plan's combined beneficial effects on EQ resources 

 equal the plan's combined adverse effects on EQ 

 resources. 



(b) The agency decisionmaker is responsible for 

 judging which of these types of net EQ effects best 

 reflects the desirability of an alternative plan's over- 

 all effect on environmental quality. This judgment 

 should be based on a thorough consideration of 

 significant effects on significant EQ resources. In 

 making a judgment of net EQ effect, the agency 

 decisionmaker is acting on behalf of the public and 

 should therefore consider public views related to 

 the judgment. The decisionmaker may change a 

 judgment on the net EQ effect of an alternative 

 plan if the change is a reevaluation of existing infor- 



mation or if relevant new information is brought to 

 his or her attention. Reasons for the change should 

 be properly documented. 



(c) Planners should assist agency decision- 

 makers by presenting information bearing on the 

 judgment of net EQ effect in a manner that aids the 

 judgment process. As a minimum, the tables used 

 to document the previous activity, as illustrated in 

 Table 3.4.14, should be provided to the decision- 

 maker prior to his or her judgment of net EQ effect. 



(d) The net EQ effect of each alternative plan 

 should be expressed in a clear and complete narra- 

 tive statement that identifies the type of net EQ 

 effect expected and, as specifically as practical, the 

 reasons that provided the basis for the judgment. 



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