[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 31 (Friday, February 14, 1997)] [Notices] [Page 7035] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 97-3697] [[Page 7035]] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR [UT-060-05-3800-006, UTU-72499] Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement for SUMMO USA Corporation; Lisbon Valley Open Pit Copper Mine in San Juan County, UT AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Department of Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability of the final environmental impact statement prepared for SUMMO USA Corporation's Lisbon Valley Open Pit Copper Mine in San Juan County, Utah. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 202 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been prepared, under third party contract, by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Moab District Office. The FEIS has been prepared to analyze impacts and alternatives for SUMMO USA Corporation's proposed Lisbon Valley Open Pit Copper Mine. The proposed project would occur on 1103 acres of federal, state, and private lands located in San Juan County, Utah. Copies of the FEIS can be obtained from the Moab District Office at 82 East Dogwood Avenue, Moab, Utah, or by calling (801) 259-6111 and requesting a copy of the document. Additionally, copies of the FEIS will be distributed to all attendees at the scoping meetings, public meeting, and individuals, agencies or companies that have previously submitted comments or requested to be placed on the mailing list to receive a copy of the FEIS. DATES: Following Federal Register publication by the Environmental Protection Agency of the Notice of Availability of the FEIS, a 30 day review period will be provided prior to issuance of the Record of Decision. The anticipated date of EPA Federal Register publication is February 14, 1997. The Record of Decision would not be issued until after the 30 day review period is complete. ADDRESSES: Request for copies of the FEIS should be addressed to: Kate Kitchell, Moab District Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 82 East Dogwood Avenue, Moab, Utah, 84532. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Lynn Jackson, Project Coordinator, Moab Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, 82 East Dogwood Avenue, Moab, Utah, 84532, (801) 259-6111. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS analyzes a proposal by SUMMO USA Corporation of Denver, Colorado, to develop an open pit copper mining and heap leaching operation on 1103 acres of private fee lands, state leases and unpatented mining claims in south Lisbon Valley, located approximately 18 miles southeast of LaSal, Utah, in San Juan County, Utah. The copper ore would be mined by conventional open pit mining methods from four open pits, encompassing 231 total acres, utilizing drilling, blasting and ripping of the ore and associated overburden. Approximately 93 million cubic yards of overburden would be removed and stockpiled in three waste dumps encompassing 394 acres total. Approximately 42 million cubic yards of copper bearing ore would be mined from the pits and hauled by truck to a 266 acre lined leach pad. The ore would be crushed and stacked on the leach pad to a height of 100 feet. The copper would then be recovered by a heap leaching method, utilizing low concentrations of sulfuric acid trickled through the stacked ore pad. The leached copper solution would emanate from the bottom of the leach pad, and be recovered in lined ponds after percolating through the stacked ore. This recovered solution would be further refined by standard solvent extraction and electrowinning processes located on-site. The project is currently projected to have a 10 year mining life. The facilities are designed to mine an average of 16,500 tons of ore per day, to produce 17,000 tons of 99.99% pure copper cathodes per year. SUMMO would employ up to 143 people at one time over the life of the project. The construction workforce would be approximately 80 people. Processing would continue after mining ceases for an additional one year. To the extent possible, reclamation would occur simultaneously with mining. Final closure and reclamation activities would take approximately 5 years. All waste dumps and the leach pad would be reclaimed in place by covering with a 12 inch layer of cover soil and re-vegetating. The leach pad would be rinsed with fresh water and chemically treated to reduce residual acidic levels in the stacked ore to neutral pH levels prior to closure. The 231 area of open pits would remain. Long-term monitoring of potential groundwater impacts would occur for a period of 25 years after mining operations are completed. Summo has proposed a reclamation bond of $8.6 million dollars. Provisions would also require the posting of a long-term trust bond commensurate with the long-term monitoring requirements, to provide financial assurances in the event long-term monitoring identifies adverse impacts. The FEIS analyzes environmental impacts from SUMMO's proposal, along with four alternatives designed to mitigate environmental impacts associated with this project, as identified during the scoping and public comment process. These alternatives are: (1) No Action, (2) Open Pit Backfilling, (3) Facility Layout, and (4) Waste Rock Selective Handling. BLM's Preferred Alternative is a combination of the Facility Layout Alternative and the Waste Rock Selective Handling Alternative, which in essence would allow the project to proceed with modifications to the layout of waste rock dumps to minimize impacts to soils, sedimentation and visual resources, along with selectively handling potentially acid generating waste rock in the waste dump piles to eliminate to the extent possible the potential for long-term acid generation at the project site. Dated: February 3, 1997. Katherine Kitchell, Moab District Manager. [FR Doc. 97-3697 Filed 2-13-97; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310-DQ-P