3. How are public, administrative and local opinions gathered?

3.1 Public inquiry

The dossier is submitted to a public inquiry. The investigating commissioner — or, in the case of very large projects, the investigating commission — receives comments from all interested parties, generally living in the vicinity of the facility.

The public inquiry lasts a minimum of one month, and may be extended if a public meeting is organized. At the end of the inquiry, the investigating commissioner submits to the prefect, in addition to the inquiry report, his reasoned conclusions, specifying whether or not they are favorable to the operation.

In the event that the investigating commissioner's conclusions are inadequate or do not state the reasons on which they are based, the president of the administrative...