[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 32, Volume 6]
[Revised as of July 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 32CFR989.18]

[Page 250]
 
                        TITLE 32-NATIONAL DEFENSE
 
                CHAPTER VII--DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
 
PART 989_ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ANALYSIS PROCESS (EIAP)--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 989.18  Scoping.

    (a) After publication of the NOI for an EIS, the EPF must initiate 
the public scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7) to determine the scope of 
issues to be addressed and to help identify significant environmental 
issues to be analyzed in depth. Methods of scoping range from soliciting 
written comments to conducting public scoping meetings (see 40 CFR 
1501.7 and 1506.6(e)). The scoping process is an iterative, pro-active 
process of communicating with individual citizens, neighborhood, 
community, and local leaders, public interest groups, congressional 
delegations, state, Tribal, and local governments, and federal agencies. 
The scoping process must start prior to official public scoping meetings 
and continue through to preparation of the draft EIS. The purpose of 
this process is to de-emphasize insignificant issues and focus the scope 
of the environmental analysis on significant issues (40 CFR 1500.4(g)). 
Additionally, scoping allows early and more meaningful participation by 
the public. The result of scoping is that the proponent and EPF 
determine the range of actions, alternatives, and impacts to be 
considered in the EIS (40 CFR 1508.25). The EPF must send scripts for 
scoping meetings to USAF/ILEV (or ANGRC/CEV) no later than 30 days 
before the first scoping meeting. Scoping meeting plans are similar in 
content to public hearing plans (see Appendix C). Public scoping 
meetings should generally be held at locations not on the installation.
    (b) Where it is anticipated the proposed action and its alternatives 
will have disproportionately high and adverse human health or 
environmental effects on minority populations or low-income populations, 
special efforts shall be made to reach these populations. This might 
include special informational meetings or notices in minority and low-
income areas concerning the regular scoping process.

[64 FR 38129, July 15, 1999; 66 FR 16868, Mar. 28, 2001; 66 FR 26793, 
May 15, 2001]