(a) When an agency has determined that preparation of an environmental impact statement is required, the agency shall publish a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement in the Federal Register and shall invite public participation in the agency's scoping process as required by 40 CFR 1501.7.

(b) When the draft environmental impact statement has been prepared and filed with the EPA pursuant to § 11.11(f), comments on the document shall be solicited from appropriate Federal, State and local agencies, Indian tribes, and other persons or organizations who may be interested or affected, as required by 40 CFR 1503.1.

(c) In the case of an action with effects primarily of local concern, agencies shall consider the use of clearinghouses, newspapers and other public media likely to generate local participation in the agency process as ways of supplementing the notices otherwise specified in this part. The use of such public media does not, however, require or authorized the use of paid advertising.