The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) Process*

A project EIS is prepared for a proposal that generally involves physical changes to one or more elements of the environment. Examples of
the types of proposals that could be analyzed in a project EIS include:
New construction Facility operation changes
Demolitions Environmental clean-up projects
The purchase, sale, lease, transfer, or exchange of natural
resources (such as the lease of public lands for timber harvest)

Steps in the EIS Process

1. Scoping initiates participation by the
public, tribes, and other agencies and Scoping is the first step in the EIS
provides opportunity to comment process. The purpose of scoping
on the proposal’s alternatives, im- is to:
pacts, and potential mitigation  narrow the focus of the EIS to
measures to be analyzed in the EIS. significant environmental issues
2. Writing a Draft EIS analyzing the  eliminate insignificant impacts
probable impacts of a proposal and from detailed study
reasonable alternatives, and including  identify alternatives to be ana-
studies, modeling, etc. lyzed in the EIS
3. Draft EIS review and comment by the Scoping also provides notice to
public, other agencies, and the tribes. the public and agencies that an
4. Writing a Final EIS analyzing and re- EIS is being prepared and initiates
sponding to all comments received on their involvement in the process.
the draft EIS, and including additional The scoping process alerts both
studies and modeling to evaluate the lead agency and the applicant
probable impacts not adequately ana- to areas of concern and contro-
lyzed in the draft EIS. versy early in the process. As a re-
5. Issuing the final EIS. sult, it offers more opportunities
6. Decisions use the EIS information in for the applicant to consider and
review of permits or other project au- explore means to address the
thorization. concerns. From an environmental
7. Mitigation conditions are applied to perspective, this can result in
actions that were addressed in the changed proposals with fewer en-
FEIS. vironmental impacts.

Much of this information is taken from Washington Department of Ecology information published at www.ecy.wa.gov/
programs/sea/sepa/handbk/hbch03.html and www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/sepa/apguide/apguide1.htm.
www.cityoftacoma.org/planning