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Public Involvement

 
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PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT

General

 

Public Involvement is an important aspect in the NEPA process.  This page will be updated when public meetings have been scheduled, or when other opportunities for the public to participate in the project present themselves.

 

The USACE and NEPA encourage the public to provide input on this project.  You may provide this input in a number of ways:

 

  • Attend public meetings and public hearings when they are scheduled
  • Email a comment through this Website
  • Download and print out a Comment Form and mail it to the address provided on the form
  • Mail information to the following address:

 

Dr. Richard Darden, Project Manager

US Army Corps of Engineers

69A Hagood Avenue

Charleston, South Carolina  29403

 

 

Stakeholders Working Group

 

The Project Team conducted the first Stakeholders Working Group Meeting on January 29, 2008, in Florence, South Carolina.  The Stakeholders Working Group(SWG) is comprised of individuals with a broad and diverse range of interests, experience, and expertise who have been specifically invited by the Project Team to participate in this phase of public involvement.  Each of the members was determined by the Project Team to represent one or more constituency groups which have an interest in the outcome of the project, and has valuable knowledge in one or more of the following:

 

  • The geographic region of the project,
  • The people living in the region,
  • The development of the region,
  • The energy needs and uses within the region; and
  • The human and natural resources in the region.

The SWG is an advisory body that will provide input to the Project Team during the development of the EIS.  Several SWG meetings will be conducted during the development of the EIS.  These meetings will be scheduled to coincide with milestone events, namely the Alternatives Analysis Phase and the development of Reasonable Alternatives during the preparation of the Draft EIS.  They will also meet to discuss the selection of the recommended Preferred Alternative during the Final EIS preparation.  The meetings will be led by a facilitator, who will insure that all members in attendance are provided with an opportunity to express their thoughts, concerns and questions regarding the project. 

 

The SWG will be part of the Public Involvement efforts of the Project Team as they follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in preparing the EIS.  It will provide the Project Team with the viewpoints of the various stakeholders and their constituencies.  It will also serve as an instrument to further educate a segment of the public about the Pee Dee Generating Station project, as well as the overall environmental process.

 

SWG members will receive technical information regarding the development of the project in advance of what will be presented to the general public during public meetings.  It is hoped that the SWG will utilize this information to formulate input that helps the Project Team prepare a comprehensive document that explores all reasonably anticipated facets of the project.  It is further desired that the SWG assist the Project Team in presenting information, which is by nature highly technical, in a manner that is more easily understood by the general public.

 

The SWG will assist the Project Team in meeting the following goals:

  • Provide the Project Team with valuable feedback obtained from each of their constituency groups;
  • Allow the Project Team to disseminate accurate information about the project to Stakeholders Working Group members, and to other members within their respective constituency(ies) in an effort to combat misinformation that may exist during the project; and,
  • Assist the Project Team in identifying specific issues and concerns that may exist in their communities so that they may be better addressed in the EIS and through the public involvement activities.

A PowerPoint presentation made to the SWG during this first meeting may be found below.  It should be noted that the information contained in this presentation is preliminary in nature and is subject to change as this project progresses.

 

Click here to view PowerPoint Presentation

 

 

Scoping Meetings

 

Two Project Scoping Meetings were conducted in September 2007.  116 persons attended the meeting at the Coastal Carolina University in Conway on September 25, 2007.  106 persons attended the meeting at South Florence High School on September 27, 2007.  The purpose of the Public Scoping Meetings was for the public to provide input to the Corps on the scope of the issues of concern to be addressed in the EIS, to identify the potential social, economic, and environmental impacts related to the proposed project, and recommend potential alternatives to the proposed project.  

 

The Project Team received a large number of comments, both in written form and in formal remarks that were recorded by court reporters for the project files.  Participants were encouraged to provide input, and were offered the following topics as suggestions to help identify issues that are important to them:   

 

  • What are the potential impacts of the proposed project?
  • What is the “scope” of the EIS?
  • Are there potential alternative electrical generating strategies, locations, layouts, and construction methods available that may have fewer impacts to the natural and human environment?
  • In what ways do you foresee the proposed project affecting YOU, YOUR community, and/or the environment?
  • Are there methods of communication, which the Corps has not considered, that could keep you better informed on the permit application and EIS process?

           

Upon arrival at the Public Scoping Meeting, each attendee was asked to sign in and indicate whether they wished to make comments at the meeting.  In addition to, or in lieu of, oral comments, attendees were welcome to submit written comments and technical information or complete a comment form provided during the meeting.

 

Written comments will be accepted up to 30 days after the date of the meeting, in this case October 26, 2007.  Information on how to submit written comments was provided at the meeting.

 

"Scoping" is one of the first ways that the public can participate in the NEPA process.  Scoping is an early and open process for determining the scope of issues to be addressed and for identifying the significant issues related to a proposed action.  The Corps wishes to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to be heard and that there is open communication throughout the EIS process.  The public's input is essential to the NEPA process in identifying significant issues, offering relevant information based on personal experience or knowledge, and providing assistance in defining the scope of the EIS.
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