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An online public information and involvement resource
Getting Involved
There were several opportunities for the public to participate in the EIS, and to provide information and comments about issues considered important.
Public Comment Period Closed
The public comment period for the Imperial-Mexicali 230-kV Transmission Lines Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is closed.
DOE and BLM invited interested Members of Congress, state and local governments, other Federal agencies, American Indian tribal governments, organizations, and members of the public to provide comments on the Draft EIS. The public comment period started with the publication in the Federal Register by the Environmental Protection Agency of the "Notice of Availability" of the Draft EIS, and continued until midnight, July 30, 2004. Written and oral comments were given equal weight, and DOE and BLM considered all comments received or postmarked by midnight, July 30, 2004 were considered in preparing the Final EIS. Comments received or postmarked after that date were considered to the extent practicable.
Written and oral comments were also submitted at public hearings for the EIS, which were held in El Centro and Calexico, California, July 14, 2004, respectively.
Public Scoping Process
The public scoping comment period for the Imperial-Mexicali 230-kV Transmission LinesEIS closed on Dec. 1, 2003. Details of the scoping comment process are discussed below. Scoping was the earliest, but not the last, opportunity for people to participate in the EIS process.
Scoping is one phase of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis process. It is intended to give interested parties the chance to comment on a proposed action and to offer suggestions as about the issues to be considered in the EIS analyses. The public scoping comment period, the first major public involvement opportunity, closed Dec. 1, 2003.
Interested parties were invited to participate in the scoping process both
to refine the preliminary alternatives and environmental issues to
be analyzed in depth and to eliminate from detailed study those alternatives
and environmental issues that are not feasible or pertinent. The scoping process
was intended to involve all interested agencies (federal, state, county, and
local), public interest groups, Native American tribes, businesses, and members
of the public.
Written and oral comments were given equal weight in defining the scope of this EIS, and DOE considered all comments received or postmarked by December 1, 2003. Comments received or postmarked after that date were considered to the extent practicable.
Public Scoping Meetings
Public scoping meetings were held at the locations, dates, and times indicated under the Public Meeting Schedule. These scoping meetings were informal. The presiding officer established procedures to ensure that everyone who wished to speak had a chance to do so and that DOE and BLM understood all issues and comments. Speakers were allocated approximately 10 minutes for their oral statements.
Scoping Documents
Transcripts from the public meetings, scoping comments, and other scoping documents are available online.
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