Section 62C: Notice of availability of environmental impact statement; public and agency review
Section 62C. Any environmental impact report shall be submitted to the secretary of environmental affairs who shall issue public notice of the availability of such report.
A reviewing agency or person, and any agency which has jurisdiction by law or special expertise with respect to any environmental impact involved may submit written comments on any draft or final environmental impact report to the secretary of environmental affairs who shall affix any such comments which are timely received to his statement on such reports. Said reports and any comments submitted in review thereof shall be public documents.
No agency shall undertake a project which is not exempted by the provisions of any law and which may cause damage to the environment or grant a permit or financial assistance for such a project until sixty days after the secretary of environmental affairs issues such notice, provided that an agency or person may undertake research, planning, design and other preliminary work necessary to describe and evaluate such projects for the purposes of sections sixty-two to sixty-two H, inclusive.
There shall be a public and agency review period of thirty days from the notice of availability of any draft or final report, provided that the secretary of environmental affairs may extend the review period for a draft report on a major and complicated project for a period not to exceed thirty days. A statement of the secretary indicating whether or not in his judgment said report adequately and properly complies with the provisions of sections sixty-two to sixty-two H, inclusive, shall be issued within seven days after the public and agency review period. The approval or disapproval of said secretary of any such report shall not be required.
At least twice per month the secretary shall issue notice of all filings and of the availability of all reports received during the preceding half month, which notice shall be in such form as the secretary shall determine is reasonably suited to informing all interested agencies and persons of the receipt of such filings and the availability of such reports.