Agenda - 10-10-1988 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PAGE 8 on November 28. Scearbo summarized the review process as set forth in the Environmental Policy Act. An Environmental Assessment (EA) would be submitted as a supplement to the development application for projects to which the Ordinance applies. A copy of the EA would be immediately forwarded to the State Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse would forward copies to the appropriate State agencies and publish a notice in the Environmental Bulletin which is published every two weeks. After a 15-day review in the Bulletin, comments would be collected by the Clearinghouse and forwarded to the County for consideration. The County review of the project would take place concurrently with the State review. Upon receipt, of, and consideration of the State comments, the County would do one of two things: Issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) ; or Require preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) . Issuance of a FONSI requires no additional input from the developer. If an EIS is required, then an additional document would have to be prepared by the developer. This document would be the draft EIS. It would go through State Clearinghouse for distribution and publication in the Environmental Bulletin which includes a 30-day review period. After receipt of all comments by the Planning Department, a Final EIS would be prepared by Planning Staff which would incorporate the comments received on the draft. The Final EIS is also advertised in the Environmental Bulletin, with a 15-day review period. After completion of the Final EIS, the project could be acted on by the appropriate decision-making body. Scearbo described the criteria to be used in determining which projects will be reviewed. A key component of the Ordinance is a list of criteria establishing when the Ordinance is to be applied. The criteria represents an attempt to identify impacts of concern specifically to Orange County. This area needs to be reviewed as work progresses towards a final draft. The criteria now proposed are: Projects requiring a permit under the NC Mining Act, or the NC Solid and Hazardous Waste Management Act. Projects containing areas which will be identified in the Orange County Inventory of Natural Areas. Projects containing area identified in "An Inventory of Sites of Cultural, Historic, Recreational, Biological, and Geological Significance in the Unincorporated Portions of Orange County". Projects in which the average slope on existing or proposed lots is greater than 15%, and Projects exceeding 100 acres in area.