[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 157 (Thursday, August 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43545-43547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21542]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NM-030-7122-03-821G]
Proposed Expansion of the Santa Rita Pit and Land Exchange in
Grant County, New Mexico
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) and notice of scoping meeting.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Las Cruces District Office, will be directing the preparation of
an EIS to be prepared by a third party contractor. The EIS will
describe the potential impacts of the Phelps Dodge Corporation-Chino
Mines Company (CMC) proposed Santa Rita Pit Expansion and Land Exchange
Project, located approximately 7 miles north-northeast of the town of
Hurley, in Grant County, New Mexico. The proposed development would
occur partially on patented CMC land and partially on Federal land
administered by the BLM.
The public is invited to participate in the planning process. A
public scoping meeting will be held at the following time and location:
[[Page 43546]]
Time/Date Location
7:00 p.m. September 3, 1997............ Bayard Community Center, 300
Hurley Avenue, Bayard, New
Mexico.
DATES: Written comments on the scoping process will be accepted through
September 15, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Tom Custer, Bureau of Land
Management, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Custer, BLM Las Cruces District
Office, at (505) 525-4328.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CMC is proposing to expand its current
copper mining operation at the Santa Rita Mine onto land administered
by the BLM. An economic ore deposit lies within the southeastern end of
the mine pit on patented land. Removing the overburden and extracting
the ore safely will require constructing access roads and laying the
pit walls back onto BLM land. It will also include expanding existing
stockpiles and locating new stockpiles.
In 1995, BLM required CMC to prepare an amendment to a 1981 Plan of
Operations (POO) for the Santa Rita Mine for certain proposed new
activities on public land. The amended POO described proposed mining
activities for 1995 through 1998 that would be necessary to meet ore
production schedules. The amendment was submitted to the BLM in
November 1995. The BLM determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA)
of the potential environmental impacts associated with activities
proposed in the amendment (the Proposed Action) was required. The EA
was completed, and the BLM provided a Finding of No Significant Impact
(FONSI) in November 1996. Additionally, as a prerequisite to allowing
the interim amendment, the BLM required development of a new long-term
POO and preparation of an EIS. The long-term POO describes future
expansion of the mine onto BLM land, from 1999 to 2018.
The Santa Rita Mine is an open pit copper mine owned by the CMC, a
partnership between Phelps Dodge Mining Company and Heisei Minerals
Company, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation. CMC also owns and
operates a copper concentrator, solution extraction and electrowinning
facility, copper smelter, and ancillary support facilities near the
Santa Rita Mine. Phelps Dodge owns a two-thirds interest and is the
operator of the property, and Heisei owns a one-third interest. In
1995, CMC produced a total of 168,700 tons of copper metal along with
by-products molybdenum, gold, and silver. Chino ranks fifth largest in
the United States and sixteenth largest in the world in terms of annual
copper production. In 1995, Chino mined a total of 116 million tons of
rock from the Santa Rita open pit.
The Proposed Action considered in the POO describes mining
activities related to continuing the advance of the open pit and rock
stockpiles to the south of existing operations onto Federal land
administered by the BLM.
The Santa Rita open pit mine presently covers an area of
approximately one square mile at the perimeter, with additional areas
on the perimeter used as rock stockpiles. The upper most level in the
pit is located on the east side at the 6,750 foot elevation and the
lowest level in the pit is currently at the 5,400 foot elevation.
Mining takes place on a 3-shift-per-day, 7-day-per-week basis at a rate
of about 290,000 tons per day. Up to 60,000 tons of ore per day are
delivered to the crusher.
Blasthole drilling is about 8,430 feet per day, approximately 130
holes per day. Drill hole cuttings are sampled and assayed for
determination of material type. Material is designated as sulfide ore,
leach ore, or low-grade leach ore. Blasting is done only during day-
shift on a 5-day-per-week basis. Blasting agents in use at Chino
include emulsions, ANFO (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil), and aluminized
ANFO. Loading of the materials in the Santa Rita Pit is accomplished
with electric shovels varying from 17 cubic yard to 56 cubic yard
dipper capacity. The size of dipper used is dependent on whether the
shovel is operating in high or low density material.
The existing haulage truck fleet moves approximately 60,000 tons
per day of ore, 151,000 tons per day of leach rock, and 228,000 tons
per day of waste rock. A fleet of 190- to 240-ton haul trucks is
utilized to move this material. Ore is delivered to the concentrator
primary crusher; leach ore and no-leach rock are delivered to
stockpiles on the perimeter of the pit. Haul distances are currently
averaging about 13,000 feet with 600 feet of lift.
The POO provides detailed descriptions of the CMC facility
including ancillary facilities, supporting structures, and proposed
action.
Reclamation bonding and analyses will be determined through the
development of a reclamation plan with the New Mexico Mining and
Minerals Division (MMD). The goal of reclamation of the Santa Rita Mine
will be to effectively mitigate impacts to the natural, human, and
cultural environment. Implementation of the Reclamation Plan will
require that CMC comply with all applicable rules and standards set
forth by the BLM and the New Mexico Mining Act. A Closeout Plan will be
submitted to the New Mexico MMD as part of the mine permitting process.
The Closeout Plan will include a description of the reclamation plan
and specific mitigation measures that CMC will commit to research and
development. These mitigation measures will serve to reduce short-term
and long-term environmental impacts associated with the implementation
of one of the action alternatives. The intent of the reclamation plan
and its implementation will be to satisfy both BLM and State of New
Mexico guidelines.
The proposed land exchange will involve approximately 5,390 acres
of Federal land in Grant County managed by the BLM (Selected Land) and
approximately 463 acres of land owned by CMC (Offered Land). In
exchange for the Federal land, CMC is offering land in the Organ
Mountains about 14 miles northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
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Township Range Section Acres
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Selected Land
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17 South........................... 12 West............... Portions of Sections 22, 7.66
26, 28, 34, 35.
18 South........................... 11 West............... Portions of Sections 7, 18, 722.68
19, 20.
18 South........................... 12 West............... Portions of Sections 1, 3, 2,579.24
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20,
21.
19 South........................... 11 West............... Section 7.................. 86.02
[[Page 43547]]
19 South........................... 12 West:.............. Section 12................. 160
21 South........................... 12 West:.............. Sections 13, 14, 23, 24.... 1,520
21 South........................... 11 West............... Section 19................. 314.44
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Offered Land
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22 South........................... 4 East................ Section 5.................. 463
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The EIS will address water resources, geology and minerals, air
quality, soils, vegetation resources, wildlife resources, special-
status species, range resources, land use and access, recreation,
visual resources, social and economic values, cultural resources,
transportation, noise, climate and reclamation.
The BLM has identified the following resources as requiring
emphasis during analysis:
Mimbres Figwort
Although this plant is not protected by Federal or State endangered
species laws, it is sufficiently rare (State of New Mexico List 2, R-E-
D code 2-1-3) that impacts to the local population could decrease
genetic variability in the species.
Peregrine Falcon
Two peregrine falcons and a peregrine falcon eyrie were identified
near the Santa Rita pit in July 1996.
Visual Resources
Scenic resources near the Santa Rita pit include the Kneeling Nun
and Kneeling Nun ridge. The Kneeling Nun is a rock monolith which is a
well-known locallandmark. (The Kneeling Nun will be retained in Federal
ownership.)
Air Quality
Potential impacts to air quality will need to be emphasized during
analysis.
Water Resources
Potential impact to ground water and surface water quality and
quantity, including acid rock drainage, will need to be emphasized
during analysis.
Cumulative Impacts
Mining in the region has occurred since the late 1880's. Analysis
of cumulative impacts related to past mining activity, present
activity, and planned future expansions will need to be emphasized.
BLM's scoping process for the EIS will include: (1) Identification
of issues to be addressed; (2) identification of viable alternatives,
and (3) notifying interested groups, individuals, and agencies so that
additional information concerning these issues can be obtained. The
scoping will consist of a news release announcing the start of the EIS
process; letters of invitation to participate in the scoping process;
and a scoping packet which further clarifies the proposed action and
significant issues being considered to be distributed to those on the
mailing list and made available upon request.
Dated: August 6, 1997.
Richard T. Watts,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-21542 Filed 8-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P