The presence of hazardous waste or leaking underground storage tanks in new or existing highway right-of-way challenges state highway agencies. Because state environmental agencies regulate the cleanup of these sites, the relationship between these agencies can becomeeither confrontational or cooperative. Formal cooperative agreements for dealing with hazardous waste in the highway right-of-way, as well as the less structured approaches being taken, are explored. A survey of state highway agencies in the spring of 1990 indicated thatfew highway agencies had entered a written memorandum of understanding with their environmental counterparts. Many states have worked out informal arrangements in which the state regulatory agency provides consulting or technical services to the state highway agency. In still others, a poor relationship has developed. These survey results, case studies, and written agreements are described. This paper appears in transportation research record no. 1312, Energy and environmental issues 1991.
Abstract