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Strategic Objective

MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Strategic Objective

Avoid and mitigate transportation-related impacts to climate, ecosystems, and communities by helping partners make informed project planning decisions through an analysis of acceptable alternatives, balancing the need to obtain

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Themes:

Natural Resources and Environment Transportation

DOT.gov

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Overview
Progress Update

Overview

Progress Update

The Department is working to address and mitigate environmental impacts of transportation.

DOT has met three of the four targets for which current data is available. Key results include:

Reductions in number of people exposed to high aviation sound levels;
Continued progress with MARAD ship disposal.

Although PHMSA did not meet its target for reducing hazardous pipeline spills, the number of pipeline spills with environmental consequence continued to go down.

Key efforts include:

FAA's promotion of noise reduction technologies through its CLEEN Program;
Refinement of PHMSA's hazardous pipeline spills to focus on those with environmental consequence in order to more set more aggressive targets; and
Maintaining an expeditious ship disposal rate of the obsolete, government-owned ships in Suisun Bay.

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Strategic Goals

Strategic Goal:

Environmental Sustainability

Statement:

Advance environmentally sustainable policies and investments that reduce carbon and other harmful emissions from transportation sources.

Strategic Objectives

PROMOTE ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Statement:

Reduce foreign oil-dependence and carbon emissions through research and deployment of new technologies including alternative fuels, and by promoting more energy-efficient modes of transportation.

Description:

The transportation sector accounts for about 70 percent of all petroleum usage in the U.S. Consumption for motor gasoline represents about 46 percent of all petroleum consumed (in Quadrillion BTUs). Most transportation activity is based on fossil fuel consumption, which is the largest source of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, and about 27 percent of these emissions are due to transportation activities. Passenger cars, heavy and medium duty trucks, and light duty trucks are the source for nearly 80 percent of transportation-related GHG emissions in the U.S.. We are working across all modes to improve the energy and environmental performance of the transportation sector. The aviation industry has made significant gains in fuel efficiency, with commercial jet aircraft fuel efficiency improvements of 70 percent over the last 40 years. DOT and the EPA have worked closely with auto manufacturers, the State of California, environmental groups and other stakeholders to promulgate new rules and develop a series of programs to increase fuel economy for the Nation's vehicle fleet. We will continue to promote the deployment of advanced vehicle technologies, alternatives fuels and alternatives fuels infrastructure where feasible to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of transportation systems, including highway vehicles, transit systems ships and airport support vehicles.

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MITIGATE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

Statement:

Description:

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ADAPT TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Statement:

Promote infrastructure resilience and adaptation to extreme weather events and climate change through research, guidance, technical assistance, and direct federal investment.

Description:

Recent weather events such as Superstorm Sandy, which disrupted major portions of air, highway, transit, and rail line service in the New Jersey-New York metropolitan region, has prompted us to consider more carefully how we plan, design, and build transportation infrastructure. Superstorm Sandy was the largest tropical storm to impact the Northeast U.S. in recent history. Climate change research predicts that storms will become stronger, so we need to consider climate change impacts and the incorporation of adaptation strategies into DOT planning, operations, policies, and programs so that taxpayer resources are invested wisely and that transportation infrastructure, services and operations remain effective under extreme climate conditions. We will encourage DOT funding recipients to perform climate change vulnerability assessments for their transportation infrastructure and integrate the results into planning their decision-making.

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