1. Environmental Commitments
Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

2. Background “Promises” made as part of the NEPA process
Agreed-upon actions between ODOT and regulatory agencies to mitigate impacts to the human and/or natural environment
Designed to comply with state and federal laws
Must be implemented after CE approval
Focus area for OES
Failure to implement/comply could negatively impact ODOT’s NEPA Assignment status
[2] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

3. Background
Can be implemented at any point following NEPA approval, including during operations and maintenance
Provides specific language if a plan note is needed
Should be easily understood by individuals with limited exposure to the environmental process
Specific enough for responsible parties to understand and implement commitment
Commitments are provided to the responsible party
Construction will receive commitments in the plans and special provisions
[3] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

4. Commitment Guidance Developed by OES Updated October 6, 2017
Summarizes for users how to:
Decide what actions become commitments
Write commitments
Communicate with the responsible individuals
Record and track successful implementation of environmental commitments in EnviroNet
[4] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

5. How to Write Commitments
Name sponsor/position responsible for the action
Provide direction for what the commitment requires
Provide direction for the location (be as exact as possible) that the commitment addresses
Provide specific timeframe for the work (may include a deadline)
Provide explicit methods for completing the commitment (if appropriate)
Who
What
Where
When
The next step in the process is to take the action and write it into a commitment. In order for commitments to be actionable and trackable, they need to be clear, concise, and include all the relevant information. Most of the commitments will be implemented by people outside of the environmental and decision-making process, and therefore if they are unclear, those responsible will disregard them and the commitment will not be implemented. Before writing the commitment, make sure you understand the intent and goal of the comment so the correct information is communicated. Next, make sure the commitment includes who is responsible. This can be as broad as “ODOT” or “the project sponsor,” or as exact as listing the “District Environmental Coordinator,” “Contractor,” “Project Manager,” etc. The commitment also needs to identify the “what,” or the actions that the responsible party must take. “Where” dictates the location covered by the commitment. In some cases, the location may be the plans, and in other cases it could be the project area, or a specific location within the project area. “When” provides a timeframe. This could be a restriction period or a deadline. Finally, include a “how,” or specific methods for completing the action, when appropriate. While it is desirable to have all of the above bullets in every commitment, some bullets such as “where” or “how” would only be included when applicable.
How
[5] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

6. Example Commitments
If the contractor is responsible for implementation, state the following before the actual commitment:
The Project Designer shall incorporate the following note into the plans:
Example:
The Project Designer shall incorporate the following note into the plans: The Contractor must submit the OEPA Demolition/Renovation Form to the OEPA within 10 business days prior to demolition
[6] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

7. Example Commitments
If ODOT or the LPA is responsible for implementation, the commitment will not be incorporated into the plans
Example:
Once the stage two design plans are available, the District Environmental Coordinator will provide the plans to ODOT-OES for coordination with the State Historic Preservation Office prior to the commencement of construction for a 30 day review period
[7] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

8. Resource Tabs – EnviroNet
Resource tabs have a table to enter commitments
Except for P&N and Alternatives
Select “yes” in drop-down to generate
Use different screen shot that shows dropdown as Yes and empty grid
[8] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

9. Environmental Commitments Tab EnviroNet
Automatically populated from Resource Tabs
[9] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

10. Environmental Commitments Tab EnviroNet
The environmental commitments tab has a location for entering the compliance measure, timing of implementation, and the applicable plan sheet (not all commitments will have a plan sheet #)
Automatically populated from Resource Tabs
[10] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services

11. Environmental Commitments Tab EnviroNet
The environmental commitments tab also has a feature to assign the responsible party
The responsible party ensures implementation and completes the fields on the tab
Includes status of the commitment and date completed
If a commitment has multiple implementation periods, do not fill out “Date Completed” until all elements are complete
Automatically populated from Resource Tabs
[11] Categorical Exclusion Training Class – Presented by the Office of Environmental Services