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 Public Participation
The public involvement program for the Gnoss
Field Airport Proposed Runway Extension EIS and EIR
is designed to enable the FAA and Marin County
to consult effectively with the general public,
concerned interest groups and public agencies
about their views, concerns and ideas regarding
the scope and content of the EIS and EIR and,
ultimately, the adequacy of the EIS and EIR
environmental analyses.
SCOPING PROCESS
The proposed extension to Runway 13/31 at
Marin County Airport – Gnoss Field is a Federal
action that requires the preparation of an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), in
accordance with the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA). In addition, a concurrent
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) is being
prepared in accordance with the California
Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). NEPA and CEQA
give all persons, organizations, and government
agencies the right to review and comment on
proposed actions that are evaluated by an EIS
and by an EIR. This is known as the "Scoping
Process." The scoping process is the initial
step in the preparation of the EIS and the EIR
and is an early and open process for determining
the scope of issues to be addressed and for
identifying the significant issues related to
the proposed action. Therefore, the scoping
process helped to identify:
- Range of actions (project,
procedural changes)
- Alternatives – those to be
rigorously explored and evaluated and those
that may be eliminated
- Range of environmental impacts
View the
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
View the
California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
Notice of Intent (NOI)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
first announced in the July 11, 2008 Federal
Register the Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the
proposed action at Marin County Airport – Gnoss
Field. The notice required that all comments on
the scope of the EIS and concurrent EIR be
received by August 29, 2008.
View the
July 11, 2008 Notice of Intent (NOI) as printed
in the Federal Register.
(pdf)
Notice of Preparation (NOP)
The County of Marin first announced in the
July 11, 2008 and July 13, 2008 editions of the
Marin Independent Journal the Notice of
Preparation (NOP) of the Environmental Impact
Report (EIR) for the proposed project Marin
County Airport – Gnoss Field. The notice
required that all comments on the scope of the
EIS and concurrent EIR be received by August 29,
2008.
View the
Notice of Preparation (NOP).
(pdf)
Agency Scoping Meeting
An airfield tour and Agency Scoping Meeting
were held on August 14, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. and
1:00 p.m., respectively. The Agency Scoping
Meeting was held in Room 266 at the Marin County
Civic Center. The following items were made
available at the Agency Scoping Meeting:
-
Visual Presentation
(pdf)
-
Information Handout (formatted to print
double-sided)
(pdf)
Public Scoping Meeting
A Public Scoping Meeting was held on August 14,
2008 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Marin Humane
Society Education Center Auditorium, 171 Bel
Marin Keys Blvd., Novato, CA. The following
items were made available at the Public Scoping
Meeting:
-
Visual Presentation
(pdf)
- Public Scoping Information
Packet (formatted to print double-sided)
(pdf)
Opportunity to Comment on the Scope of the EIS
and EIR
Comments and suggestions were invited from all
interested parties to ensure that the full range
of issues related to the scope of EIS and EIR
are addressed and that all significant issues
are identified. Written comments were
required to have been mailed by August 29, 2008
(the close of the official comment period) to:
Mr. Barry Franklin
Federal Aviation Administration
Western Pacific Region
San Francisco Airport District Office
831 Mitten Road, Room 210
Burlingame, CA 94040-1303
Response to Comments
All comments received at the Agency and
Public Scoping Meetings and during the official
comment period are currently being reviewed and
considered by the FAA and the County of Marin. FAA and
County will prepare responses to comments,
either individually or collectively, and include
them in the Draft EIS and Draft EIR. Responses
to comments will be made by at least one of the
means listed below:
- Modification of alternatives studied in
the EIS and EIR, including the proposed
action/proposed project.
- Development and evaluation of reasonable
alternatives meeting the purpose and need
for the project not previously given serious
consideration.
- Explanation of why a comment does not
warrant further consideration and subsequent
incorporation in the EIS and EIR scope of
work, citing the sources, authorities, or
reasons which support that decision.
The Nature of Comments
Persons interested in making comments on the
Draft EIS or EIR may use the following
guidelines to assist in preparing their
comments:
- Comments should be as specific as
possible and may address either the adequacy
of a statement or conclusion or the merits
of the alternatives discussed or both.
- When a commenting party criticizes a
lead agency's predictive methodology, the
commenting party should describe the
alternative methodology that it prefers and
why.
How Can I Participate?
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