§161.9. Specific steps in the Department's NEPA process. — Inbound Citations

(3) As soon as practicable after deciding to prepare an environmental impact statement and before initiating the scoping process (see § 161.9(b) of these regulations) the Department or another lead agency, if one is designated in accordance with § 1501.5 of the CEQ Regulations, shall publish in the Federal Register a “Notice of intent” to prepare an EIS in accordance with §§ 1501.7 and 1508.22 of the CEQ Regulations. The Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues shall arrange for publishing the notice.

(3) Each draft and final statement, the supporting documentation, and the “Record of decision” (see § 161.9(h) of these regulations) shall be available for public review and copying at the Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues (OES/ENH), Room 7820, Department of State, Washington, DC 20520 (tel. 202/632-9267).

(i) Preparation of an environmental impact statement shall be initiated as soon as the responsible action officer, in consultation with the Office of Environmental Quality and Transboundary Issues and the Office of the Legal Adviser, has determined that the statement shall be prepared. Except where permitted by the CEQ Regulations (§§ 1506.10(d), 1506.11) and these regulations (§§ 161.7(d), 161.9(n)(2)), no decision on the proposed action shall be made by the Department until the later of the following dates: