What to Expect at a Scoping Meeting

When the state agency proposing a project (the "sponsoring agency") holds a public scoping meeting, it will choose a meeting format that is suited to the type of project and the size of the anticipated audience. The scoping meeting can be in person and/or virtual and might include presentations by the sponsoring agency followed by comments from the public.

It is important to remember that the sponsoring agency is required to conduct scoping at an early point in the planning of the proposed project. When you attend a scoping meeting, you should not expect the agency to be able to provide detailed information about the project's design, alternatives, or potential environmental impacts. At a scoping meeting, the sponsoring agency is there to hear from the public about what alternatives and what environmental impacts should be assessed.

By law, the sponsoring agency must provide the following at a public scoping meeting:

• a description of the proposed action,
• a description of the purpose and need of the proposed action,
• a list of the criteria for a site for the proposed action,
• a list of potential sites for the proposed action,
• the resources of any proposed site of the proposed action,
• the environmental limitations of such sites,
• potential alternatives to the proposed action, and
• any other information the sponsoring agency deems necessary.