The 16.2-mile Purple Line light rail will pass through the heart of the University of Maryland campus in College Park, providing a direct connection to the Metrorail Red, Green, and Orange Lines at Bethesda, Silver Spring, College Park, and New Carrollton and directly connect with MARC, Amtrak, and local bus services. WSSI, a subconsultant to the design-build contractor, has provided a range of environmental consulting services, from environmental studies, forest conservation planning, and federal, state, and local permit acquisition to arborist consultations, stormwater management waivers, and environmental compliance oversight.
The Challenge
Acquire environmental permits for this high profile and highly scrutinized project from federal, state, and municipal agencies, and provide studies – including the Forest Conservation Plan and needed modifications – to keep the project on track. Then, with all the environmental permits secured, work with the construction team to ensure environmental permit compliance along the entire project corridor.
Our Solution
WSSI managed the acquisition of all environmental permits for this project from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE), the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MDNR), the National Park Service (NPS), and the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC). WSSI staff attended monthly Joint Evaluation Committee meetings to review the project status with agency representatives, and monthly meetings with both Montgomery County and Prince George’s County representatives.
As project limits of disturbance were better defined in the design and construction phase, WSSI identified opportunities to avoid and minimize impacts to wetlands and waters of the United States (WOTUS) as well as trees. WSSI prepared the Forest Conservation Plan and coordinated with MDNR’s Forestry Service during their review, supporting the required Joint Public Hearing process. One of these design refinements required WSSI submit on behalf of the developer a variance request for removal of 250+ specimen trees. WSSI arborists and regulatory staff collaborated in pre-construction field meetings to ensure appropriate protection measures for trees and WOTUS along the proposed limits of disturbance.
Utility relocation activities along the track alignment required Stormwater Management (SWM) Waivers in order to release key areas for construction. WSSI engineers prepared SWM Waivers and associated Erosion and Sediment Control Plans.
Now in construction, WSSI is responsible for managing the federal, state, and local permits, including renewals; coordinate agency site visits, and ensuring the construction process remains in compliance with permit conditions. WSSI’s environmental compliance team inspects and documents all on-site Best Management Practices (BMPs) to confirm they have been installed properly. WSSI also performs weekly State-required ESC Compliance and post-rain event inspections and supports bi-weekly Quality Assurance inspections by the Owner, the Maryland Transit Administration. We communicate the results of our inspections so the contractor can take appropriate actions to remediate any deficiencies and re-inspect as needed to ensure repairs are made. Staff coordinate all inspections with the MDE Inspector or other permitting agencies. Other permit compliance tasks include turbidity monitoring and weekly pH testing and uploading flow, nutrient, and pH results to the state permit portal. WSSI oversees ESC field modifications with the MDE Inspector or Delegated Authority and has obtained more than 200 modification approvals to date.
Our staff maintain the required Environmental Orientation Training and prepares supplemental environmental informational tailgates to ensure all project staff, from owner to contractors, are properly trained.
