[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 107 (Monday, June 3, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27864-27865]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-13760]



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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 107 / Monday, June 3, 1996 / 
Notices  

[[Page 27864]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Environmental Impact Statement for the Stibnite Mine Expansion 
Gold Mining Project on the Krassel Ranger District of the Payette 
National Forest, Valley County, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Revisednotice of intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare a revised draft 
environmental impact statement (DEIS) and final environmental impact 
statement (FEIS) for a modified proposal submitted by Stibnite Mine 
Inc. (SMI). The proposal is to expand SMI's existing open-pit gold 
mining operation located in Valley County, near Yellow Pine, Idaho. The 
expansion would be located adjacent to private lands, in the Krassel 
Ranger District of the Payette National Forest.
    The Forest Service published a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS 
for the proposed Stibnite Mine Expansion in the Federal Register April 
21, 1992 (Vol. 57, No. 77, p. 14558-14559). That notice is hereby 
revised to show the following proposal changes: (1) mine four new pits 
instead of six, (2) backfill waste into pits instead of creating two 
exterior waste dumps.
    The EIS will focus on: (1) Construction of four new mine pits in 
the Midnight Creek drainage, (2) partial backfilling each pit with 
waste rock, and (3) construction of haul road to connect the new pits 
with existing haul road in the West End area. The modified proposal 
will be called the Stibnite Mine Expansion Project.
    The agency will accept written comments and suggestions on the 
scope of the analysis. Comments already submitted to the Payette 
National Forest on the 1994 DEIS or related scoping will be considered 
in the 1996 analysis.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by July 1, 1996, to ensure timely consideration.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions related to the scope 
of the analysis to: Stibnite Expansion EIS, Payette National Forest, 
P.O. Box 1026, McCall, Idaho, 83638.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Direct questions about the proposed action and DEIS to Fred Dauber, 
Krassel District Ranger, Krassel District Office, P.O. Box 1026, 
McCall, Idaho, telephone (208) 634-0600.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SMI currently operates a gold mine in the 
project area. In May of 1981, an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
was prepared which analyzed the existing mining operations. In 1992 SMI 
proposed an expansion of five new pits. A DEIS was prepared since the 
proposed project exceeded the scope of the 1981 EIS. The Forest Service 
released the DEIS in November 1994 for public review. Because of 
concerns raised by the public and federal agencies, the Forest Service 
withdrew the DEIS in February, 1995. Early this year SMI modified their 
expansion proposal, and the Forest Service began work to revise the 
1994 DEIS.
    The new proposal would involve construction of four new mine pits 
and associated haul road located adjacent to the now-active West End 
mine area. Stibnite Mine Inc. would continue to use their existing heap 
leach facility and other ancillary facilities which were previously 
approved. SMI has recently upgraded their processing facility to comply 
with the State of Idaho, Rules Governing Ore Processing by Cyanidation.
    The DEIS will consider a range of alternatives, including the no-
action alternative. Other alternatives will be developed or modified to 
address issues and to mitigate impacts. Agencies and the public have 
expressed preliminary concerns regarding effects on: surface and ground 
water, fisheries and wildlife, biodiversity, vegetation, soils, 
wetlands, public safety and transportation, air quality, recreation and 
visual resources, socioeconomic and social impacts, and cultural 
resources.
    The Forest Service will further expand and/or clarify issues based 
upon public input provided during this, and the previous, scoping 
processes. All interested and affected members of the public may 
participate in the scoping process. This process will include:
    1. Identification or modification of new or additional issues.
    2. Identification of issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Exploring additional alternatives.
    4. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects 
and connected actions).
    If requested, the Forest Service may make a copy of all comments 
provided in response to this Notice available to the public. This will 
include names, addresses, and any other personal information provided 
with the comments.
    David Alexander, Forest Supervisor, Payette National Forest, 
McCall, Idaho, is the responsible official for this action. The DEIS is 
expected to be available for public review in December of 1996.
    The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will 
be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986), and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 
490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court 
rulings, it is very important that those interested in this proposed 
action participate by the close of the comment period so that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to 
them in the final environmental impact statement.

[[Page 27865]]

    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives 
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer 
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing 
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    The FEIS is scheduled to be completed and available to the public 
by early 1997. The responsible official will document the decision and 
the reasons supporting it in a Record of Decision. That decision will 
be subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215.

    Dated: May 16, 1996.
David F. Alexander,
Forest Supervisor, Payette National Forest.
[FR Doc. 96-13760 Filed 5-31-96; 8:45 am]
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