Public Policy and Management Final Paper

Orientation to your class project (assignment).
A starting place for learning how to obtain an EA or EIS is at the EPA  (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. The EPA list of available EISs is available in their EIS Database.   (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.You are asked to locate (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. and read a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) or a fairly comprehensive Draft Environmental Assessment. A draft document is one that has not yet undergone public review.  Your task at hand and due at the end of the term (see course calendar) is to write a letter to the lead agency regarding the adequacy of the document for decision making by the agency policy makers.  You are not to write about the adequacy of the proposed project nor are you to present yourself as an advocate for or against the project. All EISs list the names and locations of the report preparers. Your letter should be to her or him as if you were really going to mail in. In fact, you are encouraged to do so after I have had a chance to review it for accuracy, completeness and potential usefulness to the agency.  Hint: you might look at one or more Final Impact Statements. (FEISs) (such as the Seattle one) which contain review letters and comments from responsible agencies, citizen groups or individuals for ideas on content and wording.

Consider the following tips:
Start with a very short introduction explaining who you are and why you are writing the letter. Do not start your letter with “My name is…”

1. Cover all areas discussed in the course and or discussed the texts (e.g. air quality, noise, traffic, aesthetics, etc.). Explain why each topic was satisfactorily presented or why it may have been inadequate. Note: you are not writing a summary of the DEIS, you are discussing how it presents information. For topics not discussed in your EIS or Environmental Assessment ask and learn why they were not included. Should they have been included?  Above all, suggest how each of the content topics in the DEIR could have been made better based on what you learned in the course. The more specific the better. Specific means really specific about the quality of information and the methods used to evaluate and present
2. Discuss how this report is planned to be used as a tool for decision making and how it is set up to do this well or… discuss how the document could have been made a more useful tool for decision make Include specifics on who will be the decision makers and exactly how the report will be used by those decision makers. Render your opinion as a “concerned citizen”. [Keep in mind that your personal opinions have to be supported with factual information, real examples of what you are talking about and/or expert opinion from creditable sources].
3. Your conclusion should state what you would like to see happen next. Should material be added or deleted? Do you wish to be notified about future proceedings?  Any other requests? Then closure.

Grading will be based on your knowledge of subject matter content, your working knowledge of the environmental planning process in the case at hand, and the level of professionalism reflected in the letter. Although the letter will be from you and will be addressed to the lead agency, it should not be sent to the lead agency until your instructor has reviewed it.

Any questions about how to do this assignment should be addressed to me with copies to the rest of the class. [See the Canvas discussion function “Questions for Dr. Holtgrieve”]  Then my answer will go out to everyone.

General Document Review Criteria for class project:
Be sure to read, and use a document review checklist, like the section in the Bass textbook called General Principles of EIS Preparation, pp. 121- 126. Another review tool is from Jain, et.al. Environmental Assessment, 1993, p168 and is presented here.

Environmental Document Review Criteria (Did the authors do these things?)
A. Readability                 1. Write clearly
2. Remove all ambiguities
3. Minimize use of technical jargon

B. Flavor and focus         1. Do not slant or misinterpret findings
2. Avoid use of value-imparting words or phrases
3. Avoid unsubstantiated generalities
4. Avoid conflicting statements

C. Presentation               1. Use a consistent format
2. Use tables, maps, diagrams or images where helpful
3. Copy edit for mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation

D. Quantification               1. Use well defined qualitative terms
2. Quantify factors that are readily amenable to quantification.

E. Data                             1. Identify all information sources
2. Use up to date information
3. Use technically approved data collection techniques
4. Give reasons for use of unofficial data

F. Methods and  procedure      1. Use best available procedures, techniques, and data
2. Describe all procedures and models used
3. Identify sources of all judgments

G. Interpretation of findings  1. Discuss all impact areas before any are dismissed
2. Give thorough treatment to all controversial issues
3. Give reasons for not selecting alternatives
4. Make sure findings and interpretations will stand up under scrutiny