Environmental Requirements for Projects
Administered by Local Government
Localities may enter into Project Agreements with VDOT to administer the preliminary engineering, right-of-way, and construction stages of transportation projects. As part of this, localities are responsible for compliance with applicable environmental regulations. These vary depending on the scope of your project and the funding (federal and/or state). This website is designed to provide guidance to localities to facilitate their successful completion of environmental requirements.
Please note:
Localities will need to coordinate regularly with VDOT to ensure all necessary procedural milestones are successfully met.
Projects utilizing any VDOT State funds require compliance with of the Code of Virginia, Section 10.1-1188, Article 2, Environmental Impact Reports of State Agencies, and the Memorandum of Agreement signed by the Secretary of Natural Resources and the Secretary of Transportation, which stipulated the SERP.
The roles and responsibilities for environmental work for both VDOT and the locality are stipulated in the Project Administration Agreement. The Project Administration Agreement contains an Environmental Appendix detailing environmental requirements for your project. Various parts of the Environmental Appendix are taken and tailored to fit your specific project based on the party responsible for Preliminary Engineering, Right-of-Way, and Construction activities. See template for the State Environmental Appendix.
Projects requiring a federal action (such as federal funding), with a state match require compliance with SERP and have additional environmental requirements to comply with federal law. These requirements can involve but are not limited to: noise impacts and analysis, Executive Orders, Section 4 (f) Evaluations and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents.
The roles and responsibilities for environmental work between VDOT and the locality are stipulated in the Project Administration Agreement. The Project Administration Agreement contains an Appendix detailing environmental requirements for your project. Various parts of the Environmental Appendix are taken and tailored to fit your specific project based on the party responsible for Preliminary Engineering, Right-of-Way, and Construction activities. See template for the Federal-aid Environmental Appendix.
Quality Assurance Reviews
VDOT Environmental Division conducts quality assurance reviews to ensure environmental requirements were followed to document decisions made in the development of environmental work for specific projects. VDOT will conduct a re-evaluation for FHWA (for federally funded projects) at R/Wand PS&E, and conducts an environmental certification for all projects (regardless of funding) prior to Advertisement. VDOT also conducts QA reviews of all project files, whether managed by VDOT or local governments. VDOT depends on the information submitted by localities to document compliance. Your timely submission of correspondence and reports to your VDOT Project Coordinator will ensure there are no delays at critical points in project development.
These reviews will occur on projects that have complete environmental processes and on active projects in various stages of on-going environmental work. As environmental analyses, studies, NEPA documents, and agency comments are received for projects, you must forward copies to your VDOT Project Coordinator.
For information regarding VDOT’s environmental program requirements for locally administered projects, please contact:
Ms. Jacqueline Cromwell
Alternative Project Delivery Coordinator
Virginia Department of Transportation
1401 E. Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219Phone: (804) 371-6829
Fax: (804) 786-7401
Email: Jackie.Cromwell@virginiaDOT.org
