The Sustainability Imperative - Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering - page 239

Figure 6.4 Decision flowchart
for a finding of no significant
impact for Federal Highway
Administration projects.
From: Federal Highway Administration,
“Guidance for preparing and
processing environmental and Section
4(f) documents,” Technical Advisory
T6640.8A, FHWA, Washington, DC,
1987.

ENVIRONMENT
ASSESSMENT PROCESS
(PART 1, CHAPTER 5)

DISTRICT CONDUCTS
PUBLIC HEARING
(PART 1, CHAPTER 5)

DISTRICT PREPARES AND
SUBMITS EA/FONSI PUBLIC
HEARING TRANSCRIPT TO
FHWA FOR APPROVAL
(5-2.2)

Optional

CEMO REVIEWS
DRAFT EA/FONSI
(5-2.2)

FHWA REVIEW
(5-2.2)

COOPERATING
AGENCY

FHWA COMMENTS
SENT TO DISTRICT
(5-2.2)

DISTRICT
INCORPORATES
COMMENTS EA/FONSI
(5-2.2)

DISTRICT FORWARDS
REVISED EA/FONSI TO
FHWA FOR APPROVAL
(5-2.2)

FHWA APPROVES EA/
FONSI (5-2.2) AND
DISTRIBUTES TO
DISTRICT

DISTRICT SENDS NOTICE
OF AVIALABILITY LETTER
TO FLORIDA STATE
CLEARINGHOUSE OTHER
INTERESTED AGENCIES
(5-2.3)

COOPERATING AGENCY DISTRICT
PLACES NOTICE OF LOCATION/
DESIGN CONCEPT ACCEPTANCE
IN LOCAL NEWSPAPER
(PART1, CHAPTER)

DISTRICT SENDS
COPIES TO
COOPERATING
AGENCY
(5-2.3)

DISTRICT PUBLISHES
NOTICE OF
AVAILABILITY OF FONSI
IN NEWSPAPER
(5-2.3)

Since NEPA's passage, land-use decisions in the United States have had to fol-
low from an environmental assessment. However, justice issues are not necessarily
part of these assessments. Most environmental impact assessment handbooks prior
to the late 1990s contained little information and few guidelines related to fairness
issues in terms of housing and development. They were usually concerned about
open space, wetland and farmland preservation, housing density, ratios of single-
to multiple-family residences, owner-occupied housing versus rental housing,
building height, signage and other aesthetic restrictions, land designated for public
facilities such as landfills and treatment works, and institutional land uses for reli-
gious, health care, police, and fire protection. Whereas, those guidelines certainly
have enhanced the livability of neighborhoods, they have also led to injustices.