Minnesota Department of Transportation

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Project development

Environmental process | Environmental review

Scoping Document

Purpose

The Scoping Document and the Draft Scoping Decision Document (SD/DSDD) are the first formal documents required under Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (MEQB) rules for the state EIS process, in order to:

  • Reduce the scope and bulk of the EIS
  • Identify only those potentially significant issues relevant to the proposed project
  • Define the form, level of detail, content, alternatives, time table for preparation, and preparers of the EIS
  • Determine the permits for which information will be developed concurrently with the EIS (Minnesota Rules part 4410.2100, subpart 1)

The content of the Scoping Document (SD) is described below.

The documents described above should not be confused with the scoping report typically prepared during a MnDOT project’s early planning stage prior to the project’s programming in the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

When to use this subject

The scoping process is an early and open process used before the preparation of an EIS. The SD is issued, along with the Draft Scoping Decision Document (DSDD), for public review. Following a public comment period, a final Scoping Decision Document (SDD) is published and preparation of the Draft EIS begins.
The process that results in the final SDD per MEQB rules for the state EIS is also consistent with the scoping requirements for a federal EIS as described below.

How this subject fits into the overall project development process

Begin this process during the Scoping phase of Project Development and complete prior to preparing the state level EIS.

Organizations involved