Environmental permitting for railway
Your railway projects demand a thorough knowledge of environmental regulations. Hanson’s scientists and engineers can help you through the local, state and federal environmental and permitting requirements you face from planning through construction.
Our environmental experience includes helping clients comply with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Clean Water Act (CWA), including Section 404 permits and a variety of other regulations. Hanson also is familiar with the federal preemption rules for railroads. We have provided on-site environmental compliance monitoring during construction, which allows us to anticipate potential issues and promptly address them during the agency review process and throughout construction. We work with you to keep your project on track as efficiently and economically as possible.
Environmental permitting
Our familiarity with NEPA, the CWA and the Rivers and Harbors Act keeps your projects moving smoothly through the permitting process. We can handle your federal and state wetland regulations; construction and industrial stormwater discharge; county and city ordinance compliance; Rivers and Harbors Act Section 10; special land use; and wetland delineation, mitigation, planning, design and monitoring permitting needs. Our experience with complex agency coordination, combined with a comprehensive understanding of the railroad industry, environmental coordination and stormwater management practices, enables us to achieve your objectives and obtain the permits you need to complete your project on time. We employ project phasing, preapplication meetings and regular communication with agencies to obtain the permits your project requires, and we respond promptly to issues raised by special-interest groups.
Ecological assistance
We also offer ecological services, including aquatic surveys for invertebrates, fish and mussels; faunistic surveys of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians; floristic surveys of herbaceous, woody and aquatic vegetation; habitat evaluation procedures for aquatic and terrestrial environments; lake feasibility studies: diagnostic testing, sediment testing, water-quality analysis and nutrient and hydrologic budget preparation; lake management services: dredging, shoreline erosion control, sediment stabilization, fisheries management and macrophyte control; and tree surveys.
Additional services
We offer our railway clients:
- familiarity with environmental permitting policies and procedures
- permitting and project design coordination
- wetland delineations
- planning, design and implementation of wetland and stream mitigation plans
- identification of applicable agencies, permits and compliance requirements
- technical reports and permit applications
- endangered species management
- cultural resources management
- data gathering using unmanned aerial systems (drones)