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Where have we been and what's next for the US 281 EIS?
The development of the US 281 EIS began in 2009. Since then, three public meetings have been held, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and a Peer Technical Review Committee (PTRC) have been formed and a Draft EIS has been prepared. Currently the Draft EIS is under review by TxDOT and the FHWA. Several key milestones in the EIS process are planned for 2012, including:
Public Circulation of the Draft EIS - The next major step in the EIS process is an opportunity for public review and comment, anticipated later this year. A Notice of Availability (NOA) will be published in the Federal Register informing the public that the Draft EIS is available for comment and included in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) EIS database available to view online by clicking here. We will also send an e-update when the NOA is published. The comment period is at least 45 days long. During this time, comments will be requested from the public and other Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies that may have jurisdiction or interest in this project. A list of these agencies is included in the US 281 Coordination Plan and online (click here to view).
Public Hearing (Draft EIS) - During the 45-day comment period, a Public Hearing will be held as an opportunity to ask questions about the US 281 Draft EIS, discuss topics of importance to you with other citizens and to present formal comments on the Draft EIS.
Public Meeting #4 (Recommendation of a Preferred Alternative) - After the comments on the Draft EIS have been considered a Preferred Alternative will be recommended for additional analysis in the Final EIS. At this public meeting, citizens will have the opportunity to ask questions about the Preferred Alternative, discuss topics important to them with other citizens and submit comments.
In 2013, after all public comments have been considered, the Preferred Alternative will be analyzed in the Final EIS. After FHWA, TxDOT and the Alamo RMA have approved the Final EIS it will become available for public review and comment. The last step in the process is a Record of Decision (ROD). The ROD is a document that states what the decision is, the alternatives that were considered, the Selected Alternative, and any mitigation plans or commitments.
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