[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 175 (Monday, September 11, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47156-47157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-22437]



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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of Engineers


Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the 
Proposed McDonald Gold Project, Lincoln, MT

AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: The proposed action is an open-pit mining operation with ore 
processed by heap leaching, and gold and silver recovered by carbon 
adsorption. The project would be located in Lewis and Clark County, 
approximately 8 miles east of Lincoln, Montana. The project area covers 
5,400 acres above the confluence of the Landers Fork with the Blackfoot 
River. The majority of the gold deposit lies on state land in Section 
6, T14N, R7W. Major facilities would include rock piles, heap leach 
pads, solution ponds, processing equipment, and auxiliary buildings. 
Two miles of Montana Highway 200 would relocated 1,200 feet to the 
south. A project life of 25 years, from construction to reclamation, is 
anticipated.
    The applicant has determined that 205 million tons of ore can be 
mined and processed economically at a gold price of $375/ounce. This 
will require the removal of 440 million tons of barren rock to uncover 
the ore, for a total of over 600 million tons of rock to be removed 
from the open pit. Phelps Dodge Mining Company, the majority partner in 
the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture, will be the operator of the proposed 
mine. Phelps Dodge advocates a commitment to mining in an 
environmentally responsible manner.
    The Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture identified 16 candidate sites for 
either rock pile or heap leach sites. All sites were within a 4-mile 
radius of the McDonald gold deposit. The Co-Lead agencies for 
preparation of the EIS have requested the applicant to consider 
additional alternative sites, and that some facilities be broken into 
smaller units (i.e., three 100 million ton waste rock piles instead of 
one 300 million ton waste rock pile. The Lead Agencies will 

[[Page 47157]]
also specifically solicit comments from cooperating agencies and the 
interested public regarding alternatives.

DATES: Public Scoping Meeting, October 12, 1995, 7 p.m., Lincoln 
Community Hall, Lincoln, Montana.

ADDRESSES: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District, Planning 
Division, 215 North 17th Street, Omaha, Nebraska 68102-4978; Montana 
Department of Environmental Quality, Hard Rock Bureau, Reclamation 
Division, 1625 11th Avenue Helena, Montana 59620-1601.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bob Nebel, U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, (402) 221-4621, or Jim Robinson, Montana Department of 
Environmental Quality, (406) 444-4958.
Gregory D. Showalter,
Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.
FR Doc. 95-22437 Filed 9-8-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-62-M