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Environmental Engineering > Module 2 > Flashcards

Module 2 Flashcards

1
Q

What does NEPA stand for?

A

National Environmental Policy Act

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2
Q

requires that environmental impact be assessed whenever a federal action will have an environmental impact, as well as requiring that alternatives be considered

A

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

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3
Q

Who signed NEPA into law?

A

President Richard Nixon

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4
Q

When was NEPA signed into law?

A

January 1,1970

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5
Q

On January 1,1970, President Richard Nixon signed NEPA into law, setting a national policy to encourage ___________ between people and their environment.

A

productive and enjoyable harmony

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6
Q

Such a stand-alone finding results when potential environmental impacts are compared to a checklist of significant impacts, with the result that no significant impact can be identified.

A

Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI)

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7
Q

What does FONSI stand for?

A

Finding of No Significant Impact

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8
Q

A detailed assessment of potential environmental impact resulting in one of two conclusions: either the EA must be expanded to a full-scale environmental impact statement or a FONSI results from the EA.

A

Environmental Assessment (EA)

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9
Q

What does EA stand for?

A

Environmental Assessment

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10
Q

must assess in detail the potential environmental impacts of a proposed action and alternative actions

A

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

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11
Q

What does DEIS stand for?

A

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

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12
Q

issued by the appropriate federal agency

A

Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)

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13
Q

What does FEIS stand for?

A

Final Environmental Impact Statement

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14
Q

After mandated public hearings and incorporation of comments, the federal agency issues a ________

A

Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

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15
Q

includes the final decision about the project, the alternative chosen, and any value judgments

A

Record of Decision (ROD)

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16
Q

What does ROD stand for?

A

Record of Decision

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17
Q

Four Distinct Phases of Writing an Environmental Asssessment

A

Scoping, Inventory, Assessment, Evaluation

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18
Q

scope or extent of the assessment

A

scoping

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19
Q

cataloging of environmentally susceptible areas and activities, including socioeconomically impacted areas

A

inventory

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20
Q

process of estimating the impact of the alternatives, including cumulative impacts, and the impacts of a “no action” alternative

A

assessment

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21
Q

interpretation of these findings, which is often done concurrently with estimating impacts

A

evaluation

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22
Q

What does GEIS stand for?

A

Generic Environmental Impact Statement

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23
Q

What does PEIS stand for?

A

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

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24
Q

refers to the impact assessment for an extended or multifaceted project

A

Generic Environmental Impact Statement (GEIS)

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25
Q

refers to an assessment for an entire program

A

Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS)

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26
Q

refers to the process of calculating projected effects that a proposed action or construction project will have on environmental quality

A

Environmental Assessment

27
Q

Semi-Quantitative Approaches of Environmental Assessment

A

Checklist, Interaction Matrix, Checklist with weighted rankings

28
Q

these are lists of potential environmental impacts, both primary and secondary

A

checklists

29
Q

occurs as a direct result of the proposed project, such as the effect of dam on aquatic life

A

primary effects

30
Q

occurs as an indirect result of the action, such that an interchange for a highway may not directly affect wildlife, but indirectly it will draw such establishments as service stations and quick food stores, thus changing land use patterns

A

secondary effects

31
Q

Three phases of a checklist for a highway project

A

planning, construction, operation

32
Q

Consideration is given to the environmental effects of the highway route and the acquisition and condemnation of property

A

planning phase

33
Q

This will include displacement of people, noise, soil erosion, air and water pollution, and energy use

A

construction phase

34
Q

It will list direct impacts owning to noise, water pollution resulting from runoff, energy use, etc., and indirect impacts owing to regional development, housing, lifestyle, and economic development.

A

operation phase

35
Q

What is 0 in the arbitrary scale?

A

no impact

36
Q

What is 1 in the arbitrary scale?

A

minimal impact

37
Q

What is 2 in the arbitrary scale?

A

small impact

38
Q

What is 3 in the arbitrary scale?

A

moderate impact

39
Q

What is 4 in the arbitrary scale?

A

significant impact

40
Q

What is 5 in the arbitrary scale?

A

severe impact

41
Q

refers to a two-dimensional listing of existing characteristics and conditions of the environment and detailed proposed actions that may affect the environment

A

interaction matrix

42
Q

represents the extent of the interaction between the environmental characteristics and the proposed actions and typically may be measured

A

magnitude

43
Q

often a judgment call on the part of the engineer

A

importance of the interaction

44
Q

Sections an EA or EIS is usually organized

A

introduction, description of the proposed action and alternatives, description of the environment affected by the proposed action, evaluation

45
Q

Provides an overview of the proposed project, alternative actions, and the assessment methods that will be used

A

introduction

46
Q

often includes a summary of the most critical and important results of the assessment; can often serve as an executive summary of the EA or EIS

A

introduction

47
Q

Describes the proposed project and all of the alternatives that need to be considered, including the “no action” alternative

A

description of the proposed action and alternatives

48
Q

Description is best organized by listing environmental parameters that could be impacted by the proposed alternative, grouping them into logical sets

A

description of the environment affected by the proposed action

49
Q

Out of hands of the engineers and scientists responsible for the inventory and assessment phases

A

evaluation

50
Q

responsible governmental agency ultimately uses the environmental assessment to justify the record of decision

A

evaluation

51
Q

may be calculated for all checklist items that have a quantitative scale, like aesthetics or historical objects, a scale based on qualitative considerations may be generated by an expert in the particular area

A

Environmental Quality Index (EQI)

52
Q

What does EQI stand for?

A

Environmental Quality Index

53
Q

importance unit to each parameter

A

Parameter Importance Units (PIU)

54
Q

What does PIU stand for?

A

Parameter Importance Units

55
Q

refers to the product of EQI and PIU

A

Environmental Impact Unit (EIU)

56
Q

What does EIU stand for?

A

Environmental Impact Unit

57
Q

formula of EIU

A

EIU = PIU x EQI

58
Q

provides a method for comparing low-probability, high consequence impacts with high-probability, low-consequence impacts

A

risk analysis

59
Q

allows assessment of future uncertain impacts, and incorporates uncertainty into the assessment

A

risk analysis

60
Q

generally preferred since the overhead costs of financing GO bonds are lower and their greater security allows them to be offered at a lower rate of interest

A

General Obligation (GO) bond

61
Q

Two-Step Procedure in Considering Impacts of Proposed Projects

A

define capital requirements of each alternative, apply financial classification criteria

62
Q

Sample Ratios of Estimates of Market-Acceptable Thresholds

A

debt/capita <=300
debt/capita as percentage of per capita income <= 7%
debt/full property value <= 4.5%

63
Q

Empirical studies have shown that bond offerings by cities that _______ all three debt ratios are not likely to be successful.

A

exceed

64
Q

refers to the second component of an economic impact assessment

A

Analyses of Projected Increase in User Changes

Environmental Engineering (11 decks)

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