[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 57 (Friday, March 24, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Page 15579]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-6862]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[CA-060-05-7122-09-6606]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) on a Proposed Gold Mining/Processing Operation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be 
directing the preparation of an environmental impact statement (EIS) by 
a third party contractor on the impacts of a proposed gold mining/
processing operation known as the Imperial Project, which would be 
located on public lands in Imperial County in southern California. 
Comments are being requested to help identify significant issues or 
concerns related to the proposed action, to determine the scope of the 
issues (including alternatives) that need to be analyzed, and to 
eliminate from detailed study those issues that are not significant. 
Supporting documentation should be included with comments recommending 
that the EIS address specific environmental issues.

DATES: For Scoping Meetings and Comments: Public scoping meetings will 
be held on the following dates: 7 pm PST, Monday, April 17, 1995, at 
the El Centro Community Center, 375 South First Street, El Centro, 
California 92243; 7 pm MST, Tuesday, April 18, 1995, at the Best 
Western Yuma Inn Suites, Palm Canyon Room, 1450 Castle Dome Avenue, 
Yuma, Arizona 85365. Written comments must be filed no later than 
Friday, April 21, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Area Manager, Bureau 
of Land Management, El Centro Resource Area, 1661 South Fourth Street, 
El Centro, California 92243, ATTN: Environmental Coordinator.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas F. Zale (619) 337-4400

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Chemgold, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of 
Glamis Gold, Inc., submitted a Plan of Operation to the BLM's El Centro 
Resource Area office for the proposed Imperial Project in December, 
1994. The project would be located on unpatented lode claims south of 
the Chocolate Mountains, approximately 45 miles northeast of El Centro, 
California and 20 miles northwest of Yuma, Arizona, on land 
administered by the BLM. The project would include mining, waste rock 
and heap leach facilities, miscellaneous roads and buildings, and 
reclamation of disturbed lands. The project would consist of up to 
three (3) open pits, four (4) waste rock stockpiles, one (1) heap leach 
facility, one (1) water well field and pipeline, one (1) power 
substation and power line, and one (1) processing facility, and would 
operate for approximately twenty (20) years. Up to 120,000 tons of ore 
and waste rock would be mined per day. Processing and reclamation 
activities would be expected to continue for up to five (5) years after 
cessation of mining. If approved, approximately 1,600 acres of land 
would be disturbed and later reclaimed as the result of this project.

    A tentative project schedule is as follows:

Begin Public Comment/Scoping Period--March 1995
Hold Public Scoping Meetings--April 1995
File Draft EIS--October 1995
Hold Public Meetings on Draft EIS--November 1995
File Final EIS--January 1996
File Record of Decision--March 1996
Begin Project Construction--July 1996

    Dated: March 15, 1995.
G. Ben Koski,
Area Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-6862 Filed 3-23-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P