[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 58 (Friday, March 24, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15891-15892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-7110]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Smoky Canyon Mine, Panels B and C, BLM Pocatello Field Office and 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Caribou County, ID

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, USDI and Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), Pocatello Field Office and the Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service (FS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, will jointly prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to document the 
analysis and disclose the environmental and human effects of a proposed 
mine plan for future operations at the existing J.R. Simplot Smoky 
Canyon Phosphate Mine, Caribou County, Idaho, located approximately 20 
miles west of Afton, Wyoming. The proposed mining operations would 
utilize land administered by the FS, BLM and land that is privately 
owned. Mining would take place on Federal Phosphate Leases I-012890, I-
026843, and I-027801, within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
    J. R. Simplot Company must obtain federal permits prior to mining 
under the proposed mine plan. The existing mining and milling 
operations were authorized by a Record of Decision that was issued in 
1982 upon completion of the original Smoky Canyon Phosphate Mine EIS. 
The conditional permits granted by the BLM and FS at the beginning of 
the Smoky Canyon mining operations required that subsequent site-
specific mine plans for the individual mine panels be submitted to the 
agencies for their review and that appropriate mitigation measures be 
developed using further environmental analysis. The environmental 
effects from the proposed B and C Panels were assessed in the 1982 EIS, 
however this SEIS will further evaluate the effects of the proposed 
mine plan in light of additional information on selenium and other 
potential contaminants collected since 1982. Based on the supplemental 
environmental analysis, the BLM and FS would make decisions regarding 
the Panel B and C Mine and Reclamation Plan and additional land use 
authorizations for the proposed mining activities, potentially 
including: lease modifications by the BLM and a Special Use Permit by 
the FS. In addition, a Section 404, Clean Water Act permit may be 
required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for the proposed 
operations.

Agency Decisions

    The BLM Pocatello Field Office Manager, who is the responsible 
official for the SEIS and on-lease lands, and the Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest Supervisor, who is the responsible official for 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest lands not on-lease will make separate 
decisions related to appropriate land use authorizations regarding this 
proposal considering: scoping comments and responses, anticipated 
environmental consequences discussed in the SEIS, and applicable laws, 
regulations, and policies. These decisions may include approval of a 
site specific Mine and Reclamation Plan; issuance of phosphate lease 
modifications by the BLM; and special use permits by the FS. A Section 
404, Clean Water Act Permit may also be required by the Corps. They 
would render a decision related to that permit and how to mitigate the 
impacts to affected wetlands and Waters of the United States.

DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described 
in this Notice should be received on or before April 24, 2000.

Scoping Procedure

    The scoping procedure to be used for this SEIS will involve the 
following: a broad mailing asking for comments, issues and concerns to 
interested and potentially affected individuals, groups, Federal, State 
and local government; news releases or legal notices; and public 
scoping meetings.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Linda Matthews, JBR Environmental 
Consultants, Inc., 8160 South Highland Drive, Suite A-4, Sandy, Utah 
84093, (env.com">lmatthews@jbr-env.com).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Cundick, Bureau of Land 
Management, Pocatello Field Office, 1111 N. 8th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho 
83201, phone (208) 478-6354; or Philippe de Hanaut, Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest, Soda Springs Ranger District, 421 W. Second

[[Page 15892]]

South, Soda Springs, Idaho 83276, phone (208) 547-4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed mining activities would consist 
of two open pits, known as Panels B and C, topsoil stockpiles, mine 
equipment parking areas, access and haul roads, a power line extension, 
external overburden storage areas, and runoff/sediment control 
facilities. Mining would include best management practices for control 
of releases of sediment and dissolved metals. The proposed open pits 
would be located on either side of Smoky Creek. The creek would be 
crossed in two locations by road fills. One of these road fills already 
exists for the mine access road and would be widened to accommodate the 
100-foot width of a new haul road. A second, new haul road fill would 
be constructed across Smoky Creek in a separate location. The existing 
Forest Service road in Smoky Canyon would cross the proposed haul roads 
at grade in two locations. The public road would be protected with 
traffic controls posted on either side. A culvert or retaining wall 
would be installed in Smoky Creek along the mining area to protect 
water quality during mining and would be removed along with any road 
fills not required for continued access road requirements during 
reclamation activities.
    Existing mine, maintenance, administrative, and milling facilities 
would be used during the mine period. Ore from the new panels would be 
beneficiated in the existing mill facilities and tailings would be 
deposited in the existing tailings disposal facilities. Ore concentrate 
would be transferred to the Don Plant in Pocatello, Idaho via the 
existing slurry pipeline transportation system. Water usage would 
continue as in the past with no increase in water consumption for the 
operations.
    Disturbed lands directly resulting from the proposed activities 
would total 656 acres. The new pits would include 353 acres and the 
rest of the disturbed acreage would be for roads, overburden disposal 
areas, and other support facilities. Approximately 605 acres of the 
proposed disturbance would be reclaimed by backfilling most of the 
proposed open pit areas, regrading fill slopes, spreading topsoil, 
planting of appropriate vegetation, and installation and maintenance of 
runoff and sediment control facilities.
    The BLM and FS believe, 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 EISs must structure their participation in the environmental 
review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to 
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 EIS stage but that are not raised until 
after completion of the final EIS 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 60-day comment period for the draft SEIS so that substantive 
comments and objections are made available to the BLM and FS at a time 
when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final 
SEIS.

Preliminary Issues

    Initially identified issues include potential effects on: ground 
water and surface water quantity and quality, wildlife and their 
habitats, livestock grazing, wetlands and riparian habitat, socio-
economics, and development of best management practices for mine 
operations.

Possible Alternatives

    The SEIS will analyze the Proposed Action and No Action 
Alternatives. Other alternatives to be considered would include 
altering portions of the proposed mining facilities or sequence and 
design parameters to provide mitigation for resources of concern.

Tentative SEIS Project Schedule

    The tentative project schedule is as follows:
     Begin Public Comment Period--March, 2000
     Hold Public Scoping Meetings--April, 2000
     Estimated date for Draft SEIS--February, 2001
     Public Comment Period on Draft SEIS--60 days from when the 
Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register

Public Scoping Meetings

    Two public scoping meetings will be held, each an open house type, 
from 7 pm-9 pm. The open houses will include displays explaining the 
project and a forum for commenting on the project. The meetings will be 
held as follows:
     Star Valley High School, Afton, Wyoming
     BLM Field Office, Pocatello, Idaho
    Information on the dates for the scoping meetings can be obtained 
from Linda Matthews, JBR Environmental Consultants, Inc., (801) 943-
4144, (env.com">lmatthews@jbr-env.com).

Public Input Requested

    The BLM and FS are seeking information and written comments from 
Federal, State and local agencies as well as individuals and 
organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed 
action. To assist the BLM and FS in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns related to the proposed action, comments for scoping, and 
later for the Draft SEIS, should be as specific as possible. Referring 
to specific pages or chapters of the SEIS or the merits of the 
alternatives formulated and discussed in the SEIS is most helpful.

    Dated: March 15, 2000.
Jeff Steele,
Manager, Pocatello Field Office, Bureau of Land Management.
Harold Klein,
Acting Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 00-7110 Filed 2-23-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-84-P, 3410-11-P