[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 97 (Friday, May 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27675-27677]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-12512]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[ID-075-1330-AC-241E]


North Rasmussen Ridge Mine, BLM Pocatello Field Office and 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Caribou County, ID

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

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), Pocatello Field Office and the Department of Agriculture, Forest 
Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, will jointly prepare 
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and 
disclose the environmental and human effects of the proposed North 
Rasmussen Ridge Mine and Reclamation Plan for future operations at the 
existing Rasmussen Ridge Mine, Caribou County, Idaho, located 
approximately 25 miles northeast of Soda Springs, Idaho. The proposed 
mining operations would utilize land administered by the U.S. Forest 
Service and Bureau of Land Management. Mining will take place on 
Federal Phosphate Leases I-04375, I-07619 within the Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest, and in State Lease I-7957 adjacent the Federal 
Phosphate Leases.
    Nu-West Industries, Inc. (Agrium) must obtain federal and state 
permits prior to mining under the proposed mine plan. The existing 
mining operation was authorized by Decision Records (DR) associated 
with two environmental analyses prepared--the DR first issued in 1990 
for the South Rasmussen Ridge Mine and the second DR in1997 for Central 
Rasmussen Ridge Mine. The conditional permits granted by the BLM and 
USFS at the beginning of the Rasmussen Ridge 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 South and Central Rasmussen 
Ridge mining panels were assessed in the 1990 and 1997 EAs, however 
this EIS would evaluate the effects of the proposed North Rasmussen 
Ridge Mine and

[[Page 27676]]

Reclamation Plan in light of additional information on selenium and 
other potential contaminants collected since 1997. Based on the EIS 
analysis, the BLM would make decisions regarding the North Rasmussen 
Ridge Mine and Reclamation Plan and additional land use authorizations 
for the proposed mining activities, including lease modifications by 
the BLM. 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 EIS and administers mineral 
development activities on Federal leases, will consider approval of a 
mine and reclamation plan. The Caribou-Targhee National Forest 
Supervisor, who is the responsible official for Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest lands not on-lease, would make a related recommendation 
of appropriate land use authorizations regarding this proposal. The 
recommendation and decision will include consideration of scoping 
comments and responses; anticipated environmental consequences 
discussed in the EIS; and applicable laws, regulations, and policies. 
Decisions may include approval of site-specific Mine and Reclamation 
Plans; issuance of phosphate lease modifications by the BLM; and 
possible modification of existing special use permits for roads, ponds, 
and ditches by the USFS. 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 June 18, 2001.
    Scoping Procedure: The scoping procedure to be used for this EIS 
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 Jerry Koblitz, Greystone 
Environmental Consultants, Inc., 5231 Quebec Street, Greenwood Village, 
CO 80111. They may also be submitted by e-mail to consultants.com">jkoblitz@greystone-consultants.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendell Johnson, Bureau of Land 
Management, Pocatello Field Office, 1111 N. 8th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho 
83201, phone (208) 478-6353; or Darrel VandeWeg, Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest, Soda Springs Ranger District, 421 W. Second South, 
Soda Springs, Idaho 83276, phone (208) 547-4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed mining activities consist of 
the extension of open pit mining to the northern end of Lease I-04375, 
into State Lease I-7957, then into Federal Lease I-07619--known as 
North Rasmussen Ridge. In addition, a topsoil stockpile, haul road, and 
runoff/sediment control facilities would be constructed. Mining would 
include best management practices for control of releases of sediment 
and dissolved metals. The proposed open pits would be located along 
Rasmussen Ridge and would cross the upper west fork of an ephemeral 
stream known locally as No Name Creek. The creek would be temporarily 
diverted, then reestablished in it's original location after mining has 
been concluded. A haulroad would be constructed on the east side of the 
proposed open pit and would extend along the hillside adjacent to the 
upper west fork of Sheep Creek and into the upper reach of Reese 
Canyon. The existing Forest Service road that was built for timber 
access into upper Sheep Creek has been temporarily closed to the 
public. The road would remain closed until mining has been completed in 
Central and North Rasmussen Ridge. The public would be allowed access 
into the upper Sheep Creek using the existing USFS road DFR 192 from 
Lanes Creek to Midnight Springs.
    Existing mine, haul roads, maintenance, and administrative 
facilities would be used during the mine period. Ore from the North 
Rasmussen Ridge Mine would be hauled by truck to Agrium's railroad 
loading facility located on private property in Wooley Valley. Ore is 
then transported to Agrium's Conda Plant located approximately seven 
miles north of Soda Springs, Idaho. Overburden from the mining activity 
would be used to backfill previously mined panels in Central and North 
Rasmussen Ridge.
    Disturbed lands directly resulting from the proposed activities 
would total 329.1 acres. The new pits would include 254.6 acres and the 
rest of the disturbed acreage would be for roads, ponds, and growth 
media piles. Approximately 248.4 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 USFS 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 EIS so that substantive 
comments and objections are made available to the BLM and USFS at a 
time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the 
final EIS.

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 EIS will analyze the Proposed Action and No Action 
Alternatives. Other alternatives may include alterations to portions of 
the proposed mining plan or sequence and design parameters to provide 
mitigation for resources of concern.

Tentative EIS Project Schedule

    The tentative project schedule is as follows:
     Begin Public Comment Period--April, 2001
     Hold Public Scoping Meetings--May, 2001
     Estimated date for Draft EIS--May, 2002
     Public Comment Period on Draft EIS--60 days from when the 
Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register
     Final EIS--September 2002
     Record of Decision--October 2002

Public Scoping Meetings

    Two public scoping meetings will be held, each an open house, from 
7:00 PM-9:00 PM. The open houses would

[[Page 27677]]

include displays explaining the project and a forum for commenting on 
the project. Scoping meetings will be held in the Soda Springs City 
Office Building, Soda Springs, Idaho, and in the BLM Field Office, 
Pocatello, Idaho. Dates for the two scoping meetings will be published 
in the Caribou County Sun and in the Idaho State Journal newspapers.

Public Input Requested

    The BLM and USFS 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 USFS in identifying and considering 
issues and concerns related to the proposed action, comments for 
scoping, and later for the Draft EIS, should be as specific as 
possible. Referring to specific pages or chapters of the EIS or the 
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the EIS is most 
helpful. All scoping comments are due 30 days after publication in the 
Idaho State Journal.

    Dated: April 18, 2001.
Jeff S. Steele,
BLM Pocatello Field Manager.
Jerry Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 01-12512 Filed 5-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P