Official Site of The State of New Jersey

As the recipient of federal transportation funds, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) must comply with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) implementation of the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) regulations (codified at 23 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Part 771 Environmental Impact and Related Procedures). NEPA provides a planning and decision-making framework for selecting the most feasible and prudent project alternative that avoids or reduces negative social, economic, and environmental impacts.

In practical application during NJDOT's Project Delivery Process, the principle "avoid, minimize, and mitigate" steers a project toward selecting the most feasible and prudent alternative that results in the least environmental harm, in balance with other engineering and transportation considerations (e.g., design standards, costs, right-of-way, utilities), to best address the Purpose and Need for the project. The NJDOT's rockfall mitigation projects comply with permitting for publicly owned lands, historic and cultural resources, and threatened and endangered (T&E) species, among others.

An Environmental Assessment (EA) is prepared when it is unclear if a project will cause significant adverse environmental impacts. Intensive studies are only performed for those social, economic, and environmental resources that might experience significant adverse impacts. In May 2018, after conferring with FHWA, the National Park Service (NPS), and the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP), NJDOT determined that preparation of an EA would be appropriate for the Interstate 80 (I-80) Rockfall Mitigation Project due to its unique location and to allow for additional public involvement.

Click here for more information about NJDOT Environmental Services.
Click here for the “Environmental Overview of Regulations and Permits” Manual.