The public has a critical role to play in the environmental review process. The purpose of “scoping” the EIS is to provide an opportunity for members of the public, stakeholders, agencies, and others to comment on and provide input to the scope of issues to be addressed in the DEIS, and to assist in the identification of significant issues related to the proposed action.

An interagency scoping meeting for federal, state, and local agencies was held on September 14, 2004; a Draft Scoping Document was prepared and distributed beforehand to the agencies.

Two sets of public scoping meetings were held on October 5 and 6, 2004, in Staten Island, New York, and Elizabeth, New Jersey respectively. A Public Scoping Information Packet was prepared and distributed to scoping meeting attendees to provide information about the proposed action and the environmental review process and formal presentations were made at each meeting to provide information about the proposed project and the environmental review process.

The scoping comment period ended on November 5, 2004. The Coast Guard has reviewed all comments received and incorporated agency and public input to the scope of the EIS studies, as appropriate.