218.10—Objection time periods and process.
(a) Time to file an objection.
Written objections, including any attachments, must be filed with the reviewing officer within 30 days following the publication date of the legal notice of the EA or final EIS in the newspaper of record or the publication date of the notice in the Federal Register when the Chief is the responsible official ( § 218.5(c) ). It is the responsibility of objectors to ensure that their objection is received in a timely manner.
(b) Computation of time periods.
(1)
All time periods are computed using calendar days, including Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. However, when the time period expires on a Saturday, Sunday, or Federal holiday, the time is extended to the end of the next Federal working day as stated in the legal notice or to the end of the calendar day (11:59 p.m. in the time zone of the receiving office) for objections filed by electronic means such as e-mail or facsimile machine.
(2)
The day after publication of the legal notice for this subpart of the EA or final EIS in the newspaper of record or Federal Register ( § 218.5(c)) is the first day of the objection-filing period.
(3)
The publication date of the legal notice of the EA or final EIS in the newspaper of record or, when the Chief is the responsible official, the Federal Register, is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection. Objectors may not rely on dates or timeframe information provided by any other source.
(c) Evidence of timely filing.
It is the objector's responsibility to ensure timely filing of an objection. Timeliness must be determined by the following indicators:
(e) Other timeframes.
The reviewing officer must issue a written response to the objector(s) concerning their objection(s) within 30 days following the end of the objection-filing period.