[Federal Register Volume 60, Number 193 (Thursday, October 5, 1995)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52203-52204]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 95-24747]



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[[Page 52204]]


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[MT-070-05-1990-02]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Golden Sunlight Mine in Response to a State Court 
Decision (September 1, 1994)

agency: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

action: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
for the Golden Sunlight Mine (GSM) in response to a state court 
decision dated September 1, 1994, and notice of scoping meetings.

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summary: Pursuant to section 101(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and the Montana Environmental Policy Act, the 
Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ, formerly the 
Department of State Lands) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), as 
lead agencies, will be directing the preparation of an EIS to be 
prepared by a third party contractor on the impacts of the 1990 
Amendment 008 to the Operating Permit No. 00065 in response to the 
state court decision and the revised mining plan submitted by GSM in 
August 1995 as Amendment 009. The Golden Sunlight Mine is located 
approximately 30 miles east of Butte, Montana, immediately to the 
northeast of Whitehall.

dates: Comments during the scoping process will be accepted until 
November 10, 1995. A public scoping meeting will be held at the school 
gym in Whitehall, Montana, from 5 to 9 pm.

addresses: Comments should be sent to Project Coordinator, Montana 
Department of Environmental Quality, P.O. Box 201601, Helena, MT 59620, 
Attn: Mr. Greg Hallsten/Jackie Merritt.

supplementary information: Golden Sunlight Mine, a wholly owned 
subsidiary of Placer Dome U.S. Inc., has operated a mine and mill 
complex at this site since 1982. The mine uses conventional open pit 
mining and vat milling processes to recover gold. Previous amendments 
had approved the production of 20 million tons of ore and associated 
tailing material, and 90 million tons of waste rock. Amendment 008 
increased this to 50 million tons of ore and tailing material and 300 
million tons of waste rock. Approximately 100,000 tons per day are 
mined. The mine life was extended by Amendment 008 to the year 2005.
    GSM submitted an application for the expansion, Amendment 008 in 
1988, and following the preparation of an Environmental Assessment, 
completed on May 30, 1990, and a 30-day public comment period, the 
Finding of No Significant Impact and Record of Decision were signed on 
June 30, 1990. There were issues the Environmental Assessment did not 
resolve and these were addressed by 31 stipulations to the permit. 
These stipulations included a variety of required monitoring in order 
to assure the proposed reclamation measures were effective in 
protecting environmental values. In August 1990 following the issuance 
of the permit, the National Wildlife Federation and several other 
environmental interest groups appealed the Record of Decision issued by 
the Butte District Office of the BLM to the Interior Board of Land 
Appeals. On March 30, 1992, these same groups filed a suit in Montana 
State Court alleging the Montana Department of State Lands had failed 
to enforce the Metal Mine Reclamation Act. On April 15, 1993, the 
Interior Board of Land Appeals ruled largely in favor of the Bureau 
regarding the Record of Decision, remanding the decision back to BLM 
for adjustments to the bond amount on test plats. GSM subsequently 
supplied additional bond to cover the test plots in question. On 
September 1, 1994, the State Court ruled against the Department of 
State Lands, stating the Montana Department of State Lands had violated 
both the Metal Mine Reclamation Act and the State Constitution.
    The decision to prepare an EIS is in response to the Court's 
memorandum and order. Environmental concerns have centered on 
reclamation of the extensive waste rock dump complex, potential acid 
mine drainage problems, and potential impacts to ground and surface 
waters.
    The EIS will also evaluate and review the environmental impacts of 
an extensive episode of ground movement in 1994 caused by the re-
activation of a previously unknown landslide feature.

    Dated: September 28, 1995.
James R. Owings,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 95-24747 Filed 10-4-95; 8:45 am]
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