Alaska Pipeline Renewal EIS Public Information Web Site
tapseis.anl.gov
The U.S. Dept. of Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) uses the Web and e-mail to inform and involve the public in the environmental impact statement (EIS) process.
Need/Opportunity
- Internet-based EIS document distribution
- Online public commenting
- Technical information about pipeline and environment
- Information about EIS process and involvement opportunities
BLM was responsible for developing an EIS for renewal of the federal grant of right-of-way for TAPS, the 800-mile pipeline (and related facilities) that transports crude oil from Prudhoe Bay on Alaska's North Slope to the ice-free port of Valdez. Argonne National Laboratory's Environmental Science Division (EVS) was selected by BLM as the main contractor for preparation of the EIS. The EIS process required significant public participation among stakeholders across the country, including those in remote communities in Alaska that might be unable to attend public meetings. Stakeholders needed basic information about the pipeline, the affected environment, and the EIS process. They also needed access to numerous EIS-related documents, and to be able to submit public comments on the EIS.
Approach
- Create public information/involvement web site
- Provide documents in searchable PDF format
- Provide e-mail news and events notification
- Create pipeline information guide
- Offer e-mail and web-based EIS newsletter
- Online public comment form
The TAPS Renewal EIS Web Site served as the online public information and involvement center for the TAPS Renewal EIS, and continues to provide a permanent information resource for interested stakeholders. It features a document repository; basic information about TAPS, including maps, photos, and the history of TAPS development and operations; web and e-mail-based notification of public meetings and other events; and the TAPS Renewal EIS Newsletter, an e-mail- and web-based newsletter about the EIS. During public comment periods, public comments on the EIS were submitted via the Web and e-mail, and were managed through the Comment Response Management System (CRMS), EVS's web-enabled software application designed specifically for this purpose.
Results
- 1,300+ visitors during public scoping period
- 9,000+ web pages viewed in 2,400 user sessions
- 400+ EIS documents downloaded
- 160+ public scoping comments received via web and e-mail
- 75,000+ visitors in 2006
- 200,000+ visitors since launch
The TAPS Renewal EIS Web Site was launched August 1, 2001, to coincide with the beginning of the public scoping period for the EIS. During the public scoping period, more than 1,300 persons visited the site, with several hundred persons visiting more than once. These visitors requested approximately 9,000 web pages in 2,400 sessions, and downloaded more than 400 EIS documents. They submitted 160 comments via the Web and e-mail. Approximately 375 stakeholders received the EIS newsletter and updates about public meetings and other EIS events. During the Draft EIS comment period, an additional 2000 persons visited the site. The site continued to evolve during the development of the EIS, and supported public involvement during the Draft EIS and Final EIS phases. Since launch, the site has been visited by more than 200,000 users. The site is still in active use, with more than 75,000 visitors in 2006. This level of activity indicates that the EIS web site was a major component of the public information and involvement program for this EIS.
Benefits
- Reaches more stakeholders
- Eliminates distance barriers to participation
- Reduces document production and distribution costs
- Provides timely notification of events
- Reduces comment management costs
The Internet is a useful medium for public information and involvement in the EIS process. It lowers the barriers to participation by promoting public involvement regardless of location, and it affords significant document production and distribution cost savings to the agencies responsible for EIS development. E-mail provides an effective, low-cost method for distributing time-sensitive information. Electronic processing of public comments reduces comment management costs. The TAPS Renewal EIS Web Site has demonstrated that the Internet can play a major role in involving the public in the EIS process.
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