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Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project Final Environmental Impact Statement

Planning and conservation  ›  Transportation and land use projects  ›  Portland-Milwaukie light rail  ›  Final Environmental Impact Statement

Review the Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement presents information about the light rail project's impacts, both adverse and beneficial. Based on more engineering detail, the Final EIS advances the analysis published in the Supplemental Draft EIS (May 9, 2010). Where significant impacts have been identified, the Final EIS establishes commitments that reduce them. It also responds to the public comments received during the Supplemental Draft EIS public comment period.

The chapters address the how light rail project affects the natural and human environment. The document covers topics such as water quality, ecosystems, economy, acquisitions and displacements, aesthetics, parks and recreational resources, noise and vibration, and safety and security. It also provides the historical context for the decisions that have led to light rail in this area and presents the project's purpose and need.

The Record of Decision marks the approval of the mitigations proposed and authorizes the project to proceed with construction and land acquisition.

Download the Final EIS and Record of Decision below

Other ways to review the document

Paper copies of the Final EIS are available for review at these locations:

• Metro Regional Center | 600 NE Grand Ave., Portland
• Multnomah County Library | 801 SW 10th Ave., Portland
• Oregon Health and Sciences University Library | 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland
• Portland State University - Banford P. Millar Library | 1875 SW Park Ave., Portland
• Sellwood-Moreland Library | 7860 SE 13th Ave., Portland
• Milwaukie Ledding Library | 10660 SE 21st Ave., Milwaukie
• Oak Lodge Library | 16201 SE McLoughlin Blvd., Oak Grove
• Clackamas Community College | 19600 S. Molalla Ave., Oregon City

Request CDs by calling 503-813-7535 or sending email to trans@oregonmetro.gov.

National Environmental Policy Act

The light rail project is a collaboration of local, state and federal partners. Metro is responsible for complying with the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires agencies to integrate environmental values into decision making processes by considering the environmental impacts of their proposed actions and reasonable alternatives to those actions. Find out more about this process (PDF)

Final Environmental Impact Statement

• Table of contents 887K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Executive summary 3.4M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 1 - Purpose and need 5.3M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 2 - Alternatives 10.6M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 3 - Environmental analysis and consequences 15.6M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 4 - Transportation 4.6M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 5 - Financial analysis and evaluation of alternatives 617K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 6 - Community participation, agency coordination and required permits 549K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Chapter 7 - Public comment summary 521K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix A - Agency coordination 3.0M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix B - Environmental justice and compliance 503K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix C - Supporting documents 478K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix D - Visual simulation locations 3.0M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix E - List of preparers 486K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix F - List of recipients 529K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix G - Properties affected by acquisitions 5.5M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix H - Conceptual design information 10.3M Adobe Acrobat PDF
• Appendix I - Index 477K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix J - Acronyms and abbreviations 560K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix K - Final 4(f) evaluation 6.7M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix L - Background on alternatives development 7.0M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix M - Mitigation 558K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix N - Memorandum of agreement and programmatic agreement for historic and archaeological resources 711K Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix O - Navigation and climate change summary 5.1M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix P - Public comments and responses 47.6M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Appendix Q - Biological opinion 1.3M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published October 22, 2010
• Record of Decision 6.0M Adobe Acrobat PDF | Published November 29, 2010