90% of the situation should be taken care of due to the fact its a preexisting mine-has one of the agencies consulted for EA as is normal not signed off on it yet?
The main problem I would see for a delay is the water-water rights etc have become more difficult since the last time mine got permit-too high of elev to get allocation from Colorado river-and although this is NE? Arizona a lot of rivers have dried up in South Arizona in last decades and if they think theres a possible significant impact should make the declaration an EIS is needed-so are they just tied up personnel wise with this being a lower priority? I guess we wouldnt know.
This summation is from wikipedia
The NEPA Process
The NEPA process consists of an evaluation of relevant environmental effects of a federal project or action undertaking, including a series of pertinent alternatives. The NEPA process begins when an agency develops a proposal to address a need to take an action. Once a determination of whether or not the proposed action is covered under NEPA is made, there are three levels of analysis that a federal agency may undertake to comply with the law. These three levels include: preparation of a Categorical Exclusion (CE), preparation of an Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI); or preparation and drafting of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
Preparation of a Categorical Exclusion
A CE is a category of actions that the agency has determined does not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment (40 C.F.R. §1508.4). If a proposed action is included in the description provided for a listed CE established by the agency, the agency must check to make sure that no extraordinary circumstances exist that may cause the proposed action to have a significant effect in a particular situation. Extraordinary circumstances typically include such matters as effects to endangered species, protected cultural sites, and wetlands. If the proposed action is not included in the description provided in the CE established by the agency, or there are extraordinary circumstances, the agency must prepare an EA or an EIS, or develop a new proposal that may qualify for application of a CE.
Preparation of an Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact
The purpose of an EA is to determine the significance of the environmental effects and to look at alternative means to achieve the agency's objectives. The EA is intended to be a concise document that (1) briefly provides sufficient evidence and analysis for determining whether to prepare an EIS; (2) aids an agency's compliance with NEPA when no environmental impact statement is necessary; and (3) facilitates preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement when one is necessary(40 C.F.R. § 1508.9). If after investigation and drafting of the environmental assessment no substantial effects on the environment are found the agency may produce a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).
Preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement
The EIS is a more detailed evaluation of the environmental impacts when compared to the content of the environmental assessment. The crafting of EIS has many components including public, outside party and other federal agency input concerning the preparation of the EIS. These groups subsequently comment on the draft EIS.
In some circumstance an agency may wish to undertake the construction of an EIS without the initial drafting of the environmental assessment. This will take place under circumstances in which the agency believes that the action will undoubtedly have adverse effects on the environment or is considered an environmentally controversial issue.
CE (Categorical Exclusion)
A CE is based on an agency's experience with a particular kind of action and its environmental effects. The agency may have studied the action in previous EAs, found no significant impact on the environment based on the analyses, and validated the lack of significant impacts after the implementation. If this is the type of action that will be repeated over time, the agency may decide to amend their implementing regulations to include the action as a CE. In these cases, the draft agency procedures are published in the Federal Register, and a public comment period is required. Participation in these comment periods is an important way to be involved in the development of a particular CE. A CE for one agency cannot be used by a different agency unless that agency has followed this procedure.
EA (Environmental Assessment)
An EA is a screening document used to determine if an agency will need to prepare either an EIS or construct a FONSI. EAs are concise public documents that include: a brief discussion of the need for the proposal; a listing of alternatives and a listing of agencies and persons consulted.
Most agency procedures do not require public involvement prior to finalizing an EA document. Agencies advise that facilitating public comment be considered at the draft EA stage.
EAs need to be of sufficient length to ensure that the underlying decision about whether to prepare an EIS is legitimate, but should not attempt to be a substitute for an EIS.
FONSI (Finding Of No Significant Impact)
A FONSI presents the reasons why an action will not have a significant effect on the human environment. It must include the EA or summary of the EA that supports the FONSI determination.
EIS (Environmental Impact Statement)
If it is determined that a proposed federal action does not fall within a designated categorical exclusion or does not qualify for a FONSI, then the responsible agency or agencies must prepare an EIS.
The purpose of an EIS is to ultimately help public officials make informed decisions that are a reflection of an understanding of environmental consequences and the alternatives available.
An EIS is required to describe:
• The environmental impacts of the proposed action;
• Any adverse environmental impacts that cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented;
• The reasonable alternatives to the proposed action;
• The relationship between local short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity; and
• Any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources that would be involved in the proposed action should it be implemented.
