+1. For an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). An EIS takes about 2 to 4 years and costs millions of dollars, paid for by the project proponents and supervised by the BLM. The EIS requires:
1. Exhaustive detailed study of the existing environment,
2. Inventory of all sensitive or endangered plants, animals or bugs,
3. Study of all environmental alternatives and mitigation measures to reduce impacts and selection of the Preferred Alternative.
4. Design of a reclamation plan to return the site to as closely as possible to preexisting conditions, and funding a reclamation bond to pay for this reclamation in the future.
The EIS process ends in a Record of Decision (ROD) approving the project as defined by the Preferred Alternative, or denying the project.
* Here's the good part. Project opponents can appeal the ROD to the BLM for real or imagined errors or defects which can take about a year. Then if the appeal is denied, project opponents can file a lawsuit in federal court requesting the court to overturn the ROD and issue a temporary injunction stopping any construction. If errors are found, the court can overturn the ROD, or send it back to the BLM for more work to correct the errors.. This court process can take several years. Then the corrected ROD is issued and can be lawsuited again.
* Here's the best part. If the opponents prevail in court on even a small error, the US government will pay all their legal fees and court costs under the Equal Justice Act.
For this site, check for sage hen and bald eagle bird impacts (lol), and historic lava flow and ice cave damage.
This process can delay the project for 10 years or more. I'm a professional mining engineer. Been through this, got a T-shirt.
Last edited by Oldidaho; 01/23/23.
