 Population............................................................................................3-6 3.5.2 Employment.........................................................................................3-6 3.5.3 Housing ...............................................................................................3-7 3.5.4 Ethnicity ...............................................................................................3-7 3.5.5 Income and Poverty.............................................................................3-7 Final EA December 2006 Ohio State 4-H Center with Green Building Technologies Franklin County, OH 3.6. Biological Resources.......................................................................................3-7 3.6.1 Vegetation ...........................................................................................3-8 3.6.2 Wetlands and Other Waters of the U.S. ..............................................3-8 3.6.3 Wildlife .................................................................................................3-9 3.6.4 Species of Concern.............................................................................3-9 3.7. Cultural Resources..........................................................................................3-9 3.7.1 Historic Resources.............................................................................3-10 3.7.2 Archaeological Resources.................................................................3-10 3.8. Air Quality......................................................................................................3-11 3.8.1 Definition of Resource.......................................................................3-11 3.8.2 Existing Conditions............................................................................3-12 3.9. Water Resources...........................................................................................3-13 3.9.1 Surface Water....................................................................................3-13 3.9.2 Ground Water....................................................................................3-14 3.9.3 Floodplains ........................................................................................3-14 3.10. Geology and Soils .........................................................................................3-14 3.10.1 Geology .............................................................................................3-14 3.10.2 Soils...................................................................................................3-16 3.11. Hazardous Materials and Waste Management .............................................3-16 3.11.1 Hazardous Materials..........................................................................3-16 3.11.2 Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Wastes ...........................................3-17 4.0 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES AND MITIGATION MEASURES..................4-1 4.1. Land Use and Transportation..........................................................................4-1 4.1.1 Proposed Action..................................................................................4-1 4.1.2 No Action Alternative ...........................................................................4-2 4.1.3 Mitigation Measures.............................................................................4-2 4.2. Visual Quality/Aesthetics.................................................................................4-2 4.2.1 Proposed Action..................................................................................4-2 4.2.2 No Action Alternative ...........................................................................4-2 4.2.3 Mitigation Measures.............................................................................4-2 4.3. Public Services and Utilities ............................................................................4-3 4.3.1 Proposed Action..................................................................................4-3 4.3.2 No Action Alternative ...........................................................................4-4 4.3.3 Mitigation Measures.............................................................................4-4 4.4. Noise .............................................................................................................4-4 4.4.1 Proposed Action..................................................................................4-5 4.4.2 No Action Alternative ...........................................................................4-6 4.4.3 Mitigation Measures.............................................................................4-6 4.5. Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice ...................................................4-6 4.5.1 Proposed Action..................................................................................4-6 4.5.2 No Action Alternative ...........................................................................4-7 4.5.3 Mitigation Measures.............................................................................4-7 4.6. Biological Resources.......................................................................................4-7 4.6.1 Proposed Action..................................................................................4-7 4.6.2 No Action Alternative ...........................................................................4-8 4.6.3 Mitigation Measures.............................................................................4-8