Environmental Assessment

Environmental Assessment

Somerset Northern Bypass

Pulaski County, Kentucky

Item Number 8-59.20

PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR ACTION
1.1 Purpose of Proposed Project 1
1.2 History and Legislation 1
1.3 Project Description 3
1.3.1 Existing Facilities 3
1.3.2 Proposed Improvement 3
1.4 Logical Termini 3
1.5 Need for Proposed Project 4
1.5.1 Traffic Volumes and Capacity 4
1.5.2 Local Access and Connectivity 5
1.5.3 System Linkage and Continuity 5
1.5.4 I-66 Border to Border Goals 5
PROJECT ALTERNATIVES
2.1 No-Build Alternatives Discussion 6
2.1.1 No-Build Alternative 6
2.1.2 Mass Transit 6
2.1.3 Transportation System Management 6
2.2 Alternatives Considered But Eliminated 7
2.2.1 KY 80 Upgrade 7
2.3 Build Alternative 8
2.3.1 North Alternate 8
2.3.2 South Alternate 8
2.3.3 Crossover Alternate 9
2.4 Cost and Impact Comparisons 9
2.5 Preferred alternative 9
AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
3.1 Air Quality 10
3.2 Highway Noise 10
3.2.1 Receptor Sites 10
3.2.2 Noise Abatement Criteria 10
3.2.3 Noise Levels 11
3.2.4 Noise Abatement Considerations 11
3.2.5 Noise Abatement Findings and Recommendations 12
3.3 Aquatic Ecosystems 13
3.3.1 Water Quality 13
3.3.2 Caves and Karst Features 14
3.3.3 Water Supplies 15
3.3.4 Streams and River Crossings 15
3.3.5 Floodplains 16
3.3.6 Wetlands 16
3.3.7 State-Listed Aquatic Species 17
3.3.8 Wild and Scenic Rivers 18
3.4 Terrestrial Ecosystems 18
3.5 Federally Threatened and Endangered Species 19
3.6 Cultural Resources 20
3.6.1 Historic Structures or Districts 20
3.6.2 Archaeological Sites 20
3.7 Socioeconomic Impacts 21
3.7.1 Land Use 21
3.7.2 Community Impact Assessment 22
3.7.3 Bypass Effects 28
3.7.4 Tax Base Effects 28
3.7.5 Replacement Housing and Available Commerical Facilities 29
3.7.6 Relocations and Displacements 30
3.7.7 Farmland 31
3.8 Environmental Justice 33
3.8.1 Protected Populations and Meaningful Participation 34
3.9 Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities 35
3.10 UST/Hazardous Materilas 35
3.11 Visual Impacts 35
3.12 Impacts of Construction Activities 36
3.13 Energy 37
3.14 Cumulative and Indirect Impacts 37
MITIGATION MEASURES
4.1 Unresolved Environmental Issues 39
4.1.1 Noise 39
4.1.2 Wetlands 39
4.1.3 Threatened or Endangered Species 40
4.1.4 Archaelolgical Resources 40
4.1.5 Hazardous Materials/Underground Storage Tank Sites 40
4.2 Site-Specific Mitigation 41
4.2.1 Caves and Karst Features 41
4.2.2 Water Supplies 41
4.2.3 Streams 41
4.2.4 Vegetation 42
4.3 General Mitigation Measures During Construction 42
COMMENTS AND COORDINATION
5.1 Coordination with Federal and State Agencies 45
5.1.1 Scoping Process 45
5.2 Public Involvement 45
5.2.1 Public Information Meetings 46
5.2.2 Citizens Advisory Council 46
5.2.3 Project Newsletters 47
5.2.4 News Releases 47
5.2.5 Information Repository 48
5.2.6 Public Correspondence 48
5.2.7 Public Hearing 48

Design Features of existing and Proposed Highway Facilities Table 1
Level of Service Scale Table 2
Cost Comparison of Build Alternates Table 3
Summary of Impacts Table 4
Identification of Noise Receptors Table 5
Existing and Future Noise Levels Table 6
Predicted Change in Leq from Existing Levels Table 7
Predicted Change in Leq from No-Build Levels Table 8
Water Quality Sampling Results for Project Area Streams Table 9
Structures and Channel Changes in Clue-Line Streams Table 10
Wetland Characteristics Table 11
Ecosystem Impacts Table 12
Cultural Resource Site Types and Frequencies Table 13
Management Recommendations and Preliminary NRHP Evaluations for Archaeological Sites Table 14
Earnings by Industry – Pulaski County 1999 Table 15
Pulaski County Tax Revenue Loss – Crossover Alternate Table 16
Pulaski County Tax Revenue Loss – South Alternate Table 17
Pulaski County Tax Revenue Loss – North Alternate Table 18
Pulaski County Housing Data – 2000 Census Table 19
Pulaski County Housing Date – 1990 Census Table 20
Number of Houses Displaced and Estimated Available Housing Table 21
Business Displacement by Build Alternates Table 22
Displaced Dwelling Units Table 23
Minority and Low-Income Populations – 2000 Census Table 24
Hazardous Materials/Underground Storage Tank Sites Table 25

8.0 EXHIBITS

Project Location Map Exhibit 1

Project Area Map Exhibit 2

Typical Section of Proposed Improvement Exhibit 3

Year 2002 Traffic Volumes Exhibit 4

Year 2030 No-Build Traffic Volumes Exhibit 5

Cumberland Parkway/KY 80 Upgrade Alternate Map Exhibit 6

Year 2030 KY 80 Upgrade Traffic Volumes Exhibit 7

Build Alternates Map Exhibit 8

Preferred Alternate Map Exhibit 9

Air Quality Receptor Sites Exhibit 10

Noise Receptor Sites Exhibit 11

Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystem Sampling Sites Exhibit 12

Cave and Water Resource Related Sites Exhibit 13

Stream Crossings Map Exhibit 14

Existing Land Use and Cover Types Exhibit 15

Sites Assessed for Historical Status Exhibit 16

Archaeological Site Probability Zones Map Exhibit 17

Somerset Future Land-Use Map Exhibit 18

Commercial/Industrial Land Use Exhibit 19

Hazardous Materials/Underground Storage Tank Sites Exhibit 20

9.0 APENDICES

Appendix A – Somerset Northern bypass Citizens Advisory Council Report to the KYTC

Appendix B – Coordination

Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission
United States Fish and Wildlife Service
Kentucky Department of Fish and wildlife Resources
State Historic Preservation Office

Appendix C – Conceptual Stage Relocation Plan

Appendix D – Land Conversion Impact Rating Form (AD-1006)

Appendix E – Meeting Minutes from October 2001 Scoping Meeting

Appendix F – Sample copies of the May and August 2002 Public Information Meeting

comment sheets

Appendix G – Project Newsletters

Appendix H – Public Notices

Appendix I – Acronym List