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This protocol is promulgated by The Corpus Christi Metropolitan Planning Organization (CCMPO) both in direct response to Section 6001 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) and in the interest of helping its constituent agencies and jurisdictions more effectively respond to the sometimes competing demands for protection of the fragile ecosystems of the Texas Coastal Plain and good stewardship of public funds in infrastructure projects.
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(Draft)
Avoid, Minimize, Compensate: Infrastructure Mitigation Policy and Implementation
in Texas
JUNE 6, 2010
Today, the concept of “mitigation” has evolved to be applied many types of
resources in addition to water. Impacts to endangered species habitat, air quality,
noise, stream banks, prime soils, viewsheds, cultural and historic sites, and many
other resources are mitigated for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways. But
no matter what type of resource, the basic protocol of “avoid, minimize,
compensate” is universally followed to address the impacts of construction, land use
changes, and other human actions on the resource.
This paper examines infrastructure mitigation policy and procedures in Texas with
particular emphasis on the mitigation of water resources under CWA and
endangered species habitat under the Endangered Species Act (ESA.) It reviews
roles and responsibilities of all levels of governmental and quasi‐governmental
agencies in implementing mitigation policy, and provides key contact information
for the major agencies most cognizant of and involved in mitigation. It also
examines the emerging and growing practices of air quality mitigation as they relate
to the current Clean Air Act and analyzes likely future impacts of new legislation
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currently under development by Congress to address global warming as a function
of air quality.
Protecting Tomorrow: Roles of Private For-Profit & Non-Profit
Organizations in Mitigation Resource Impacts of Infrastructure Projects
APRIL 12, 2010
An important thread in the history of America is the dynamic tension between man
and our environment. The commercialization of natural resources such as wood,
food plants and animals, and minerals drove the great western migration and the
creation of an economic powerhouse. Even in the Information Age, natural
resources provide the basic building blocks of the machines and infrastructure that
allow mankind to build an economy of ideas. But this history is also fraught with
examples of exploitive practices that have resulted in the outright destruction of
many resources and the pollution of others to the point that they are no longer
useful to man.
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or Request CD No. 0410 »
Naval Station Ingleside Impact Study
AUGUST 12, 2008
This impact report, requested by the Texas Senate Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure, will ultimately provide the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Corpus Christi region with a better understanding of the types of challenges posed by the NSI closure, as well as the types of solutions required for the region to take full advantage of associated economic development opportunities.
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or Request CD No. 0808 »
Ozone Air Quality Report
FEBRUARY 4, 2006
Nueces County and San Patricio County continue to remain in attainment with the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for ozone. The two counties are near non-attainment, but local efforts to reduce air emissions have offset the effects of growth on air pollution.
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or Request CD No. 0206 »
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OVERVIEW:
More and more transportation, and polices that guide the expansion of transportation infrastructure, are increasingly linked to a variety of environmental issues. By federal law, the
Corpus Christi MPO is responsible for ensuring that the region's plans for transportation infrastructure conform to National Ambient Air Quality standards, but more than that, regional decision makers need to be aware of the affect that transportation has on water quality, wildlife habitat, natural and socio-cultural resources, and climate change.
The MPO sponsors numerous transportation planning studies that are performed by its staff,
or consultants. Generally, studies are funded either directly by the MPO or by individual MPO member agencies. The studies are often documented in reports. The MPO also regularly produces
certification documents.
Lists of studies may be seen by clicking on the
download links at left; copies may be requested, and many of the studies may be downloaded.
Disclaimer Statement: The
preparation of this report has been financed in part through grant[s] from the
Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration, U.S.
Department of Transportation, under the State Planning and Research Program,
Section 505 [or Metropolitan Planning Program, Section 104(f)] of Title 23, U.S.
Code. The contents of this report do not necessarily reflect the official views
or policy of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
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