The MassDOT Highway Division Environmental Services Section is pleased to announce an update to our Environmental Review Checklist (ERC). The updated version of the ERC is available on the MassDOT Environmental MEPA/NEPA Unit webpage. This new ERC is effective on January 14, 2026. Projects that reach the 25% design stage on or after January 14, 2026, are required to use this new version of the ERC. Projects that reached the 25% design prior to January 14, 2026, do not need to resubmit the ERC.
Major changes to the ERC include:
- Clarifications to when no action is required for the consultant versus when no action is required for the MassDOT Environmental Representative
- Updates based on regulation changes:
- Addition of references to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nationwide Permits
- Addition of questions regarding Land Subject to Coastal Storm Flowage
- Removal of an Environmental Justice Analysis for a full property acquisition under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Updates to the Rare Species, Fish, & Wildlife section relating to the State Wildlife Transportation Action Plan (SWTAP)
- Updates to the Resiliency section:
- Addition of a question that references FHWA’s HEC-25 Highways in the Coastal Environment
- Addition of a question relating to Extreme Heat identification and mitigation
If you have any questions or clarifications about the ERC, please reach out to [email protected].