[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 150 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40429-40430]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-19626]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AZ040-7122-00-5513; AZA 28793, AZA 29640]
Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
Analyzing the Impacts of a Proposed Public Land Exchange and an
Associated Mining Plan of Operations for the Dos Pobres/San Juan Copper
Ore Bodies near Safford, AZ
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
Cooperating Agency: Army Corps of Engineers, Department of Defense.
SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Safford District, in
cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers (COE) is preparing an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze impacts of a proposed
land exchange and the Mining Plan of Operations (MPO) for the Dos
Pobres/San Juan copper ore bodies.
1. Identification of the geographic area involved: The proposed
land exchange involve approximately 17,000 acres of public lands
currently managed by the Safford District, Bureau of Land Management
that are located near the city of Safford, Graham County, Arizona. The
MPO addresses the development of the San Juan and Dos Pobres ore bodies
and involves approximately 3,900 acres of public lands in the same
area. The approximately 5,000 acres of private lands offered for
exchange are located in southern Arizona.
2. Analysis of alternatives: The Proposed Action is an exchange of
Federal land for private land between the BLM and Phelps Dodge
Corporation, Inc. The No Action alternative and alternatives that
consider various combinations of selected and offered lands as well as
various aspects of the MPO will be analyzed. COE will utilize the
analysis presented in the EIS to decide whether or not to issue a Clean
Water Act 404 permit to Phelps Dodge, Inc., for operation of the Dos
Pobres/San Juan mining operation.
3. General types of issues anticipated: The proposed land exchange
and MPO involves issues related to the natural resource values and uses
of the public lands in question. These issues are expected to involve
impacts on waters of the United States, riparian habitats, threatened
and endangered species, drainage and erosion impacts, surface and
groundwater quality and quantity, water rights, Gila River impacts, air
quality, cultural resources, transportation, access to recreation
areas, socioeconomic resources, Indian trust lands and assets, mineral
rights, and other issues that may be identified during public scoping.
4. Disciplines to be represented and used to prepare the
environmental impact statement: Hydrology, botany, wildlife,
recreation, realty, range, economics, geology, and archaeology.
DATES: The kind and extent of public participation: Three public open
house meetings have been scheduled to inform the public of this project
and to obtain public input on the issues to be analyzed in the EIS.
These meetings will be held in Safford, Tucson, and Phoenix at the
following times and locations:
September 5, 1996, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., BLM District Office, 711
14th Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546
September 10, 1996, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Tucson Main Public Library,
101 North Stone Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85701
September 11, 1996, from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., BLM State Office, 3707
North 7th Street, Phoenix, Arizona 85014.
Public input may be submitted during the public meetings or in
writing to the address in the address section. Public comments will be
accepted until October 12, 1996.
Complete records of all phases of the NEPA process will be
maintained for public review at the Safford District Office, 711 14th
Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546.
[[Page 40430]]
ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the environmental impact
statement should be submitted to Margaret Jensen, Gila Resource Area
Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Safford District Office, 711 14th
Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Phelps Dodge, Inc., is planning to develop
the Dos Pobres and San Juan copper ore bodies that are primarily
located on private lands owned by Phelps Dodge, Inc. Phelps Dodge seeks
to either acquire additional public lands in the vicinity of these ore
bodies through the exchange process or utilize them for mining purposes
under the General Mining Law of 1872, as amended. To this purpose,
Phelps Dodge has proposed an exchange of land and submitted a MPO for
the use of these lands to the BLM.
The 17,000 acres of public lands identified for exchange are
adjacent to and surround approximately 20,000 acres of Phelps Dodge's
private land. These lands have been selected by Phelps Dodge, Inc., to
consolidate its land position, provide buffer areas for environmental
compliance purposes, and accommodate development of future mining
operations at Dos Pobres/San Juan and Lone Star ore bodies.
In exchange, Phelps Dodge, Inc., is offering approximately 5,000
acres of private lands that it owns for public acquisition. These lands
possess resource qualities considered to be of significant value to the
public, and have been identified for acquisition by the BLM.
The Dos Pobres/San Juan project would involve open pit mining of
leachable copper ore and the construction and operation of a solvent
extraction/electrowinning (SX/EW) process facility designed to produce
about 200 million pounds of high-quality cathode copper per year when
fully operational.
The proposed mining would involve conventional drill, blast, load
and haul techniques. During project construction, employment is
expected to average nearly 600 workers with peak employment reaching
about 1,000 full-time jobs. Direct employment by Phelps Dodge during
the life of the project is estimated at 300 to 400 full-time employees.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Terry, Project Leader, or Mike
McQueen, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, 711 14th Avenue,
Safford, Arizona 85546; telephone (520) 428-4040.
Dated: July 16, 1996.
Frank L. Rowley,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-19626 Filed 8-1-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-M