How the EIS Was Prepared

The Imperial-Mexicali 230-kV Transmission Lines EIS was prepared according to the terms of regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act.

The President's Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) has issued regulations for implementing the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. In addition, DOE codified separate NEPA implementation regulations. These regulations identify the steps that must be taken in the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). These steps are:

1. A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the EIS is published in the Federal Register. (Note: the NOI for the Imperial-Mexicali 230-kV Transmission Lines EIS is also available on the Documents page of this web site.)


2. The NOI announces a scoping period during which written and other comments on the content of the EIS are gathered, including statements made at public meetings.


3. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) is prepared, which, at a minimum, includes:


1. Summary


2. Purpose of and need for action


3. Alternatives, including proposed action


4. Affected environment


5. Environmental consequences

(Note: the draft EIS is available through the Documents page of this web site.)


4. A Notice of Availability (NOA) is published in the Federal Register announcing the distribution of the Draft EIS, announcing a public comment period, and describing how the pubic may comment, including the location and schedule of public meetings on the Draft EIS. (Note: the NOA for the Imperial-Mexicali 230-kV Transmission Lines EIS is also available on the Documents page of this web site.)


5. A Final EIS is prepared that includes descriptions of public comments on the draft and discussions on how they were addressed in the Final EIS.


6. An NOA is published in the Federal Register notifying the public that the Final EIS has been issued.


7. A Record of Decision (ROD) is published in the Federal Register no sooner than 30 days after publication of the Final EIS. The ROD describes the agency decision regarding the proposed action.