[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 148 (Friday, August 1, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41409-41410]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20194]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CA-067-7122-6606; CACA-35511]


Imperial Project Gold Mining Operation, Imperial County, CA; 
Environmental Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Withdrawal of the Imperial Project Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement and Notice of Intent to Prepare 
Environmental Impact Statement on the Imperial Project Proposed Gold 
Mining/Processing Operation, Imperial County.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) has withdrawn the Imperial Project, Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS), distributed for public review November, 1996. Based 
on a review of public comment received, it was determined that it was 
necessary to withdraw the DEIS and to prepare and circulate a new DEIS. 
The comments received on the DEIS will be treated as scoping comments, 
however, new comments may be submitted.

DATES: Written scoping comments must be received no later than 
September 2, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Written scoping comments should be addressed to the Area 
Manager, Attn: Imperial Project, El Centro Resource Area, 1661 South 
Fourth St., El Centro, California 92243.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Romoli (909) 697-5237.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The comments submitted on the withdrawn

[[Page 41410]]

DEIS (circulated November, 1996) will not receive a written response. 
Instead, the written comments will be considered in preparation of the 
new DEIS. Prior commentors can submit comments during the scoping 
period for the new EIS.
    Comments, including names and street addresses of respondents, will 
be available for public review at the above address during the business 
hours of 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday, except 
holidays. Individual respondents may request confidentiality. If you 
wish to withhold your name or street address from public review or from 
disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act, you must state this 
prominently at the beginning of your written comment. Such requests 
will be honored to the extent allowed by law. All submissions from 
organizations or business, and from individuals identifying themselves 
as representatives or officials of organization or businesses, will be 
made available for public inspection in their entirety.
    The Imperial Project is a proposal by Glamis Imperial Corporation 
(a sister corporation of the former project applicant Chemgold Inc.) to 
develop an open-pit, gold mining operation utilizing a heap leach 
process. The proposed site is located in eastern Imperial County, 
California, approximately 45 miles northeast of El Centro, California 
and 20 miles northwest of Yuma, Arizona. The project area is comprised 
of approximately 1,625 acres. Up to 150 million tons of ore would be 
leached, and 300 million tons of waste rock would be deposited at the 
proposed waste rock stockpiles or the mined-out portions of the three 
planned open pits. Typical, average mining rate would be 130,000 tons 
per day. Approximately 1,409 acres of surface disturbance would occur 
as a result of the Proposed Action. Mining activity would be performed 
24 hours per day, seven days per week, and are projected to commence in 
1998 and terminate around the year 2017. The proposed mine would 
include a lined heap leach pad to contain the ore heap and to collect 
process fluid from the heap for gold recovery. Waste rock would be 
hauled directly to a waste rock stockpile or to one of the on-site pits 
to be backfilled. A ground water production well field, consisting of 
up to four groundwater production wells, would be completed and used to 
provide water through a buried pipeline for processing operations, dust 
control, and on-site domestic uses. The proposed project would also 
include a power substation and construction of a short portion of a 
transmission line and a rebuild of an existing transmission line.

    Dated: July 24, 1997.
Terry Reed,
Area Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-20194 Filed 7-31-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P