[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 22 (Monday, February 3, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5306-5307]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-2368]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[UT-020-03-2640-HO-UTZA]


Notice

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that an administrative settlement 
agreement under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation 
and Liability Act is available for public comment.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Under section 122(i) of the Comprehensive 
Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (``CERCLA''), 
42 U.S.C. 9622(i), notice is hereby given that on October 30, 2002, the 
Bureau of Land Management (``BLM''), by and through the Department of 
the Interior and with the concurrence of the Department of Justice, 
signed a proposed administrative settlement agreement (``Agreement'') 
concerning the Manning Canyon Mill Site (``Site'') located near 
Fairfield, Utah.
    The Site comprises public land managed by the BLM and private land 
owned by Leo Ault, Howard Ault, Louis O. Ault, Leonard Ault, and 
Virginia A. Coleman (collectively hereinafter the ``Ault family''). A 
milling facility located at the Site produced approximately 720,000 
cubic yards of tailings and other mine wastes between 1890 and 1937. 
These tailings were disposed of in tailings impoundments behind earthen 
dams that subsequently breached, allowing tailings to migrate down 
gradient from the Site. BLM and the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency conducted a preliminary assessment of the tailings impoundments 
on-Site as well as downstream areas to which tailings had migrated. BLM 
completed a site inspection in September, 1999. Sampling results 
revealed elevated levels of lead, mercury, arsenic and other hazardous 
substances in the tailings. BLM performed an engineering evaluation/
cost analysis (``EE/CA'') of response alternatives and, by action 
memorandum dated May 8, 2001, selected a non-time-critical removal 
action from among the alternatives

[[Page 5307]]

analyzed. BLM is currently implementing this removal action by which an 
engineered tailings repository will be built on-Site to consolidate 
tailings in order to prevent future migration of or exposure to 
hazardous substances. BLM expects that this removal action will fully 
protect human health and the environment from risks associated with 
hazardous substances at the Site.
    Through the proposed Agreement the United States and the Ault 
family would resolve the alleged liability of the Ault family under 
section 107 of CERCLA, 42 U.S.C. 9607. The Ault family would provide 
resources and materials needed to implement the removal action. In 
addition, the proposed Agreement would authorize BLM to construct a 
portion of the tailings repository on Ault family property. The BLM 
estimates that the proposed Agreement with the Ault family will reduce 
the total response costs incurred to clean up the Manning Canyon Mill 
Site by approximately $4.5 million.
    The BLM will receive comments on the proposed Agreement for a 
period of 30 days from the date of this publication. Comments should 
refer to the Manning Canyon Mill Site. The proposed Agreement may be 
examined at the BLM Salt Lake Field Office. A copy of the proposed 
Agreement may also be obtained from the BLM Salt Lake Field Office upon 
request. Comments or requests to obtain a copy of the proposed 
Agreement should be addressed to: Tim Ingwell, BLM Salt Lake Field 
Office, 2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84119, (801) 977-4353.

    Dated: December 5, 2002.
Glenn A. Carpenter,
Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. 03-2368 Filed 1-31-03; 8:45 am]
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