Further investigation shows you have merit to your comment rocksinhead. It appears management aren't being completely truthful. The EIS process will be a more material route for the company than the original EA process, that was originally planned. On top of additional time which costs money through management wages and business running expenses.
Development Plans Unveiled for the Rhyolite Ridge Project PRICE SENSITIVE 06/06/18 1.33MB Share
The Rhyolite Ridge site layout has been designed with the total surface disturbance footprint of the
mine and related facilities being less than one square mile (640 acres), allowing the Federal Bureau
of Land Management (“BLM”) to consider the project for the Environmental Assessment (“EA”)
process. TheEA process is less time consuming than the Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”)
process. The site layout includes the open pit, process plant, haul roads, overburden storage, leach
residue storage and salt storage. No evaporation ponds or tailings dams are required.
In comparison to now:
Presentation at RRS ConferencePRICE SENSITIVE 03/12/19 2.16MB Share
Completed environmental baseline studies over a
two-year period
Two main areas identified as requiring additional
attention:
• Socio-economic impacts of operation
• A sensitive plant species
Plan of Operation to be submitted in near future
Routine anti-development opposition to the project
has surfaced. Community support remains strong
Continuing to constructively work with state and
federal regulatory authorities
Environmental review process (NEPA process) is
expected to follow an EIS pathway
ioneer successfully resolves environmental litigation PRICE SENSITIVE 08/01/20 241.41KB ShareThe legal matter between the CBD and BLM has been dismissed and ioneer confirms there
is and will be no impact to the Company’s ongoing activities related to the Project. This
includes the Definitive Feasibility Study, which remains on track for completion in current
quarter, the permitting process and the overall project schedule as previously outlined.
https://www.blm.gov/programs/planning-and-nepa/what-informs-our-plans/nepa
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT
Environmental Impact Statements (EISs): An EIS is a comprehensive document that analyzes the impacts of a federal action that will have a significant effect on the human environment. An EIS describes the purpose and need for a proposed action, describes the affected environment, discusses alternatives to a proposed action, and analyzes environmental impacts and ways to mitigate them. An EIS is typically a longer document than an EA, and it offers more opportunities for public comment or involvement than an EA. An EIS has more procedural requirements, and therefore takes more time to prepare on average than an EA. Each EIS is completed with a Record of Decision, which documents the BLM’s decision as to how it will, or will not, move forward with a proposed action.
Environmental Assessments (EAs): An EA is a document that identifies environmental effects of a proposed action and determines their significance. If it seems unlikely that a proposed action will have a significant effect on the environment, the BLM will prepare an EA. An EA describes the purpose and need for a proposed action, describe the affected environment, discuss alternatives to a proposed action, and analyzes environmental impacts and ways to mitigate them. If the EA shows that the proposed action does not have a significant effect on the environment, it will issue a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI). In some cases, if the analysis completed during an EA shows that the proposed action will have a significant effect on the environment, the BLM will complete a full EIS.
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSIs): If, after completing an EA, the BLM determines that an action will not have a significant effect on the environment, a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is prepared. This determination confirms that an Environmental Impact Statement is not required. The BLM documents its FONSI in a Decision Record.
Determinations of NEPA Adequacy (DNAs): If a review of existing EISs or EAs show that the BLM has already covered a proposed action, it can rely on an internal Determination of NEPA Adequacy (DNA). These determinations also address conformance with approved land use plans. The BLM documents its DNAs through a worksheet that is kept with the project file. Categorical Exclusions (CEs): Categorical Exclusions are a category of actions the BLM has identified that do not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. These include such actions as installing protective grates on abandoned mines or permitting temporary livestock feeding during periods of drought. In some cases, Congress has created CEs for activities such as drilling for oil and gas on a site which has hosted similar efforts in the past five years.
(20min delay)