[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45652-45653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19054]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLIDI03000.L71220000.EX0000.XXXX.LVTFD0977180; IDI-33145, IDI-35728]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Proposed Modification to the
Thompson Creek Mine Plan of Operations, Section 404 Clean Water Act
Permit Application, and Public Land Disposal, Custer and Bannock
Counties, ID
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Challis Field Office, Idaho intends to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental effects of the
proposed approval by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service)
of a modified mining plan of operations (MMPO) for the Thompson Creek
molybdenum mine in Custer County, Idaho and the potential for disposal
of BLM-administered public lands. The MMPO would allow an approximate
15-year extension of the mine life and an expansion of some facilities,
requiring additional surface disturbance on approximately 350 acres of
Federal lands and approximately 80 acres of private land. The EIS will
include analysis of the potential environmental effects to waters of
the United States that could occur under the MMPO. The Thompson Creek
Mining Company (TCMC), has also proposed to exchange 900 acres of
private lands owned by TCMC in Custer and Bannock counties for 5,000
acres of BLM-administered public land in the vicinity of the mine in
Custer County, including the BLM-administered public land involved in
the MMPO. The EIS will also evaluate a proposed amendment to the BLM
Challis Field Office 1999 Resource Management Plan (RMP), to identify
if the public land involved would be available for disposal pursuant to
the FLPMA.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. To
be included in the Draft EIS comments must be submitted in writing
using any of the methods described in the ADDRESSES section below until
30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register or 30
days after the last public meeting held to obtain scoping input,
whichever is later. When a public meeting is held, documentation of
that meeting and the list of attendees will be available to the public
for 30 days so that any participant who wishes to clarify the views he
or she expressed may do so. The date(s) and location(s) of any public
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance of the
meetings through local media, newspapers, individual mailing, and the
following BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/nepa/nepa/thompson_creek_mine.html. Additional opportunities for public
participation will be provided upon publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments regarding the proposed actions and
planning criteria, and request to have your name added to the mailing
list for the EIS by any of the following methods:
E-mail: [email protected];
Fax: (801) 942-1852, attention Brian Buck; or
Mail: Thompson Creek Mine EIS, c/o Brian Buck, JBR
Environmental Consultants, 8160 South Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah
84093.
The public may also examine documents pertinent to the proposed
actions at the BLM Challis Field Office, 1151 Blue Mountain Road,
Challis, Idaho 83226 during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Project
information and documents will also be available on the following Web
site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/nepa/nepa/thompson_creek_mine.html.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BLM Challis Field Office, telephone
(208) 879-6200; address 1151 Blue Mountain Road, Challis, Idaho 83226.
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at (800) 877-8339
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TCMC owns and operates the Thompson Creek
molybdenum mine, located 7 miles northwest of Clayton and 21 miles
southwest of Challis in Custer County, Idaho. The mine has been in
operation since 1981 and is permitted for about 3,400 acres of surface
disturbance, of which approximately 2,300 acres are private land and
approximately 1,100 acres are Federal lands administered by the BLM and
the Forest Service.
TCMC has proposed to modify its mining plan of operations. The
proposed MMPO would allow mining to be extended by about 15 years,
ending around 2030. The MMPO would expand two waste rock storage
facilities and the tailings impoundment, requiring additional surface
disturbance on about 350 acres of Federal lands, and 80 acres of
private land. As a separate action TCMC has proposed to exchange 900
acres of private land owned by TCMC in Custer and Bannock counties for
5,000 acres of BLM-administered land near the mine in Custer County.
The BLM is currently conducting a feasibility analysis of the proposed
exchange. Upon completion of the feasibility analysis, the BLM may
enter into an Agreement to Initiate a Land Exchange with TCMC and
subsequently publish a separate Notice of Exchange Proposal (NOEP) in
the newspapers servicing Custer and Bannock counties. Public comments
received in response to the NOEP would be considered in the EIS if the
NOEP is issued.
[[Page 45653]]
In response to these proposals (1) The BLM will decide whether to
approve the portion of the MMPO involving BLM-administered public land
under BLM regulations at 43 CFR 3809; (2) the Forest Service will
decide whether to approve the portion of the MMPO involving National
Forest System lands under Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR part 228
subpart A; (3) the USACE will decide whether to issue a permit under
section 404 of the CWA and USACE regulations at 33 CFR part 320 to
discharge fill materials into waters of the United States; (4) the BLM
will decide whether to amend the Challis RMP pursuant to Section 202 of
FLPMA and BLM regulations at 43 CFR part 1600, and identify the public
land involved for disposal; and (5) the BLM will decide whether to
approve a land disposal action.
The authorizations by the Forest Service for National Forest System
lands and USACE may be required to implement the MMPO regardless of
whether the BLM approves a land disposal action. If TCMC obtains title
to all of the BLM-administered land within the mine area, the BLM's
approval of the MMPO would no longer be necessary because the BLM does
not regulate mining operations on private land. On the other hand, if
TCMC obtains title to only some of the BLM-administered land involved
with the MMPO, then any continuing mining operations on BLM-
administered land would require BLM authorization under 43 CFR part
3809.
The purpose and need of the proposed actions are for (1) The BLM to
respond to TCMC's proposed MMPO, which would enable TCMC to continue
reasonable development of the existing mine in compliance with BLM laws
and regulations (FLPMA, 43 CFR 3809); (2) the Forest Service to
similarly respond to the MMPO in compliance with Forest Service laws
and regulations (Organic Act of 1897; 36 CFR 228, Subpart A); (3) the
USACE to respond to TCMC's application for a permit to discharge fill
materials into waters of the United States, as necessary in the MMPO,
in compliance with USACE laws and regulations (CWA, 33 CFR 320); (4)
the BLM to consider amending the Challis RMP to allow a land disposal
in compliance with Section 102 of FLPMA, and (5) the BLM to respond to
TCMC's proposal for a land exchange and determine if a public land
disposal would be in the public interest pursuant to FLPMA.
The No Action alternative (i.e., completion of mining and
reclamation under the current mining plan of operations) and
alternatives that consider the RMP amendment and various aspects of the
proposed MMPO and public land disposal will be analyzed. Alternatives
identified to date for the MMPO include using different locations for
waste rock storage and alternative reclamation measures. Alternatives
identified to date for the possible public land disposal include
exchange of private land for public land; how the public and private
lands would be managed if these lands were exchanged, including
analysis of potential impacts of conducting the mining operations
identified in the proposed MMPO under the applicable statutory and
regulatory authority; and possible variations in the amount of public
land and/or restrictions on the public land that might be exchanged.
The planning criteria for the RMP amendment would include that lands
identified for disposal would serve the national interest and that
newly acquired lands or interests in lands would be managed for their
highest potential or for the purposes for which they were acquired.
By this notice, the BLM is complying with the requirements in 43
CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of potential amendments to land use
plans, predicated on the analysis in the EIS. The BLM will integrate
the land use planning process with the NEPA process for the EIS. The
BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to satisfy
the public involvement for section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR
800.2(d)(3).
The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the NEPA analysis process
and preparation of the EIS. The BLM anticipates that the Forest
Service, the USACE; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Idaho
Department of Environmental Quality, and the Idaho Department of will
be cooperating agencies. Other cooperating agencies may be identified
during the scoping process.
Native American tribal consultation will be conducted in accordance
with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due consideration,
including impacts on Indian trust assets. Federal, State, and local
agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be interested or
affected by the proposed actions subject to the EIS are invited to
participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be
requested by the BLM to participate as a cooperating agency.
The public is invited to submit comments and resource information
as well as identify issues, concerns and alternatives to be analyzed in
the EIS. Public input should be as specific as possible (i.e., clearly
articulate concerns and contentions) to best assist in the NEPA
process. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address,
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 33 CFR 325.3; 43 CFR 1610.2.
David Rosenkrance,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-19054 Filed 8-2-10; 8:45 am]
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