Page 38 - Highway Engineering Handbook Building and Rehabilitating the Infrastructure

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 21

TABLE 1.6 Contents of a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS)

Item Content
Cover sheet The cover sheet must indicate FEIS.
Executive summary The executive summary should incorporate any changes
between the DEIS and FEIS, identify the preferred
alternative, and concisely describe all mitigation mea-
sures, including monitoring and enforcement measures
for any proposed mitigation measure, where applicable.
Need for action No revisions from the DEIS unless warranted by
comments received on the DEIS.
Alternatives The preferred alternative should be identified and
described in a separate section of the FEIS. A defensible
rationale should be provided for selection of the
preferred alternative. This rationale must reflect a
comparison of the strengths and weaknesses of the
various alternatives considered.
Affected environment No substantive change from that included in the DEIS
unless warranted by comments received on the DEIS.
Environmental consequences No substantive changes unless warranted by comments
received on DEIS.
Mitigation and other The FEIS should identify all mitigation measures.
List of preparers No substantive change unless comments warrant.
List of who received DEIS No substantive change unless comments warrant.
Appendixes No substantive change unless comments warrant.
Index No substantive change unless comments warrant.
Distribution list Indicate on the list those entities commenting.
Comments and coordination This section provides a list of those commenting on the
DEIS, including copies of comments received and
responses to all substantive comments.

conclusions in the DEIS, and a final EIS (FEIS) is prepared. The FEIS must document and
include responses to all substantive comments received on the DEIS from public agencies
and the public (40 CFR §1502.18). Responses to comments can be made in the form of
changes to the text and analyses included in the DEIS, factual corrections, new alterna-
tives considered or an explanation of why a comment does not require a response (40 CFR
§1503.4). A copy or summary of substantive comments and the responses to them must
be included in the FEIS [40 CFR §1503.4(a)]. The contents of an FEIS is provided in
Table 1.6.
If not already identified in the DEIS, the FEIS should identify the preferred alternative
to be recommended for implementation. The preferred alternative could be one of the rea-
sonable alternatives considered in the DEIS or an alternative that is a composite or variant
of the reasonable alternatives considered in the DEIS.
If the preferred alternative will involve the use of a resource protected under Section
4(f), a final Section 4(f) evaluation must be prepared and included as a separate section of
the FEIS or as a separate document.
When completed, the FHWA will publish the FEIS and EPA will publish a notice of
availability of the FEIS in the Federal Register. A minimum of 30 days must pass after
publication of the FEIS before FHWA can make a final decision on the proposed action
(40 CFR §1504).