Our Approach
Straughan was tasked with completing cultural and environmental resource studies to support the construction and operation of a proposed FEMA warehouse and distribution facility near I-81 in Antrim Township, Pennsylvania. This project required compliance with both the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Straughan successfully completed a NEPA Categorical Exclusion (CATEX) and Phase 1A and 1B Archaeological Investigations, ensuring the project met all regulatory requirements.
The NEPA Categorical Exclusion, based on GSA guidance, included an assessment of potential impacts on natural, socioeconomic, and cultural resources within the project’s Limits of Disturbance (LOD). This assessment documented field investigations and evaluated potential impacts from traffic and hazardous material sites. Straughan also conducted a Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Inventory and a farmland conversion assessment to support the CATEX.
In terms of cultural resource compliance, Straughan completed 10 Abbreviated Historic Resource Survey forms for submission to the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. These forms documented historic resources in the project vicinity, including residential properties and a complex of barns and outbuildings. The Phase 1B archaeological survey included archival reviews and field surveys, which confirmed that the project area had low potential for containing aboriginal sites and that no intact subsurface features or archaeological deposits were present. Additionally, Straughan conducted a wetland investigation and prepared comprehensive reports on the findings.
