A public involvement program for the project was initiated in August 1992 by a series of public information meetings conducted by the WVDOH. In March 1996, a Pre-Draft Environmental Impact Statement (PDEIS) was completed. In 1997, the WVDOH, Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), and FHWA held project coordination meetings for the Coalfields Expressway. Another round of public information meetings was held in April 1998. Based on the findings of the PDEIS, resource agency comments, and coordination with VDOT, the number of Build Alternatives to be carried forward in the DEIS was reduced to 4 from the original 12. These 4 Build Alternatives maintained a range of options that was narrow enough to include only reasonable, feasible, and practicable alternatives, but was broad enough to allow for a true comparison of impacts and decision making. The DEIS presents the results of the studies conducted for the Preferred Alternative and a comparison to the Build Alternatives. The DEIS was signed in February 1999 and circulated to resource agencies and the public. Three public workshops and public hearings were conducted in April 1999. The FEIS reflects the comments received on the DEIS and results of coordination with resource agencies. Based on comments received from the DEIS, the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was completed in November 1999. A Record of Decision (ROD) regarding the FEIS was rendered by the Federal Highway Administration in June 2000.
Preferred Alternative