[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 18 (Friday, January 26, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 2528]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1164]



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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[OR-130-1330-04; GP6-0055]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Midnite Uranium Mine (MUM) Reclamation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Spokane District.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102 (2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Spokane 
District, as the lead federal agency, will be directing the preparation 
of an EIS for final reclamation of the Midnite Uranium Mine located on 
the Spokane Indian Reservation, in Washington State. The EIS will 
evaluate the environmental impacts of alternative plans for mitigating 
the affects of past mining activities. The reclamation objective is to 
ensure that a physically stable condition is achieved whereat 
environmental impacts are mitigated or controlled and public safety is 
protected. This notice initiates the scoping process for the EIS and 
also serves as an invitation for other potential cooperating parties. 
Potential cooperating parties include the Spokane Tribe of Indians, the 
U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and the Washington State Department of Health (WADOH).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
by March 29, 1996, to receive full consideration in the development of 
alternatives. Three public scoping meetings will be held: February 26, 
1996 at the Spokane Tribal Longhouse, Sherwood Loop Road, Wellpinit, 
Washington from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 
p.m.; February 27, 1996 at the Davenport Community Memorial Hall, 511 
Park Street, Davenport, Washington from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and 
February 28, 1996 at the Spokane County Agricultural Center at 222 N. 
Havana Spokane, Washington from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.. Additional 
briefing meetings may also be held as appropriate.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to the District Manager, Bureau of 
Land Management, Spokane District Office, 1103 N. Fancher, Spokane, 
Washington, 99212-1275, ATTENTION: Midnite Uranium Mine.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kelly Courtright, Project Manager, or 
Gary Yeager, Planning & Environmental Coordinator, Bureau of Land 
Management, Spokane District Office, 1103 N. Fancher, Spokane, 
Washington, 99212-1275; or call (509) 536-1200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Midnite Uranium Mine is located on the 
Spokane Indian Reservation, Stevens County, about 45 miles northwest of 
Spokane, Washington, and about 3.5 miles upstream of the Spokane River 
arm of Lake Roosevelt. Dawn Mining Company (DMC) leased the property 
and operated the Midnite Uranium Mine from 1955 to 1964 and again from 
1968 to 1981. Active mining ceased on the site in 1981 and the mine has 
remained inactive since that time, except for construction and 
operation of internal drainage channels, collection of seepage below 
the mined area, and operation of a mine water treatment plant.
    Approximately 320 acres have been directly affected by mining and 
waste disposal and will require reclamation. Mine workings and waste 
dumps span over 1,000 feet of topographic relief within the one mile 
length of the highly disturbed area. About 33 million tons of waste 
rock remain on-site. Two of the mine pits-- Pits 3 and 4--totaling 
about 70 surface acres remain open. Another multiple pit area (Pit 2) 
was backfilled with mine waste rock during active operations in the 
1970's.
    Leases for the mining activities were issued by the Bureau of 
Indian Affairs. The Bureau of Land Management assumed responsibility 
for regulating mining activities in 1983 as a result of Interior 
Department reorganization. The Department has determined that BLM will 
have primary authority for overseeing preparation of the EIS and that 
the decision authority on the proposed action rests by delegation with 
BLM.
    DMC started treating mine water in 1992. The solid product of mine 
water treatment, a semi-solid sludge or filter cake, is classified as 
``source material'' and must be disposed of according to Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations. This material is transported 
by covered truck to DMC's mill, 25 miles to the east in Ford, 
Washington, and off of tribal land, where uranium is extracted and the 
by-product, known within NRC regulations as 11.e.2. material, is piped 
to the nearby licensed and lined tailings pond. It is important to note 
that BLM and BIA have no jurisdiction at the mill site. The Washington 
Department of Health has regulatory jurisdiction at the mill site (off-
reservation on private land) and also at the water treatment plant at 
the mine. That authority covers the water treatment plant's generation, 
handling and disposal of the regulated source material. Environmental 
data has been collected at the Midnite Mine for over ten years. A 
significant amount of data has been collected, compiled and analyzed by 
the U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM). Because that agency has been 
eliminated by legislative action, the large body of data developed by 
USBM has been transferred to BLM for maintenance and management. The 
responsibility for site clean-up lies with DMC. Reclamation standards 
and reasonable alternatives will be addressed by the NEPA process 
initiated by this scoping action. DMC will be developing a reclamation 
proposal that will be considered as one approach to site reclamation, 
but other approaches will also be evaluated.
    The Bureau of Land Management's NEPA scoping process for the EIS 
will include: (1) identification of issues of concern that will need to 
be addressed in the EIS process; (2) identification of ideas for 
reclamation alternatives; (3) identification of additional scientific 
and creditable site data that may not be reflected in the existing 
database; and (4) notification of interested groups, individuals, and 
agencies so that additional information concerning these issues can be 
obtained.
    The scoping process will consist of news releases announcing the 
start of the NEPA process; and newsletters inviting the public to 
participate in the scoping process. A scoping summary report will be 
prepared at the close of scoping that will summarize the findings. This 
report will be made available to the public through local public 
libraries, and offices of the lead and cooperating agencies.

    Dated January 19, 1996.
Joseph Buesing,
Spokane District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-1164 Filed 1-25-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P