The First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) said today that it plans to prepare a supplemental programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) and “conduct scoping for the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network.  The Supplemental PEIS will address the processes FirstNet will follow for National Environmental Policy Act (‘NEPA’) compliance and assessing potential impacts at the site-specific scale.”

In a “Federal Register” public notice, FirstNet noted that it “has prepared, and is in the process of publishing, five regional Final PEISs. … Now that FirstNet has selected a network partner for building out the NPSBN and the draft revised implementing procedures have been published, a Supplemental PEIS will be prepared that will (1) incorporate the final version of FirstNet’s revised implementing procedures and will assess any changes to potential impacts to the human or natural environment at the programmatic level as a result of those revised procedures and (2) will describe the processes FirstNet will follow in accordance with NEPA to assess potential impacts at the site-specific scale using impact significance criteria to be developed using a resource-appropriate framework,” FirstNet added. “The scoping period for this notice will begin on September 25, 2017 and will end on October 24, 2017. Submit comments on or before October 24, 2017.”

Courtesy TRDaily