Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)

After the necessary environmental studies are complete, and Franconia has submitted its plans for mining, processing, waste and tailing disposal and environmental mitigation, the agency prepares a draft Environmental Impact Statement.  It is based on both agency (and their consultants’) expertise and on issues raised by the public.  It includes a full description of the project and of the affected environment, a reasonable range of alternatives for each issue, and an analysis of the impacts of each alternative. The public then has an opportunity to provide comments.