Final Environmental Impact Report - Whittier Bridge/I-95 ...

Whittier Bridge/I-95 Improvement Project FEIR
Chapter 2.0: Response to Comments on the Environmental Assessment/Draft Environmental Impact Report
pick‐up; routine inspection and maintenance of stormwater BMPs; spill prevention and response;
maintenance of landscaped areas; snow and ice management; and prohibition of illicit discharges.
DEP-22: …documentation needs to be submitted to conservation commissions indicating 1-inch water quality volume
is proposed for runoff from new development portion, and to maximum extent practicable and improve existing
conditions for runoff from redevelopment portion of the project. This needs to be broken out on town-by-town basis as
3 separate NOIs were filed. Containment and control measures need to be proposed to isolate the stormwater
drainage system in the event of an emergency spill or other unexpected event for locales within or that drain to
critical areas. The containment and control measures should be specifically identified to the conservation
commissions so that they may be conditioned.
Response: MassDOT has provided supplemental information that demonstrates compliance to the
conservation commissions.
Highway improvement projects by their very nature offer positive benefits relative to spill prevention.
These benefits are not typical of other types of development projects. Most highway improvement
projects are designed to increase safety, and provide for efficient movement of traffic. Thus, many
highway improvement projects contribute significantly to the prevention of spills. The following are
examples of proposed improvements that would provide direct benefits in the prevention of spills:
1. Improve curve alignments to enhance drivability and sight distances;
2. Increase useable shoulder width to provide for access of emergency personnel to facilitate
their use of containment equipment as well as enhanced vehicle recovery area;
3. Correct existing drainage problems and thus prevent hydroplaning and winter icing
conditions;
4. Add ―rumble strips‖ where appropriate to combat driver fatigue;
5. Use standard catch basin inlets and other standard practices in the design, so that
emergency response personnel are readily familiar with these features when they encounter
them in the field, and can use standard response practices and equipment; and
6. Provide a drainage atlas to the local responders (fire and water departments). The plans or
descriptive data should indicate provide a concise list of the locations, sizes, and types of
catch basins, storm drains, culverts, drainage outlets, and other drainage facilities, as
appropriate. This information can assist the emergency response personnel in locating
drainage facilities in their development of response plans and training programs.
7. Mark outfalls in critical areas. The intent of these indicators is to assist the spill response
teams in identifying storm drain system features in the field.
Structures with integral shut-off or containment mechanisms are not recommended, because of the
following:
1. Trained responders must be responsible for the management of spills. The unmanaged
detention of certain spills (e.g., volatile materials) can result in serious public safety hazards.
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