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f 5050.4 3/21/80 environmental impact statement per paragraph 21 or on which the FAA and the sponsor agree initially that impacts will be significant. In these cases, the FAA and sponsor may determine that the scoping process should not await completion of the environmental assessment. For these proposals, the sponsor's preparation of the environmental assessment shall be done concur- rently, with scoping as allowed in CEQ 1501.7(b)(3). If tiering is involved, sponsors. should consult Chapter 10 and request special advice from the FAA prior to preparing an environmental assessment. 44. FAA ROLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT. The environmental assessment process is shown in steps 7 through 12 of Appendix 1. The FAA has responsi- bility in four ways: a. Advice and assistance to the airport sponsor during the environmental assessment preparation. b. Review of the environmental assessment (per step 8, Appendix 1) to determine its adequacy for a public hearing and review pursuant to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-95 (Revised). At this time, the FAA will insure that the cover page of the environmental assessment contains a notification that the environmental assessment has been prepared by the spon- sor and that it will become a Federal document only after it is evaluated and signed on the cover page by the FAA responsible official. c. Final review of the environmental assessment (per step 12, Appendix 1) at which point the FAA independently evaluates and takes responsi- bility for the environmental assessment per CEQ 1506.5(b). If not satisfied with the environmental assessment, the FAA may request the sponsor to correct deficiencies and resubmit it. d. The decision to prepare either an environmental impact statement or a finding of no significant impact (step 13, Appendix 1) based on final review of the environmental assessment and completion of certain impact categories as necessary to make judgments on the significance of anticipated impacts. 45. EARLY COORDINATION. CEQ 1501.4(b) states, "The agency shall involve environmental agencies, applicants, and the public, to the extent practicable, in preparing [environmental] assessments..." and in section 1506.2(b) "Agencies shall cooperate with State and local agencies to the fullest extent possible to reduce duplication between NEPA and State and local requirements, unless the agencies are specifically barred from doing so by some other law." The FAA encourages the sponsor to undertake early coordination with appropriate Federal, state, and local agencies, industry groups, environmental agencies, and the community in the environmental assessment process. Such coordination shall be initiated as appropriate during the sponsor's planning process and development of alternatives and continue during the preparation of the environmental assessment prior to the formal coordination during the A-95 review process. Early coordination can serve a number of purposes. It is an aid in the identification of environmental impacts and can help trigger advance Page 24 Chap 5 Par 43