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<br />PREVIEW OF THE <br />EIS <br /> <br />- <br /> <br />The National Environmental Policy <br />Act (NEPA) provides the basic <br />legal guidance for Environmental <br />Impact Statement (EIS) <br />preparation. The Council on <br />Environmental Quality (CEQ) has <br />interpreted NEP A and issued <br />regulations to further define how <br />EIS documents are to be prepared. <br /> <br />The spirit of NEP A is not to be <br />encyclopedic, but instead to <br />contribute to making a good <br />decision, by providing <br />environmental information and <br />analysis jn an objective and <br />unbiased manner, and by <br />providing a record of public <br />participation in the process. <br /> <br />An EIS is not a "decision <br />document." It is one information <br />source, among several <br /> <br />considerations, to be used by <br />managers and other officials in the <br />Federal decision-making process. <br />See Figure 1. The EIS is intended, <br />however, to lead to a decision by <br />fully evaluating the options at hand <br />for resolving the identified issues. <br /> <br />After an EIS is prepared, decision <br />options based on the EIS <br />altematives are presented in a <br />document called a Record of <br />Decision (ROD). The ROD also <br />includes information on other <br />decision factors and a signature <br />page for the decision-maker to <br />formally record his or her decision. <br /> <br />On July 27, 1989, the Secretary of <br />the Interior directed that an EIS be <br />prepared on the operation of Glen <br />Canyon Dam. The EIS will provide <br />essential information on dam <br />operations, primarily related to <br />timing and magnitude of water <br />releases. This will include <br />information on natural and cultural <br /> <br /> <br />ANAL VSIS OF <br />ENVIRONMENTAL <br />L~~~L IM.tACTS <br />INSTITUTIONAL <br />CONSIOE~ <br /> <br />resources, human activities, and <br />socio-economic concerns. <br /> <br />The EIS will have five main <br />chapters including: <br /> <br />1. Introduction <br /> <br />This will present background <br />information, summarize various <br />legal mandates of the cooperating <br />agencies, describe historical <br />operations of the dam, and explain <br />the Glen Canyon Environmental <br />Studies. <br /> <br />2. Description Of Alternatives <br /> <br />This will include response to <br />scoping issues in the formulation of <br />alternatives, a detailed description <br />of each alternative identified for <br />detailed analysis, a summary of <br />alternatives considered but <br />eliminated from detailed analysis, <br />and a summary comparison of <br />impacts of each alternative. <br /> <br />~PUBLlC INTEREST- <br />AND SPECIAL INTEREST <br />/CONCERNS <br /> <br /> <br />POLITICAL . <br />CONSIDERATIONS <br /> <br />DECISION <br />AND <br />RECORD OF DECISION <br /> <br />ADMINISTRATION <br />. POLICY <br /> <br />TECHNICAL/ , ~NCIAL/ECONOMIC <br />PARAMETERS I CONSIDERATIONS <br />OTHER <br />DECISION <br />FACTORS <br /> <br />Figure 1 <br /> <br />3 <br />