The South Coast Rail project must go through an in-depth analysis to evaluate the impact of the project on the natural environment and historic resources in order to obtain the permits needed to build the project.  There are two processes – one at the state level called the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act and one at the federal level called the National Environmental Policy Act. 

Restoring rail service to the South Coast region has been extensively studied for almost twenty years. In 2002, a state-level environmental review recommended one particular route. However, the lead federal agency regulating the project, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was not part of that review process.  In order to obtain a Clean Water Act permit under federal law, MassDOT needs to run the project through the Corps’ methodology which required looking at the alternatives again. The 2002 data is out-of-date now, so MassDOT consolidated this federal review with an updated state review.  The goal of this joint review is to identify the route and type of transportation (rail, bus, etc.) that results in the least harm to the environment while still serving enough people to make the project worthwhile.