The intent of the environmental impact statement
(EIS) requirement is to provide to the municipal agency a basis for
making determinations in order to protect its delicately balanced
physical and biologically active land areas, given the fact that major
portions of the Township are environmentally sensitive and stand to
suffer adverse environmental effects without proper control if uncontrolled
land use patterns take place. It is therefore, recognized that in
order to promote land uses which promote the public health, safety
and welfare, protect public and private property and are reasonably
consistent and compatible to the natural laws governing the physical,
chemical and geological environment of the Township, environmental
impact statements shall be required to protect the environmental conditions
naturally existing in the Township. It is with this intent that this
Article is established.
The same schedule and conditions applicable
to the full site plan requirements shall also apply to a submitted
EIS.
Upon receipt of the application, the Administrative Officer shall forward the environmental impact statement to the Environmental Commission and the appropriate reviewing board engineer. The above-mentioned Commission and engineer shall review the applicant's environmental impact statement and shall report its comments within 30 days of the date of submission to the municipal agency. The municipal agency or the Environmental Commission may require the opinion of the municipal agency engineer in its review of the environmental impact statement. Fees for the costs of such consultation above shall be paid by the applicant in accordance with §
91-24 of this chapter. Copies of the environmental impact statement will be on file and available for inspection in the office of the Administrative Officer.