The State University Construction Fund will hold a public scoping meeting from 6-8 p.m. Oct. 22 in St. John Baptist Church, 184 Goodell St., Buffalo, to identify specific issues and environmental impacts that a Draft Environmental Impact Statement should address related to Phase 1 construction of the proposed UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus.

According to the SUNY Construction Fund, which is the lead agency, the meeting is intended to provide as many people as possible with the opportunity to provide meaningful input specific to the scope and content of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

A draft scoping document is available online for public review and comment. The document identifies the significant environmental conditions and resources that are proposed to be addressed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

Sign-up cards will be available for anyone who wishes to speak at the meeting and a stenographic record will be made of all comments presented. The meeting coordinator will call speakers in turn and, if necessary, will set appropriate time limits. The meeting will not be a question-and-answer session.

Written comments will be given the same consideration as oral comments made at the public scoping meeting and will be accepted until 5 p.m. Oct. 30. Written comments must include the writer’s name and address, and should be sent to the State University Construction Fund, Attention: Peggy McSorley, 353 Broadway, Albany, N.Y. 12246, or via email to Peggy.McSorley@suny.edu. Anonymous comments will not be accepted.

A final scoping document is expected to be completed in early November 2012 based on full consideration of comments submitted on the draft scoping document. Subsequently, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be prepared in accordance with the final scoping document and will contain detailed information regarding the proposed action, potential environmental impacts and appropriate measures to avoid, minimize and/or mitigate any significant impacts encountered.

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be made available for public review and comment following its acceptance by the SUNY Construction Fund. Following public review and comment on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement, the State Environmental Quality Review Act process cannot be concluded until a Final Environmental Impact Statement is prepared by issuance of a findings statement by the lead agency.