The purpose of a draft environmental statement is to inform the public and other public agencies as early as possible about proposed actions that may significantly affect the quality of the environment, and to solicit comments which will assist the agency in determining the environmental consequences of the proposed action. The agency requiring the preparation of the environmental impact statement shall conduct scoping meetings, prior to the preparation of the environmental impact statement, in the county in which the proposed action is to be located to solicit public input on what should be included in the environmental impact statement. The draft environmental statement should resemble in form and content the environmental impact statement to be prepared after comments have been received and considered pursuant to § 34A-9-9; however, the length and detail of the draft environmental statement may necessarily reflect the preliminary nature of the proposal and the early stage at which it is prepared.

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Source: SL 1974, ch 245, § 3; SDCL Supp, § 11-1A-6; SL 1992, ch 254, § 77.