Environmental training

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) staff can register for most instructor-led classes and e-learning courses through the Learning Center. Webinars are located in the SharePoint Environmental Video Library. Other participants can contact Barb Steusloff, Barbara.Steusloff@wsdot.wa.gov for more information regarding training provided by ESO instructors. 

Environmental training resources by topic

Review our training opportunities by topic below.

Compliance Assurance

Commitment Tracking System (CTS) is a web application for new CTS users and all WSDOT staff that tracks WSDOT project environmental commitments and environmental non-compliance events. This virtual training teaches users how to create a project, add commitments to a project, copy commitments from other sources to a project, enter non-compliance events that occur on a WSDOT project, and run a variety of reports. 

Contractor Compliance Root Issues webinar guides WSDOT staff and consultants that are involved in project design and contract development, through three potential root causes that may lead to compliance concerns during project construction and provides possible solutions. This training focuses on when the contract is not being followed, when the contract is unclear or incorrect, and when the contract is missing required information. 

Environmental Compliance for Construction introduces staff to their environmental responsibilities during the construction phase of WSDOT projects.  Environmental and construction field staff need to take this course to help them learn about complying with environmental commitments, where commitments come from, recognize non-compliance events in the field and communicate them to the project engineer via the Environmental Compliance Assurance Policy (ECAP).  ESO offers this class as an eLearning course, in person, and via Teams meetings.  This should be the first environmental course taken by construction field staff.

Environmental Non-compliance is a webinar for all WSDOT staff that participate in project inspections or are involved in Environmental Compliance Assurance Policy (ECAP) and procedures. ECAP is used during design and construction phases of WSDOT projects to respond to known or suspected environmental non-compliance events.  Learn about ECAP policy and procedures and about proper documentation.

Construction site erosion and sediment control 

Temporary Erosion and Sediment Control (TESC) is an in-person course designed to educate WSDOT staff and consultants on policies and procedures for managing stormwater during construction and complying with the NPDES 402 Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSWGP). The course focuses on TESC management from plan design through active construction to substantial completion and submitting the CSWGP's notice of termination. This course is required every 3 years for WSDOT staff responsible for designing and implementing TESC plans. Additional information can be found on the stormwater and water quality webpage's tools tab under training. 

Cultural resources 

Cultural resources training promotes awareness, preservation and stewardship of Washington’s cultural resources. The Cultural Resources program provides customized training for transportation professionals (including engineering, planning, contracting, maintenance, biologists and other disciplines). Participants learn to address cultural resource management issues on transportation projects and gain hands-on experience in the field. Training focuses on state and federal regulations and compliance procedures, the National Register of Historic Places and alternative perspectives on values and significance.

Design Build

Environmental in Design Build is a webinar that should be taken by anyone that is interested in learning the basic process of environmental in design build (DB). This webinar discusses establishing project goals, NEPA, permitting, roles and responsibilities, request for proposal (RFP) development, selection and award, environmental compliance permits, project close outs, and lessons learned from DB projects. 

Environmental Justice (EJ) 

Environmental Justice, Title VI and English Proficiency webinar for staff doing NEPA Categorical Exclusion evaluations. This training describes the basics, evaluation process and making determinations.

Fish & wildlife 

Endangered Species Act (ESA) for Non-biologists is an eLearning course that should be taken by anyone that wants to learn the basic requirements of ESA and other fish and wildlife regulations.  This course covers design which includes project impact analysis and ESA consultation, plans specifications and estimate (PS&E), and construction phases of project delivery. The goals of this course are to understand how ESA and other fish and wildlife regulations affect WSDOT projects, roles and responsibilities, the consultation process, and how to ensure the contractor is implementing minimization measures. 

Training for Biological Assessment Authors (PDF 149 KB) is a four-day training that should be taken by biologists, consulting biologists, local, state, and federal agency staff. Local agencies and consultants working for local agencies are encouraged to take the course exam. Consultants writing BAs are required to pass, the closed book multiple choice exam, with a score of 80% or higher. This training provides guidance on biological assessment (BA) preparation for WSDOT projects to achieve greater consistency and quality in BA format, content, and analyses of the project effects to listed species and designated critical habitat. Improved consistency and quality may significantly reduce the number of reviews and comments received during both WSDOT’s and the Services reviews of a local agency BA. A reduction in review times yields a significant savings in cost and avoidance in delay to your schedules.

In order to maintain qualification as a WSDOT BA author, consultants must attend the Biological Assessment Preparation course and pass the exam every 6 years. 

Lists of consultants who have met the BA author qualification requirements:

• Prequalification roster consultants qualified to write BAs (PDF 23KB)
• Qualified BA authors not on the Prequalification roster (PDF 97KB)

WSDOT Bird Protection Protocols and Standards for the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) is a webinar that is recommended for biologists and consulting biologists. This webinar provides a standardized method for identifying and documenting the risk of MBTA birds nesting in project areas that parallel MBTA GSPs. 

Hazardous materials and spill prevention

Asbestos WSDOT's Highway Captial Construction Project Programs is an online training in the Learning Center (TLC) and should be taken by maintenance, construction, environmental coordinators, and anyone out in the field. The goals of this training are to provide a fundamental understanding of what asbestos is, where it can be found on projects, understand the exposure pathways into the body and the potential health hazards, know what documentation is required, and who to contact for more information. 

Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC) Plans is a mandatory online course in TLC that must be taken before any staff review contractor drafted spill plans. An approved spill plan needs to be onsite before construction can begin. The course provides tools and templates to evaluate the 10 required SPCC elements.

NEPA 

View the Local Programs NEPA Courses YouTube videos and reference our Region cross reference (DOCX 23KB) guide for differences between the local and regional processes.

Permitting

Complete Permit Application for Section 404, 401, and HPAs is a webinar for environmental coordinators, consultants, and regional maintenance environmental coordinators. The training explains what is needed and how to prepare complete applications to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Cleans Water Act section 404 and Rivers and Harbors Act section 10, Washington State Department of Ecology's Clean Water Act section 401, and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife's (WDFW) Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA).

Complete Permit Application Drawings is a webinar that builds off of the Complete Permit Application training and should be taken by environmental coordinators, consultants, and regional maintenance environmental coordinators. Learn how to complete permit application drawings for Section 404, 401 and HPAs. 

Fish Passage Pre-construction Notification is a webinar for environmental coordinators, consultants, and regional maintenance environmental coordinators. Learn what is needed and how to prepare the Fish Passage Pre-construction Notification for the Corps section 404 and ECY Clean Water Act section 401

Introduction to Hydraulic Project Approval (HPAs) is a webinar for environmental coordinators, consultants, and regional maintenance environmental coordinators. Learn about the different types of HPAs, Hydraulic Project jurisdiction, non-compliance issues, how to submit a complete HPA, and where to find additional resources. 

No Permits Required is a webinar for environmental coordinators, consultants, and regional maintenance environmental coordinators. Understand when a permit is not required for the WDFW, fish passage, and transportation projects, know when authorization is not required by the Corps and ECY.

Section 404 and Section 401 Permitting is a webinar for environmental coordinators, consultants, and regional maintenance environmental coordinators. Learn about the 2021 changes to Nationwide permits (NWPs), Regional General Conditions, Washington State Department of Ecology section 401, and Coastal Zone Management. 

Additional environmental training resources

Organizations and other WSDOT offices also provide environmental training. The list below provides links to these environmental training resources.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Motor Vehicle Emissions Stimulator (MOVES) - This is an emission modeling system that estimates emissions for mobile sources at the national, county, and project level for criteria air pollutants, greenhouse gases and air toxics. It should be taken by air quality and greenhouse gas subject matter experts and consultants that conduct analysis as part of NEPA/SEPA. The Moves trainings include pdf's, webinars and hands-on training courses, which includes MOVES5 introduction and overview, project level quantitative PM hotspot analysis and detailed information on how to use Moves to estimate both on-road and non-road emissions.
• Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) NEPA Overview as Applied to Transportation Projects – These short videos provide an overview of the National Environmental Policy Act as it applies to FHWA projects. These videos target local agencies but are relevant for the general NEPA process at WSDOT.
• FHWA Infrastructure Carbon Estimator (ICE) - This tool estimates the lifecycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions from the construction and maintenance of transportation facilities. The ICE webinar provides an overview of how to use the tool for project-specific or planning level analysis and should be taken by energy and greenhouse gas subject matter experts and consultants that conduct analysis as part of project planning and NEPA/SEPA.
• FHWA Traffic Noise Model (TNM) - The training demonstrates various project level modeling tasks to meet the needs of State's Department of Transportation. This model is required to be used on all Federal-aid highway projects to comply with 23 CFR, Part 772.17. It should be taken by noise and acoustics subject matter experts and consultants that conduct analysis for these projects.
• Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) Training – DES serves several state agencies, providing training on a variety of topics including computer, management and soft skills.
• Washington State Department of Ecology – The Shorelands & Environmental Assistance program offers training and resources on shoreline protection, conservation and the State Environmental Policy Act.
• Washington State Department of Ecology Coastal Training Program – These courses provide science-based training to professionals making shoreline management decisions.
• National Highway Institute (NHI) – NHI offers a variety of courses, materials and seminars for the transportation community. Examples of training topics include Asset Management, Hydraulics, and Design and Traffic Operations.
• Associated General Contractors (AGC) Education Foundation – AGC offers courses for people working in project construction, such as Stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) for Construction.
• Local Technical Assistance Program – These courses, coordinated through the WSDOT Local Programs Office, focus primarily on a local government audience.