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19 <br />(3) Adopt procedures under SS 1507.3 to combine its environmental assessment process <br />with its scoping process. <br />(4) Hold an early scoping meeting or meetings which may be integrated with any other <br />early planning meeting the agency has. Sueh a scoping meeting will often be appropriate <br />when the impacts of a particular action are confined to specific sites. <br />(c) An agency shall revise the determinations made under paragraphs (a) and (b) of this <br />section if substantial changes are made later in the proposed action, or if significant new <br />circumstances or information arise which bear on the proposal or its impacts. <br />1501.8 Time limits. <br />Although the Council has decided that prescribed universal time limits for the entire <br />NEPA process are too inflexible, Federal agencies are encouraged to set time limits <br />appropriate to individual actions (consistent with the time intervals required by SS 1506.10). <br />When multiple agencies are involved the reference to agency below means lead agency. <br />(a) The agency shall set time limits if an applicant for the proposed action requests them: <br />Provided, That the limits are consistent with the purposes of NEPA and other essential <br />considerations of national policy. <br />(b) The agency may: <br />(1) Consider the following factors in determining time limits: <br />(i) Potential for environmental harm. <br />(ii) Size of the proposed action. <br />(iii) State of the art of analytic techniques. <br />(iv) Degree of public need for the proposed action, including the consequences of <br />delay. <br />(v) Number of persons and agencies affected. <br />(vi) Degree to which relevant information is known and if not known the time <br />required for obtaining it. <br />(vii) Degree to which the action is controversial. <br />(viii) Other time limits imposed on the agency by law, regulations, or executive <br />order. <br />(2) Set overall time limits or limits for each constituent part of the NEPA process, which <br />may include: <br />(i) Decision on whether to prepare an environmental impact statement (if not already <br />decided). <br />(ii) Determination of the scope of the environmental impact statement. <br />(iii) Preparation of the draft environmental impact statement. <br />(iv) Review of any comments on the draft environmental impact statement from <br />the public and agencies. <br />(v) Preparation of the final environmental impact statement. <br />(vi) Review of any comments on the final environmental impact statement. <br />(vii) Decision on the action based in part on the environmental impact statement. <br />(3) Designate a person (such as the project manager or a person in the agency's office <br />with NEPA responsibilities) to expedite the NEPA process. <br />(c) State or local agencies or members of the public may request a Federal Agency to set <br />