EIS Archive

Scoping

The public scoping process began after the publication of the Notice of Intent (NOI). During scoping, the plan for conducting the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process was issued in the Scoping Document, which describes the purpose and need of the project, the range of anticipated impacts to be analyzed and the methodologies to be employed to assess impacts. The document may also include a preliminary range of alternatives (though these may be developed in more detail later on in the process). The public and interested parties are invited to offer comments on the plan, both orally at publicized meetings and in writing.

Public Scoping Meeting
The purpose of the public scoping meeting, held after the publication of the NOI, is to gather input and feedback on the Scoping Document. The public scoping meeting for the Portal Bridge Capacity Enhancement Project was held on January 17, 2007.

Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Meetings
TAC meetings consisted of primarily government agencies that can provide more technical information in the development and evaluation of feasible alternatives.

Regional Citizens’ Liaison Committee (RCLC) Meetings
RCLC meetings provided an open forum for discussion, encouraged interaction among key participants, and allowed committee members to voice issues and concerns of their constituencies. The RCLC met several times throughout the EIS process.

Open Houses
Once the Draft EIS (DEIS) is completed, there was an open house meeting in conjunction with the Public Hearings that included presentation boards and informal discussions with study team members and meeting attendees.

Public Hearing
The public was given an opportunity to comment on the DEIS at a public hearing. The Public Hearing was held on March 18th 2008, and the public was given additional time to comment following the meeting. Public comments were received through March 31st, 2008.