RIVER VALLEY INTERMODAL FACILITIES FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT i TABLE OF CONTENTS

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1 Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION PROJECT BACKGROUND AND SCOPE Background Previous Studies Court Decision and Implications for the Lead and Cooperating Agencies Summary of Plaintiff s Concerns Raised in Court Case City of Dardanelle vs. U.S. Corps of Engineers Addressing Plaintiff s Concerns Raised in Court Case City of Dardanelle vs. U.S. Corps of Engineers DEIS SDEIS SDEIS SUMMARY AND ORGANIZATION FEIS SUMMARY AND ORGANIZATION PURPOSE AND NEED INTRODUCTION PROPOSED ACTION Proposed Action Proposed Action Components PURPOSE OF THE PROPOSED ACTION Economic Development via New Jobs and Higher Wages Improved Transportation Capacity and Competitiveness Advantages of Trucks Advantages of Rail Advantages of Water Transportation Advantages of Intermodal Facilities Efficient Modal Transfers NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION Determining the Need Study to Improve Freight Transportation in Arkansas Industry Experts, Port Operators, and Economic Development Professional Interviews Need for the RVIF Need for More Slackwater Harbors in the State of Arkansas Need for an Integrated Regional Economy Need to Promote Social and Economic Growth by Creating Higher Wage Jobs Need for Large Industrial Sites with Access to Multimodal Transportation Need for Additional Freight Capacity Summary of Needs for RVIF BENEFITS OF THE PROPOSED ACTION ALTERNATIVES DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES INTRODUCTION ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS STUDY Alternative Screening Criteria Other Alternative Analysis Considerations Analysis of Potential Alternatives...38 i

2 3.3 SUPPLEMENTAL DATA USED IN THE ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS DECISION- MAKING PROCESS SUMMARY OF FINDINGS OF THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYSIS STUDY Preferred Alternative - Green Alternative No Action Alternative Other Alternatives Evaluated in Detail in the SDEIS North Dardanelle (Red) Alternative Bend (Purple) Alternative Alternatives Considered but Eliminated from Detailed Analysis in the DEIS and sdeis Pittsburgh Road (Yellow) Alternative Keener Cove (Blue) Alternative New Hope (Pink) Alternative Atkins Bottoms (Orange) Alternative Blackwell Bottoms (Black) Alternative Morrilton (Brown) Alternative AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT & ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES INTRODUCTION Affected Environment Environmental Consequences Direct vs. Indirect Impacts Significance Cumulative Impacts Definitions Used in Cumulative Analysis Cumulative Impact Geographic Area of Analysis Past and Present, and Reasonably Foreseeable Future Actions LAND USE AND INFRASTRUCTURE Affected Environment Consequences Potential Land Use and Infrastructure Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Land Use and Infrastructure Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Land Use and Infrastructure Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Land Use and Infrastructure Consequences of the Purple Alternative FARMLAND, SOILS, AND PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT Affected Environment Consequences Potential Farmland, Soils, and Physical Environment Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Farmland, Soils, and Physical Environment Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts...73 ii

3 Mitigation Potential Farmland, Soils, and Physical Environment Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Farmland, Soils, and Physical Environment Consequences of the Purple Alternative SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT Affected Environment Consequences Potential Social Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Social Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Social Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Social Consequences of the Purple Alternative RELOCATION Affected Environment Consequences Potential Relocation Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Relocation Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Relocation Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Relocation Consequences of the Purple Alternative ECONOMIC Affected Environment Consequences Potential Economic Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Economic Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Economic Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Economic Consequences of the Purple Alternative PEDESTRIAN and BICYCLIST CONSIDERATIONS Affected Environment AIR QUALITY Affected Environment Consequences Potential Air Quality Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Air Quality Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Air Quality Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Air Quality Consequences of the Purple Alternative...97 iii

4 4.9 NOISE Affected Environment Consequences Potential Noise Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Noise Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Noise Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Noise Consequences of the Purple Alternative WATER QUALITY Affected Environment Consequences Potential Water Quality Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Water Quality Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Water Quality Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Water Quality Consequences of the Purple Alternative WETLANDS Affected Environment Consequences Potential Wetlands Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Wetland Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Wetland Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Wetland Consequences of the Purple Alternative WATER BODY MODIFICATION, WILDLIFE, AND VEGETATION Affected Environment Consequences Potential Water Body, Wildlife, and Vegetation Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative on Water Bodies, Wildlife, and Vegetation Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Red Alternative on Water Bodies, Wildlife, and Vegetation Potential Consequences of the Purple Alternative on Water Bodies, Wildlife, and Vegetation FLOODPLAINS Affected Environment iv

5 Consequences Potential Consequences of the No Action Alternative to Floodplains Potential Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative to Floodplains Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Red Alternative to Floodplains Potential Consequences of the Purple Alternative on Floodplains COMMERCIAL NAVIGATION Affected Environment Consequences Potential Consequences of the No Action Alternative on Navigation Potential Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative on Navigation Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Red Alternative on Navigation Potential Consequences of the Purple Alternative on Navigation THREATENED and ENDANGERED SPECIES Affected Environment Consequences Potential Consequences of the No Action Alternative on Threatened and Endangered Species Potential Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative on Threatened and Endangered Species Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Red Alternative on Threatened and Endangered Species Potential Consequences of the Purple Alternative on Threatened and Endangered Species CULTURAL RESOURCES Affected Environment Archaeological Resources Architectural Resources Native American Resources Consequences Potential Consequences of the No Action Alternative on Cultural Resources Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative on Cultural Resources v

6 Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Red Alternative on Cultural Resources Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Purple Alternative on Cultural Resources Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation HAZARDOUS WASTE SITES Affected Environment Consequences Potential Consequences of the No Action Alternative on Hazardous Waste Sites Potential Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative on Hazardous Waste Sites Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Consequences of the Red Alternative on Hazardous Waste Sites Potential Consequences of the Purple Alternative on Hazardous Waste Sites VISUAL IMPACTS Affected Environment Consequences Potential Visual Impact Consequences of the No Action Alternative Potential Visual Impact Consequences of the Green (Preferred) Alternative Direct Impacts Indirect Impacts Cumulative Impacts Mitigation Potential Visual Impact Consequences of the Red Alternative Potential Visual Impact Consequences of the Purple Alternative Summary of environmental impacts CUMULATIVE IMPACT SUMMARY INTRODUCTION SUMMARY OF CUMULATIVE IMPACTS Arkansas River Navigation Project No Action Alternative Green (Preferred) Alternative Red Alternative Purple Alternative Industrial Development in the Arkansas River Bottoms Near Russellville vi

7 No Action Alternative Green (Preferred) Alternative Red Alternative Purple Alternative Expansion of Soil and Gravel Excavation and Removal No Action Alternative Green (Preferred) Alternative Red Alternative Purple Alternative Continuation of Agricultural Land Use No Action Alternative Green (Preferred) Alternative Red Alternative Purple Alternative Increase Existing Arkansas River Commerce No Action Alternative Green (Preferred) Alternative Red Alternative Purple Alternative Summary MITIGATION SUMMARY INTRODUCTION MITIGATION SUMMARY OF THE NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE MITIGATION SUMMARY OF THE GREEN (PREFERRED) ALTERNATIVE Land Use and Infrastructure Farmland Social Environment Relocation Economic Pedestrian and Bicyclist Consideration Air Quality Noise Water Quality Wetlands Water Body Modification, Wildlife, and Vegetation Floodplains Commercial Navigation Threatened and Endangered Species Cultural Resources Hazardous Waste Sites Visual Impacts MITIGATION SUMMARY OF THE RED AND PURPLE ALTERNATIVES REQUIRED PERMITS RELATION OF SHORT-TERM USES OF MAN S ENVIRONMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE AND ENHANCEMENT OF LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY IRREVERSIBLE AND IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENT OF RESOURCES CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ACRONYMS REFERENCES PREPARERS vii

8 APPENDICES Appendix A SDEIS Public Hearing Summary and Response to Comments Received During the Formal SDEIS Public Review Period Appendix B U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District, River Valley Intermodal Facilities, Floodplain Analysis Report Appendix C Cultural Resources Programmatic Agreement and Work Plan LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1. Freight Shipments To, From, and Within Arkansas: 1998, 2010 and Table 2.2. Top Five Commodities Shipped To, From, and Within Arkansas by All Modes: 1998 and Table 2.3. Standard Modal Freight Unit Capacities...16 Table 2.4. Summary of Emissions Grams per Ton-Mile...19 Table 2.5. Fatality and Injury Statistics by Mode...20 Table 2.6. Comparison of Large Spills Across Modes...20 Table 2.7. Arkansas River Valley: Population and Percent Change for Six County Region and State, Table 2.8. Arkansas River Valley: Population and Percent Change for Most Populated Place in Each County, Table 2.9. Arkansas River Valley: Employment Measures, Table Arkansas River Valley: Average Weekly Earnings, Table Arkansas River Valley: Annual Unemployment, 2011 (Not Seasonally Adjusted)..29 Table 3.1. Screening Criteria Utilized to Identify Reasonable Alternatives to be Considered in the Arkansas River Valley Environmental Impact Statement Table 3.2. Summary of Alternatives Analysis for Potential Build Alternatives of the River Valley Intermodal Facilities...45 Table 4.1. Wetland Impacts from the Green (Preferred) and Red Alternatives for the River Valley Intermodal Facilities EIS* Table 4.2. Summary of Direct Impacts of the No Action, Green (Preferred), Red, and Purple Alternatives Table 5.1. Summary of Cumulative Impacts of the No Action, Green (Preferred), Red, and Purple Alternatives LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1. U.S. Inland River System...15 Figure 2.2. Arkansas Commercially Navigable Waterways, Public Ports and Harbors...16 Figure 2.3. Comparison of Cargo Capacity...17 Figure 2.4. Comparison of Fuel Efficiency...18 Figure 2.5. Comparison of Emissions viii