Getting Involved

Public input into the Northeast Reliability Interconnect EIS process is encouraged.

Public Comment Period Closed

The public comment period for the Northeast Reliability Interconnect Draft EIS is closed.

DOE 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 on August 26, 2005, and continued until October 11, 2005 (45 days). Written and oral comments were given equal weight, and DOE considered all comments received or postmarked by that date 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 September 28th and 29th in Baileyville and Brewer, Maine, respectively. The transcripts of the public hearings are available under Documents.

Public Scoping

Scoping is one phase of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis process. During the public scoping comment period, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) invited interested parties to participate in the Northeast Reliability Interconnect EIS 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. Scoping was the earliest, but not the last opportunity for people to provide input on the Northeast Reliability Interconnect EIS.

The public was invited to submit comments on the scope of the EIS and to identify issues of importance by one of five methods:

• Electronic comment submittal via the Web,
• Electronic comment submittal via e-mail,
• Regular mail,
• Facsimile, and
• Public scoping meetings (written or oral comments).

The public scoping comment period closed Dec. 2, 2004.

Public scoping meetings were held at Baileyville and Brewer, Maine. There were no attendees at the scheduled public scoping meeting in Lincoln, Maine, so that meeting was not held. Transcripts of the Baileyville and Brewer meetings are available under Documents.

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