What role does the Corps play in the Lake Belt SEIS process?
The Corps is one of several governmental entities involved in permitting activities in the Lake Belt, and it is preparing a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) in coordination with other federal, state, regional, and local agencies. The Corps is a permitting agency. It is neither a proponent nor an opponent of the proposed action. The Corps ensures that a permitted action is not contrary to the public good by balancing the rights of property owners with the need to protect the natural resources of the region including the local water supply and the Everglades. The final permitting decision will balance restoration goals, public concerns and private property rights. Why is the Lake Belt SEIS being prepared? The Corps prepared an original EIS, The Rock Mining-Freshwater Lake Belt Plan Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, issued in May 2000 and focused on the potential impacts of a 50-year mining plan within the Lake Belt area. After evaluating the EIS, the Corps is
