The Environmental and Historic Preservation (EHP) planning
in environmental health programme administration deals with the protection of
environmental, historic, and cultural resources. EHP planning helps communities to better prepare for and reduce the
impact of disasters on valuable natural and cultural resources. EHP
planning entails the use of all practical means and measures to protect,
restore and enhance the quality of the environment, to avoid or minimize
adverse impacts to the environment, and to attain the objectives of:
in environmental health programme administration deals with the protection of
environmental, historic, and cultural resources. EHP planning helps communities to better prepare for and reduce the
impact of disasters on valuable natural and cultural resources. EHP
planning entails the use of all practical means and measures to protect,
restore and enhance the quality of the environment, to avoid or minimize
adverse impacts to the environment, and to attain the objectives of:
1.
Achieving use of the environment
without degradation or undesirable and unintended consequences;
Achieving use of the environment
without degradation or undesirable and unintended consequences;
2.
Preserving historic, cultural and
natural aspects of national heritage and maintaining, wherever possible, an
environment that supports diversity and variety of individual choice;
Preserving historic, cultural and
natural aspects of national heritage and maintaining, wherever possible, an
environment that supports diversity and variety of individual choice;
3.
Achieving a balance between
resource use and development within the sustained carrying capacity of the
ecosystem involved; and
Achieving a balance between
resource use and development within the sustained carrying capacity of the
ecosystem involved; and
4.
Enhancing the quality of
renewable resources and working toward the maximum attainable recycling of
depletable resources.
Enhancing the quality of
renewable resources and working toward the maximum attainable recycling of
depletable resources.
Notable Activities Requiring EHP
Planning
Planning
1.
Debris Removal
Debris Removal
Natural and man-made activities
have the potential to generate large amounts and types of debris. Debris
removal activities include the following:
have the potential to generate large amounts and types of debris. Debris
removal activities include the following:
·
Clearance of trees and
woody debris
Clearance of trees and
woody debris
·
Stream clearance
Stream clearance
·
Removal of mud and silt
deposits
Removal of mud and silt
deposits
·
Hazardous material
collection, removal and disposal
Hazardous material
collection, removal and disposal
·
Debris storage, staging and
removal
Debris storage, staging and
removal
Environmental and Historic
Preservation Laws and Executive Orders that may apply to debris removal include
Floodplain, Wetlands, and Environmental Justice Executive Orders, Clean Water
Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species
Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and National Historic Preservation
Act. Common environmental and historic preservation concerns include placement
of temporary staging sites, permanent storage or disposal of debris, work in
bodies of water, and debris that may have historic significance (such as debris
from buildings eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places).
Preservation Laws and Executive Orders that may apply to debris removal include
Floodplain, Wetlands, and Environmental Justice Executive Orders, Clean Water
Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, Clean Air Act, Endangered Species
Act, Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, and National Historic Preservation
Act. Common environmental and historic preservation concerns include placement
of temporary staging sites, permanent storage or disposal of debris, work in
bodies of water, and debris that may have historic significance (such as debris
from buildings eligible for the National Register of Historic
Places).
2.
Emergency Protective Measures
Emergency
protective measures are funded through the Public Assistance Program and may
include the following:
protective measures are funded through the Public Assistance Program and may
include the following:
·
Police, fire, and rescue response.
Police, fire, and rescue response.
·
Emergency access and communications.
Emergency access and communications.
·
Health and safety measures.
Health and safety measures.
·
Sandbagging, temporary levees or pumping.
Sandbagging, temporary levees or pumping.
·
Emergency demolition and temporary repairs.
Emergency demolition and temporary repairs.
Many
projects that fall under the category of Emergency Protective Measures, such as
reimbursement for police overtime, generally do not involve physical impacts to
the environment and therefore do not trigger environmental/historic
preservation review. Other projects, such as emergency demolition, may trigger
review.
projects that fall under the category of Emergency Protective Measures, such as
reimbursement for police overtime, generally do not involve physical impacts to
the environment and therefore do not trigger environmental/historic
preservation review. Other projects, such as emergency demolition, may trigger
review.
3.
Modification, Expansion and Mitigation
Projects
involving modification or expansion of existing structures can trigger an
environmental and historic preservation review. Such activities include
projects that improve a facility, or repair or expand a facility which
implement mitigation measures aimed towards reducing damage in future events.
Activities involving demolition also trigger a review for environmental and
historic preservation considerations.
involving modification or expansion of existing structures can trigger an
environmental and historic preservation review. Such activities include
projects that improve a facility, or repair or expand a facility which
implement mitigation measures aimed towards reducing damage in future events.
Activities involving demolition also trigger a review for environmental and
historic preservation considerations.
Typical
environmental and historic preservation laws and executive orders that may
apply include the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic
Preservation Act, and Floodplains, Wetlands and Seismic Retrofit Executive
Orders. Common concerns may include increased air emissions, disruption to
historic integrity or function, water discharges and structural soundness (if
in an seismically prone region).
environmental and historic preservation laws and executive orders that may
apply include the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, National Historic
Preservation Act, and Floodplains, Wetlands and Seismic Retrofit Executive
Orders. Common concerns may include increased air emissions, disruption to
historic integrity or function, water discharges and structural soundness (if
in an seismically prone region).
Environmental
and Historic Preservation Review may occur for projects that involve repairing
a structure to pre-disaster condition. Structures typically include:
and Historic Preservation Review may occur for projects that involve repairing
a structure to pre-disaster condition. Structures typically include:
·
Roads and Bridges
Roads and Bridges
·
Water Control Facilities
Water Control Facilities
·
Utilities
Utilities
·
Parks and Recreational
Areas
Parks and Recreational
Areas
·
Buildings and Equipment
Buildings and Equipment
Typical environmental and
historic preservation laws and executive orders that may apply include the
National Historic Preservation Act, Clean Air Act, and Floodplains Executive
Order. Typical concerns may include historical impacts, air pollution, and
redevelopment within a floodplain (if applicable)
historic preservation laws and executive orders that may apply include the
National Historic Preservation Act, Clean Air Act, and Floodplains Executive
Order. Typical concerns may include historical impacts, air pollution, and
redevelopment within a floodplain (if applicable)
4.
New Construction and Ground Disturbance
Any
activities that involve ground disturbance or new construction will trigger a
review for environmental and historic preservation considerations. Typical
activities usually include:
activities that involve ground disturbance or new construction will trigger a
review for environmental and historic preservation considerations. Typical
activities usually include:
·
Construction of new facilities
Construction of new facilities
·
Relocating facilities to a new location
Relocating facilities to a new location
·
Mitigation measures such as flood control and vegetation management
Mitigation measures such as flood control and vegetation management
·
Construction of group temporary housing facilities
Construction of group temporary housing facilities
Common
environmental and historic preservation laws and executive orders include the
Endangered Species Act; Floodplains, Wetlands, and Environmental Justice
Executive Orders; The National Historic Preservation Act; Farmland Protection
Policy Act; Clean Air Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation;
and Recovery Act; and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Usual concerns
may include presence of threatened and endangered species, wetlands,
archeological artifacts, and hazardous materials as well as impacts on prime
and unique soils and floodplains.
environmental and historic preservation laws and executive orders include the
Endangered Species Act; Floodplains, Wetlands, and Environmental Justice
Executive Orders; The National Historic Preservation Act; Farmland Protection
Policy Act; Clean Air Act; Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation;
and Recovery Act; and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Usual concerns
may include presence of threatened and endangered species, wetlands,
archeological artifacts, and hazardous materials as well as impacts on prime
and unique soils and floodplains.
References
Federal
Emergency Management Agency (2015). Environmental and Historic Preservation
(EHP) Planning programme, Retrieved on 23rd September, 2015 from http://www.fema.gov/office-environmental-planning-and-historic-preservation
Emergency Management Agency (2015). Environmental and Historic Preservation
(EHP) Planning programme, Retrieved on 23rd September, 2015 from http://www.fema.gov/office-environmental-planning-and-historic-preservation
