Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
C
ulturAl
r
esourCes
Potential impacts on cultural resources include the following:
•
Complete destruction of the resource could occur if present in areas under-
going surface disturbance or excavation.
•
Degradation or destruction of near-surface cultural resources on- and off-
site could result from changing the topography, changing the hydrological
patterns, and soil movement (removal, erosion, sedimentation).
•
Unauthorized removal of artifacts or vandalism could occur as a result of
human access to previously inaccessible areas.
•
Visual impacts could result from large areas of exposed surface, increases
in dust, and the presence of large-scale equipment, machinery, and vehicles
(if the resources have an associated landscape component that contributes
to their significance, such as a sacred landscape or historic trail). Note that
the accumulation of sediment mentioned above could serve to protect some
buried resources by increasing the amount of protective cover.
e
CologiCAl
r
esourCes
Adverse impacts on ecological resources could occur during construction due to the
following:
•
Erosion and runoff
•
Fugitive dust
•
Noise
•
Introduction and spread of invasive nonnative vegetation
•
Modification, fragmentation, and reduction of habitat
•
Mortality of biota
•
Exposure to contaminants
•
Interference with behavioral activities
Site clearing and grading, coupled with construction of access roads, towers, and
support facilities, could reduce, fragment, or dramatically alter existing habitats in
the disturbed portions of the project area. Wildlife in surrounding habitats might also
be affected if construction activities (and associated noise) disturb normal behaviors,
such as feeding and reproduction.
W
Ater
r
esourCes
Water would be required for dust control, making concrete, and consumptive use by
the construction crew. Depending on availability, it may be trucked in from offsite or
obtained from local groundwater wells or nearby surface water bodies. Water quality
can be affected by the following:
•
Activities that cause soil erosion
•
Weathering of newly exposed soils causing leaching and oxidation that can
release chemicals into the water
