Section 11-200.1-28 - Acceptability(a) Acceptability of a final EIS shall be evaluated on the basis of whether the final EIS, in its completed form, represents an informational instrument that fulfills the intent and provisions of chapter 343, HRS, and adequately discloses and describes all identifiable environmental impacts and satisfactorily responds to review comments.(b) A final EIS shall be deemed to be an acceptable document by the accepting authority only if all of the following criteria are satisfied:(1) The procedures for assessment, consultation process, review, and the preparation and submission of the EIS, from proposal of the action to publication of the final EIS, have all been completed satisfactorily as specified in this chapter;(2) The content requirements described in this chapter have been satisfied; and(3) Comments submitted during the review process have received responses satisfactory to the accepting authority, including properly identifying comments as substantive and responding in a way commensurate to the comment, and have been appropriately incorporated into the final EIS.(c) The proposing agency, applicant, or accepting authority may request the office to make a recommendation regarding the acceptability or non-acceptability of the EIS. If the office decides to make a recommendation, it shall submit the recommendation to the proposing agency, applicant, and accepting authority, as applicable. For applicant actions, the office shall submit the recommendation to the applicant and the accepting authority within the period for the accepting authority to determine the acceptability of the final EIS.(d) The accepting authority shall take prompt measures to determine the acceptability or non-acceptability of the proposing agency's EIS.(e) Upon acceptance or non-acceptance of the EIS:(1) For agency actions, a notice shall be filed by the accepting authority with both the proposing agency and the office. For any non-accepted EIS, the notice shall contain specific findings and reasons for non-acceptance. The office shall publish notice of the determination of acceptance or non-acceptance in the periodic bulletin in accordance with subchapter 4. Acceptance of a required statement shall be a condition precedent to the use of state or county lands or funds in implementing the proposed action.(2) For applicant actions, the accepting authority shall:(A) Notify the applicant of its determination, and provide specific findings and reasons. The accepting authority shall also provide a copy of this determination to the office for publication in the periodic bulletin. Acceptance of the required EIS shall be a condition precedent to approval of the request and commencement of the proposed action.(B) Notify the applicant and the office of the acceptance or non-acceptance of the final EIS within thirty days of the final EIS submission to the agency; provided that the thirty-day period may, at the request of the applicant, be extended for a period not to exceed fifteen days. The request shall be made to the accepting authority in writing. Upon receipt of an applicant's written request for an extension of the thirty-day acceptance period, the accepting authority shall notify the office and applicant in writing of its decision to grant or deny the request. The notice shall be accompanied by a copy of the applicant's request. An extension of the thirty-day acceptance period shall not be granted merely for the convenience of the accepting authority. If the accepting authority fails to make a determination of acceptance or non-acceptance of the EIS within thirty days of the receipt of the final EIS, then the statement shall be deemed accepted.(f) A non-accepted EIS may be revised by a proposing agency or applicant. The revision shall take the form of a revised draft EIS which shall fully address the inadequacies of the non-accepted EIS and shall completely and thoroughly discuss the changes made. The requirements for filing, distribution, publication of availability for review, acceptance or non-acceptance, and notification and publication of acceptability shall be the same as the requirements prescribed by subchapters 4 and 10 for an EIS submitted for acceptance. In addition, the subsequent revised final EIS shall be evaluated for acceptability on the basis of whether it satisfactorily addresses the findings and reasons for non-acceptance.(g) A proposing agency or applicant may withdraw an EIS by simultaneously sending a written notification to the office and to the accepting authority informing the office of the proposing agency's or applicant's withdrawal. Subsequent resubmittal of the EIS shall meet all requirements for filing, distribution, publication, review, acceptance, and notification as a draft EIS.Haw. Code R. § 11-200.1-28
[Eff AUG 9 2019] (Auth: HRS §§ 343-5, 343-6) (Imp: HRS §§ 343-5, 343-6)