Legal Resources | | T14 15083
Chapter 3. Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act Article 7. EIR Process Early Public Consultation.
Prior to completing the draft EIR, the lead agency may also consult directly with any person or organization it believes will be concerned with the environmental effects of the project. Many public agencies have found that early consultation solves many potential problems that would arise in more serious forms later in the review process. This early consultation may be called scoping. Scoping will be necessary when preparing an EIR/EIS jointly with a federal agency.
(a) Scoping has been helpful to agencies in identifying the range of actions, alternatives, mitigation measures, and significant effects to be analyzed in depth in an EIR and in eliminating from detailed study issues found not to be important.
(b) Scoping has been found to be an effective way to bring together and resolve the concerns of affected federal, state, and local agencies, the proponent of the action, and other interested persons including those who might not be in accord with the action on environmental grounds.
(c) Where scoping is used, it should be combined to the extent possible with consultation under Section 15082.
Authority cited:
Public Resources Code 21083
Reference:
Public Resources Code 21082.1
Sect. 4, Ch. 480 of the Statutes of 1981
40 CFR 1501.7
(Amended by Register 2005, No. 40.)