The Navy is accepting public comments on the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS. The comment period is open from Dec. 11, 2020, to Feb. 16, 2021.

To be considered in the development of the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS, comments must be postmarked or received online by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Feb. 16, 2021. All comments received during the public review and comment period will be considered and acknowledged or responded to in the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS.

“Substantive” comments, in the sense of an environmental impact analysis, are comments on the analysis that contain practical importance, value, or effect. Submitting a substantive and concise public comment on the Supplemental EIS/OEIS Proposed Action is one of the most important aspects of the NEPA process.

The most effective comments are those that provide useful information to the Navy. For instance, submit comments if you find:

• An error in analysis that may affect the outcome.
• New information that would change the analysis and conclusions.
• Any peer-reviewed scientific literature that should be considered in the analysis.
• Something that should be clarified.
• A substantially different alternative that meets the purpose and need statement and has not been considered.

General recommendations to keep in mind when making comments on any NEPA document: 

• Support statements with details. If, for example, you are concerned about biological resources, it is helpful to focus on a particular problem or issue, such as a species that you feel was not sufficiently analyzed, instead of making a broad statement such as “the Navy did not adequately analyze the impacts on biological resources.” 
• Back up your statements with explanations, facts, and references, as appropriate. 
• Be as specific as possible with your comments and refer to page numbers and paragraphs in the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS. 
• Focus comments on the specifics of the proposed project under consideration. 
• Submit your comments within the timeframes announced to ensure that your concerns are considered and addressed in the Final Supplemental EIS/OEIS. 
• Request to be included on the Supplemental EIS/OEIS mailing list to receive notification of virtual public meetings and project updates. 
• Recognize that the potential impacts on resources are likely to be described in more than one section because there are interrelationships between the resources and programs. 
• Become familiar with the contents of the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS, including the purpose and need statement and the responsibilities of the lead agency (Navy). 
• Review the project website to become familiar with the proposal, learn about the NEPA process, understand the responsibilities and authorities of the federal agency, keep up to date on virtual public meetings and comment periods, get answers to frequently asked questions, and view agency notifications. The website for the Supplemental EIS/OEIS is www.GOAEIS.com.
• Comments on the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS are not counted as votes or as part of a referendum on Navy decisions. They are used to improve the document and analyses, and to ensure impacts are adequately determined before the Navy makes a final decision on the proposed project. Therefore, avoid comments that state “I am in favor of this project,” or “I am opposed to this project.” Remember that the more clear, concise, and relevant to the 2020 Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS your comments are, the more effective they will be and more likely they will be used to improve the final documents and affect the agency decisions.