Next steps for Rosemont (as of February 2012):

Now that the comment periods are over for the Forest Service Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Army Corps of Engineers 404 permit, and ADEQ's aquifer protection permit, these agencies will be reviewing public comments and will come to some decisions.The next step for the Forest Service is to write a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS), which will go out for public review and comment before a record of decision is signed. However, several of the cooperating agencies have asked that a supplemental Impact statement be written first (and many people made comments asking for this as well), and the Forest Service has hinted that this may be a possibility. If a Supplemental EIS is written, there will need to be public review and comment on the supplement before the Final is written, and the Forest Service would likely hold a series of public meetings.

The next step for the Army Corps will be deciding whether to grant the permit or not. The Corps has no time limit and it may ask for more information before making a decision.The Army Corps is not bound by the 1872 Mining Law, so they have every right to deny the permit. If the permit is denied, it would be extremely difficult for the project to move forward!

For more detailed information, go to http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa/regs/ceq /toc_ceq.htm or http://www.nepa.gov/nepa/regs/nepa/nepaeqia.htm or
NEPAnet

The National Forest info on NEPA: http://www.fs.fed.us/sopa/components/sopa-dscr.shtml#planning
http://www.fs.fed.us/emc/nepa/