8.g)1) Zavoral Mining and Reclamation Project-Schedule for Final EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) Meeting Date: 6/19/2012
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City Council Agenda Report
City of Scandia
14727 209th St. North
Scandia, MN 55073 (651) 433-2274
Action Requested: Receive an update on the schedule for the Zavoral Mining and
Reclamation Project Final EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) and
consider whether or not to schedule any special meeting(s) relating to
the EIS.
Deadline/ Timeline: See below.
Background: • The comment period on the Draft EIS ended on May 18, 2012. The
city received 68 separate letters and e-mails containing comments.
All of the comments are posted on the city website, along with the
transcript of the April 3, 2012 public meeting on the DEIS at which
verbal comments were received.
• The next step in the process will be for the City of Scandia (as RGU,
responsible governmental unit) to respond to the timely substantive
comments on the DEIS consistent with the scoping decision. The
RGU must discuss at appropriate points in the Final EIS any
responsible opposing view relating to scoped issues which were not
adequately discussed in the DEISm and shall indicate the RGU's
response to the views. This includes written comments as well as the
verbal comments made at the public meeting.
• The Final EIS will take the form of a document containing the
written comments and the responses. If only minor changes to the
Draft EIS are required, the document need not be re-written. If other
than minor changes are required, the draft text will be rewritten so
' that necessary changes in the text are incorporated in the appropriate
places.
• The City Council as RGU will need to authorize release of the Final
EIS (similar to the action taken on February 28, 2012 to release the
Draft EIS.)
• Copies of the Final EIS will be provided to agencies who were on
the initial distribution list for the DEIS, any person who submitted
substantive comments on the DEIS, and to the extent possible, to
any person requesting the Final EIS.
• A notice of availability of the Final EIS will be published in the
EQB Monitor. A period of at least 10 days for the public to
comment on the adequacy of the Final EIS must be allowed.
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• Then, the City Council must make a decision on the adequacy of the
EIS.
• Once the decision has been made, additional notices must be
published. If the city determines that the EIS is adequate, the
process of reviewing permits for the project (the Conditional Use
permit and any other required permits) may begin. Review of the
Conditional Use Permit would take at least 60 to 120 days.
Recommendations: It is expected that the Final EIS will be available for City Council ,
review by Friday,July 13, 2012 and that the City Council could
approve it for distribution as early as at its Tuesday,July 17, 2012
regular meeting. Alternatively, the Council could schedule a special
meeting to make this decision. Suggested dates for a special meeting
are Wednesday, August 1 or Wednesday,August 8, 2012.
If the Council authorizes distribution of the Final EIS on one of the
above dates, the notice of availability would be published in the EQB
Monitor on Monday, August 20, 2012. The comment period would be
recommended to close on Monday, September 10, 2012.
The Council decision on the adequacy of the EIS could be scheduled for
the Tuesday, September 18, 2012 regular Council meeting. Or, the
Council could schedule a special meeting to make this decision. A
possible date for a special meeting would be Tuesday, September 25,
2012.
No action by the Council is required at this time,but you should discuss
whether or not you would like to handle matters related to the EIS at
special meetings to avoid disruption to the Council's regular business.
If so, it would be helpful to schedule those meetings as soon as possible
to provide advance public notice.
Attachments/ None
Materials provided:
Contact(s): Leslie Knapp, AECOM (763 551-2441)
Prepared by: Anne Hurlburt, Administrator
(Zavoral FEIS Schedule)
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