The need for a no-build alternative in the environmental analysis of water transportation projects and the environmental compatibility of water transportation are demonstrated. To make the demonstration, cargo from four regularly scheduled vessel movements was theoretically transferred to the highway and rail modes. Included in the cargoes studied were coal, aggregate, petroleum products, and wood paper products. All four movements had highway carriage as a feasible alternative, and two had rail service available. For the four movements, in total, the transfer of cargo from vessels to trucks would result in annual increases of 3, 774, 328 gal of fuel (an 825 percent increase), 573.9 tons of exhaust emissions (a 709 percent increase), 17.9 probable accidents (a 5, 812 percent increase), and the need to dispose of 2, 746 used truck tires. In addition, such a modal transfer would result in an additional 1, 333 large semitrailer trucks in the travel corridors each day. For the two movements that had possible rail service, the annual impacts of a modal shift from water to rail are an increase in fuel use of 899, 741 gal (a rise of 259 percent), an increase in exhaust emission of 265.7 tons (up 408 percent), and an increase in probable accidents of 0.35 (a 150 percent increase). In addition, a modal shift of the cargo from vessels to trains wouldmean the involvement of an additional 75 trains of 100 cars each at193 highway crossings and 38 at 177 road crossings.
Abstract