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Project Development Scoping Phase

Minnesota Department of Transportation

The project development process begins after early planning studies (depicted in Figure 3-1) have identified a valid need for a project improvement. Pre-program scoping occurs before a project is actually programmed. A project may be initiated by Mn/DOT or by external agents identifying deficiencies or needs to be addressed by Mn/DOT. Projects are then ranked by the ATP (Area Transportation Partnership) or MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) before being incorporated into the “State Transportation Improvement Program.”

Figure 3-1

The project scoping phase is the first step in the project development process. It is undertaken to determine what the project should entail and what potential impacts exist. The level of complexity and need for widespread public involvement depends on what the critical deficiencies are, and the magnitude and potential impacts of the project. The scoping process is tailored to the project, but typical questions to be answered include:

• Which transportation deficiencies need to be addressed?
• What are the parameters of the project?
• What impacts and alternatives should be analyzed?
• What permits and approvals are needed?
• What public and agency coordination is appropriate?
• Early identification of potential Social, Economic or Environmental (SEE) Effects.
• What SEE issues warrant study or may rule out further consideration of certain alternatives?
• What is the appropriate scope of the study?

It is important for the project manager to remember that the public should be involved in answering these questions to the greatest extent practical before detailed plans or proposals have been developed. This consideration may hinge on the complexity of the study. One of the outputs of the scoping process is a determination of the appropriate National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) level of action determination. The most complex (and potentially most controversial) projects that significantly affect the environment are required to complete Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) before they can be implemented. The triggering of an EIS process should be a good indication for a project manager of the need for a more intensive effort to involve the public and to develop a formal public involvement plan. Another issue to be considered by the project manager is whether the project should follow the “Inter-agency Coordination with Federal Agencies during the FHWA NEPA process.” This process establishes concurrence points in the project development process that streamline federal agency reviews and permit activities.

Legal Requirement for Public Involvement

For Environmental Impact Statement (Class I) projects, the state mandates that “The Responsible Governing Unit (RGU) shall provide the opportunity for at least one scoping meeting during the scoping period – at least 10 days, but not more than 20 days after the notice of positive declaration is published in the ‘EQB Monitor’.” (4410.2100 Subp. 3.B & Subp. 4.A). The “EQB Monitor” is a biweekly publication of the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board that lists descriptions and deadlines for Environmental Assessment Worksheets, Environmental Impact Statements, and other notices.