Eis Building Impact Process Environmental Government Project Describes

In the United States, the "federal" (national) government requires that individuals and companies create "environmental impact statements" (EIS) if they want to "engage in" (become involved in) actions that will significantly affect the quality of the environment, usually by building on or changing an area of land. The EIS is supposed to help government leaders make decisions about whether they should allow the "proposed" (suggested, but not yet done) project to "move forward" (progress; advance). Many states require similar documents.

An EIS is a written document. It usually describes the proposal, describes the environment that will be affected, proposes "alternatives" (other things that could be done, or other ways of doing things), and "analyzes" (studies) the "potential impact" (what might possibly happen as a result of something) on animals, plants, air, water, and historical sites, as well as "economic considerations" (issues related to money).

In general, EISs are very long, complicated documents that may take years and "considerable" (a lot of) money to write. "Critics" (people who do not like something) argue that the requirement to write an EIS slows down new "development" (the process of building structures, homes, or offices in a new area) and creates "barriers" (obstacles) to economic growth.

"Supporters" (people who like something) of the process argue that although writing an EIS is slow and expensive, it is important to consider the environmental impact of projects. They also "point out" (emphasize; state) that a project can still be approved even if the EIS shows that it will be harmful, so the process does not prevent new development from happening.