[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 207 (Friday, October 26, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60881-60882]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 07-5333]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[ID 320 7122 EO 7979]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) for the Smoky Canyon Mine, Panels F and G

AGENCIES: DOI Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Lead Agency; USDA Forest 
Service (FS), Co-lead Agency; and the State of Idaho, Idaho Department 
of Environmental Quality, Cooperating Agency.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Smoky Canyon Mine, Panels F and G Mine Expansion 
Project.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et. seq.) and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et. seq.), the DOI Bureau 
of Land Management (Lead Agency) and the USDA Forest Service (Co-lead 
Agency) announce the availability of the FEIS for the Smoky Canyon 
Mine, Panels F and G Mine Expansion Project.

DATES: The FEIS is now available for public review. The BLM Record of 
Decision will be released no sooner than 30 days after publication of a 
Notice of Availability of the FEIS in the Federal Register by the 
Environmental Protection Agency.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS have been sent to affected Federal, 
State, and local Government agencies and to interested parties. The 
FEIS will be available in limited quantities at the Bureau of Land 
Management, Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, Idaho 
83204, phone (208) 478-6340 and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 
Soda Springs Ranger District, 410 E. Hooper Avenue, Soda Springs, Idaho 
83276, phone (208) 547-4356. It will also be available on the BLM Web 
site at: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/fo/pocatello/programs/planning/smoky_canyon_mine.html and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest Web 
site at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/caribou-targhee/phosphate.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bill Stout, Bureau of Land Management, 
phone (208) 478-6340; or Jeff Jones, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 
phone (208) 236-7572.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The FEIS was prepared to provide decision 
makers and the public with a complete and objective evaluation of 
significant environmental impacts, beneficial and adverse, resulting 
from the proposed action and from all reasonable alternatives.
    The proposed extension of on-going mining operations, into Panels F 
and G, lies within the Caribou-Targhee National Forest in Southeast 
Idaho, on lands administered by the FS associated with two Federal 
phosphate leases held by the J.R. Simplot Company (the lessee, 
hereinafter referred to as the proponent) and are administered by the 
BLM under authority of the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. Mining, to 
recover phosphate ore, and reclamation would take place over an 
estimated 16-year period. The environmental impacts of the proponent's 
Proposed Action, six mining alternatives, one no-mining alternative, 
and eight transportation alternatives are analyzed in the FEIS.
    The BLM Idaho State Director, or delegated official, will consult 
with the Caribou-Targhee National Forest Supervisor regarding surface 
management and mitigation on leased lands within the Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest and will make a decision regarding approval of the 
proposed Mine & Reclamation Plan and several proposed lease 
modifications. The FS will also make a decision whether to authorize 
off-lease facilities such as roads and power lines.
    The proposed Mine & Reclamation Plan was submitted by the proponent 
in April 2003. The plan consists of the development of two open mine 
pits (Panel F, to be located on Federal Phosphate Lease I-27512, and 
Panel G,

[[Page 60882]]

to be located on Federal Phosphate Lease I-01441); extension of a power 
line from the existing Smoky Canyon facilities; construction of 
permanent external overburden storage areas and runoff/sediment control 
facilities; and construction of an electrical substation and other mine 
support facilities. A 2.5-mile haul/access road is proposed to 
transport ore from Panel F to the existing mill at the Smoky Canyon 
Mine. Once Panel F is mined out, an additional 7.8-mile haul road is 
proposed to be constructed from Panel G to the existing Panel F, to 
transport ore to the mill.
    The proposed Panel F pit would extend off of the existing lease. 
The proponent has applied for a lease modification to enlarge Federal 
Phosphate Lease I-27512 to accommodate those operations. The 
application includes two tracts, the North Lease Modification and the 
South Lease Modification, both for the purpose of ore recovery. 
Subsequent to preparation of the DEIS, the proponent has also applied 
for a lease modification to Federal Phosphate Lease I-01441 to 
accommodate 18 acres of off-lease external overburden fill at Panel G. 
The environmental impacts of mining off of the existing leases, within 
the lease modification areas, are analyzed in the FEIS.
    Many of these proposed activities would occur within Forest Service 
Inventoried Roadless Areas. Inventoried Roadless Areas are managed 
according to local land use plans and Forest Service roadless 
management regulations, such as the Roadless Area Conservation Rule 
(RACR). The Agency Preferred Alternative identified in the FEIS may be 
modified in the Record of Decision to comply with laws and regulations 
applicable at that time.
    The agency Preferred Alternative would approve mining both leases 
described as Panel F and Panel G. To accommodate the proposed off-lease 
mining, BLM would approve the lease modifications to I-27512 (Panel F). 
As described in Mining Alternative D, BLM would require construction of 
a Store and Release cover system to reduce the infiltration of water 
through seleniferous backfill and external seleniferous overburden 
fills. The FS would require power line placement on poles along the 
haul road corridor, as described in Mining Alternative E. The 
transportation route between Panel F and the existing mine would be 
constructed according to the Proposed Action. The agency Preferred 
Transportation Alternative to access Panel G is the Proposed Action, 
Panel G West Haul/Access Road. The environmentally preferable 
transportation alternative would be Alternative 2, the East Haul/Access 
Road. The Alternative 2 road alignment crosses a portion of private 
land. Implementation of this alternative is contingent upon the 
proponent's ability to secure an easement across the private land. 
Access to Panel G is not required for several years. During that time, 
if Simplot and the private land holder were to come to a mutual 
agreement that would provide Simplot an easement, the East Haul/Access 
Road would replace the Panel G West Haul/Access Road.

Alternatives

    Issues were identified for the proposed mining of Panels F and G by 
the agencies and by the public during the scoping process. They include 
potential effects on: ground water, surface water, geology and 
minerals, air quality and noise, soils, vegetation, wetlands, wildlife, 
fisheries and aquatic life, livestock grazing, recreation, Inventoried 
Roadless Areas, socio-economics, visual resources, cultural resources, 
and Tribal Treaty Resources. Alternatives to the proposed action were 
developed to address these issues.
    Mining alternatives include mining without one or both lease 
modifications to Panel F, no external seleniferous overburden fills, no 
external overburden fills at all, construction of an infiltration-
reducing cover over seleniferous material, constructing the power line 
only within proposed disturbance, and using generators in Panel G 
instead of a power line. The transportation alternatives include one 
variation on the haul road between Panel F and the existing mine, two 
variations of a haul road from Panel G located east of the project 
area, a more direct haul road from Panel G to Panel F, a variation of 
the proposed West Haul Road, and using a conveyor system to transport 
ore from Panel G to the existing mill. Two variations of the conveyor 
alternative are assessed with alternate routes for moving personnel and 
equipment between Panel G and the existing mine.

Jeff Cundick,
Acting District Manager, Idaho Falls District, Bureau of Land 
Management.

Larry Timchak,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 07-5333 Filed 10-25-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P