MARCNORTHEASTMAINTENANCEFACILITY

PERRYVILLEMD

ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT

AFFECTEDENVIRONMENTANDENVIRONMENTALCONSEQUENCES
NOBUILDALTERNATIVE

TheNoBuildalternativewouldnotinvolveanyconstruction.Therefore,therewouldbeno
shorttermimpactsassociatedwiththeNoBuildAlternative.Longtermenvironmentalimpacts
oftheNoBuildAlternativeforeachenvironmentalresourcearediscussedinthefollowing
sections.

3.1 AIRQUALITY
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldinvolveagriculturalactivitiesthatrequiretheuseoffarming
machinery,whichareasourceofairpollutants.Farmoperationsarenotsubjectto
transportationconformity.TheNoBuildAlternativewouldconformtotheState
ImplementationPlan(SIP),inaccordancewith23CFRPart771.118(d).ThereareBest
ManagementPractices(BMPs)forfarmsintheChesapeakeBaywatershedthatfarmerscanuse
toimproveairqualitybyreducingodorsandotherpollutantswhilemaintainingfarm
production.

3.2 NOISEANDVIBRATION
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldinvolveagriculturalactivitiesthatrequiretheuseoffarming
machinery,whichareanoisesource.Farmoperationsarenotsubjecttoanyfederalorcounty
noiseregulationsorordinances.

3.3 GEOLOGYANDSOILS
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldinvolveagriculturalactivitiesthatwouldinvolvecontinued,
localizeddisturbancetotopographyandsoilsassociatedwithcropplantingandharvesting.Soil
erosionwouldmostlikelybealongtermeffect.ThereareBMPsforfarmsintheChesapeake
Baywatershedthatfarmerscanusetoreducesoilerosionandsedimentrunoffwhile
maintainingfarmproduction.

3.4 WATERRESOURCES
TheNoBuildAlternativeinvolvescontinuedagriculturalproduction.Agricultureisthelargest
sourceofnutrientandsedimentpollutionenteringlocalstreamsandtheChesapeakeBay.
Therefore,farmingactivitiescanhaveadirectimpactonwaterquality.ThereareBMPsthat
Marylandfarmerscanusetomanagenutrientsandhelpprotectwaterqualitywhile
maintainingfarmproduction.

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MARCNORTHEASTMAINTENANCEFACILITY
PERRYVILLEMD

ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT

3.5 WETLANDS
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstructionandwouldnotinvolvethefillingor
conversionofwetlands.Therewouldcontinuetobedirecteffectsonanisolatedemergent
wetland(WP001)thatislocatedinthemiddleofarowcropagriculturalfield,asshownon
Figure4.5.Itislocatedwithintheactiverowcropfarmarea,andthefarmingofthiswetland
wouldcontinuetoaffectthevegetationinthewetlandalthoughthehydrologyofthiswetland
wouldnotbeimpacted.

3.6 VEGETATIONANDWILDLIFE
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstructionandisthereforeexemptfromthe
provisionsoftheFCA.Currentlyfarmingoperationswouldcontinueontheclearedagricultural
field.Therewouldbenolongtermimpactonvegetationorterrestrialhabitat.Becausefarming
operationscanhaveadirecteffectonwaterquality,theNoBuildAlternativecouldimpact
aquaticwildlife.ThereareBMPsthatMarylandfarmerscanusetomanagenutrientsandhelp
protectwaterqualitywhilemaintainingfarmproduction.

3.7 HAZARDOUSMATERIALS
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstruction.Therefore,therewouldnotbeany
directeffectonhazardousmaterials.

3.8 VISUAL&AESTHETICENVIRONMENT
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstruction,andthecurrentagricultural
operationswouldcontinue.Therefore,therewouldbenochangetotheexistingaesthetic
environment.

3.9 CULTURALRESOURCES
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstruction,andthecurrentoperationswould
continue.TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotbesubjecttotheprovisionsofSection106ofthe
NHPAof1966,asamended.Furthermore,therewouldbenoadverseeffectoncultural
resources.

3.10 SOCIOECONOMICANDCOMMUNITYRESOURCES
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstruction,andthecurrentagricultural
operationswouldcontinue.Therefore,therewouldbenochangetotheexistingsocioeconomic
orcommunityresources.

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MARCNORTHEASTMAINTENANCEFACILITY
PERRYVILLEMD

ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESSMENT

3.11 ENVIRONMENTALJUSTICE
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldinvolvecontinuedagriculturaloperationsandwouldnotbe
subjecttotheprovisionsofEO12898.

3.12 LANDUSEANDZONING
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveanyconstruction,andthecurrentlandusewould
continue.Althoughthelandisusedpredominatelyforagriculturalpurposes,theprojectareais
currentlyzonedforhighdensityresidentiallanduse.Furthermore,theprojectareaislocatedin
aCecilCountyDesignatedGrowthAreaandfutureEmploymentarea.Therefore,thecurrent
landuseisnotcompatiblewiththeexistingzoninganddoesnotsupportthecountydesignated
landusegoals.

3.13 PUBLICSERVICES,UTILITIESANDSAFETY
TheNoBuildAlternativeswouldnotinvolveconstruction,andcurrentagriculturaloperations
wouldcontinue.Therewouldbenochangetotheexistingpublicservices,utilities,andsafety
withtheNoBuildAlternative.

3.14 TRANSPORTATION
TheNoBuildAlternativewouldnotinvolveconstruction,andcurrentagriculturaloperations
wouldcontinue.Therefore,therewouldbenochangesinvolvingthecurrenttransportation
network.CurrentoperationsoftheMARClinewouldcontinue,buttheNoBuildAlternative
doesnotsupportfutureMARCgrowth.

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