BUFFALO DISTRICT

Buffalo District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS CAPABILITY

Mission:  Responsible for environmental compliance aspects during the planning, design, construction, and operational phases of projects, including public and inter-agency environmental coordination and outreach.  Conducts or oversees design of ecosystem restoration projects.  Provides environmental engineering and environmental health support to applicable projects. Collects and analyzes appropriate environmental data to be used in the preparation of all required documentation for compliance with all federal, state, and local environmental regulations.  

Summary of Capabilities:

• National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance
• Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) compliance
• Endangered Species Act compliance (e.g., Indiana bat, NLE bat)
• Clean Water Act compliance (i.e., Sections 401, 402 & 404)
• Development of field sampling plans for sediment analysis and fish & wildlife habitat evaluations
• Evaluation and treatment of aquatic invasive species
• Evaluation & design of aquatic ecosystem restoration projects (e.g., dam removal, fish passage, wetland creation/restoration, riparian corridor restoration)
• HTRW Investigations
• Environmental Risk Assessments
• Geotechnical Investigations Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to environmental resources analysis

Detailed Description of Capabilities:

• Responsible for environmental data collection, analysis, evaluation, and recommendations pertaining to air and water quality, fish and wildlife resources, vegetation, and land use; and community, regional, sociological, and recreational planning
• Responsible for ecological, biological, aesthetic, and cultural resources assessment, and mitigation recommendations and design relative to water resources development projects in plan formulation. Responsible for the formulation and screening of measures and alternatives for ecosystem restoration projects
• Coordinates and works with applicable agencies and groups in the development, conservation, protection, preservation, and/or enhancement of natural resources during the planning, design, construction, and operation of water resource projects.  Serves as an advocate for environmental enhancement and restoration projects within Corps authority.
• Coordinates environmental compliance with appropriate representatives of federal, state, and local natural resource agencies and other public interests.  Develops recommendations to be included in project plans, and develops scopes of work for contracts and/or performs literature searches and/or field studies as needed to document baseline conditions (if current data is not available), to determine the effects of proposed or existing projects.  Prepares and coordinates appropriate documentation applicable to projects (e.g., environmental assessments/impact statements, Section 404 public notices and evaluations, Section 401 permit applications, and cultural resources assessments).
• Maintains liaison with other known experts in such fields as limnology, fish and wildlife management, wetlands biology, water quality, stream morphology/hydrology, soil conservation, cultural resources, and other areas of environmental concern.
• Provides Outreach support to projects, working with project teams to facilitate positive and effective communication with project stakeholders, other agencies, and the general public.
• Responsible for the review of other agencies’ NEPA documents, as appropriate.  Responsible for coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, other appropriate federal agencies, state resource and regulatory agencies, and other public and private entities on environmental matters.  Responsible for compliance with all appropriate environmental statutes, regulations, executive orders, and directives which include, but are not limited to, the National Historic Preservation Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, Endangered Species Act, Farmland Protection Policy Act, Coastal Zone Management Act, Clean Water Act, Executive Order 11990 (Protection of Wetlands), and all appropriate addends to such compliance requirements.
• Provides design, management, and coordination of river and harbor sediment/water sampling and testing program, for use in the evaluation of dredge material disposal alternatives/impacts.
• Prepares Work Statements and cost estimates for applicable portions of A-E contracts, HTRW Site Investigations, Remedial Investigations, and Feasibility Studies, and oversees contractor performance of these contracts.  Coordinates environmental testing and site assessment with Corps operating elements and other local, state, and Federal agencies.
• Provides advice and expertise for Brownfields initiatives and remedial action programs.
• Conducts environmental compliance assessments and environmental audits of federal facilities, and evaluates facility operations in the development of pollution prevention programs.
• Responsible for water quality studies required for existing and proposed Civil Works studies and programs, and ground and general water quality investigations.  Provides expertise for water quality modeling of stream, lake, and ground water systems, and develops models used for testing and sampling programs for water quality monitoring (e.g., Great Lakes Tributary Modeling Program; focused on developing sediment transport models for Great Lakes tributaries that discharge into Areas of Concern).   

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