(a) As soon as practicable after the decision to prepare an EIS is made, the NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with other TVA entities, will identify preliminary action alternatives, probable environmental issues, and necessary environmental permits, and a schedule for EIS preparation.
(b) The scoping process may include interagency scoping sessions to coordinate an action with and obtain inputs from other interested agencies (including local, State, and other Federal agencies, as well as Indian tribes).
(c) The NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with other TVA entities, will determine whether public scoping meetings should be held in addition to seeking comments by other means. Meeting types and formats should be selected to facilitate timely and meaningful public input into the EIS process.
(d) As soon as practicable in the scoping process, the NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with the initiating TVA entity and TVA legal counsel, will prepare and publish in the Federal Register a notice of intent to prepare an EIS. This notice will briefly describe the proposed action, possible alternatives, and potentially affected environmental resources. In addition, the notice will identify issues that TVA has tentatively determined to be insignificant and which will not be discussed in detail in the EIS. The scoping process will be described and, if a scoping meeting will be held, the notice should state where and when the meeting is to occur if that has been determined. The notice will identify the person in TVA who can supply additional information about the action and describe how to submit comments.
(e) There will be a minimum public comment period of 30 days from the date of publication of the notice of intent in the Federal Register to allow other interested agencies and the public an opportunity to review and comment on the proposed scope of the EIS.
(f) On the basis of input received, the NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with other TVA entities, will determine whether to modify the schedule or scope of the EIS.
(g) At the close of the scoping process, the NEPA compliance staff, in consultation with the other TVA entities, will identify the following components in paragraphs (g)(1) through (8) for use in preparing the DEIS:
(1) Purpose and need of the proposed action.
(2) Reasonable action alternatives.
(3) Environmental issues to be addressed in detail.
(4) Environmental issues that should be mentioned but not addressed in detail.
(5) Lead and cooperating agency roles and responsibilities.
(6) Related environmental documents.
(7) Other environmental review and consultation requirements.
(8) Delegation of DEIS work assignments to TVA entities and other agencies.
(h) If a scoping report summarizing the preceding EIS components is prepared, it must be made available to the public.