[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 148 (Tuesday, August 3, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45652-45653]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-19054]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLIDI03000.L71220000.EX0000.XXXX.LVTFD0977180; IDI-33145, IDI-35728]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement and 
Resource Management Plan Amendment for the Proposed Modification to the 
Thompson Creek Mine Plan of Operations, Section 404 Clean Water Act 
Permit Application, and Public Land Disposal, Custer and Bannock 
Counties, ID

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 
Challis Field Office, Idaho intends to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental effects of the 
proposed approval by the BLM and U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) 
of a modified mining plan of operations (MMPO) for the Thompson Creek 
molybdenum mine in Custer County, Idaho and the potential for disposal 
of BLM-administered public lands. The MMPO would allow an approximate 
15-year extension of the mine life and an expansion of some facilities, 
requiring additional surface disturbance on approximately 350 acres of 
Federal lands and approximately 80 acres of private land. The EIS will 
include analysis of the potential environmental effects to waters of 
the United States that could occur under the MMPO. The Thompson Creek 
Mining Company (TCMC), has also proposed to exchange 900 acres of 
private lands owned by TCMC in Custer and Bannock counties for 5,000 
acres of BLM-administered public land in the vicinity of the mine in 
Custer County, including the BLM-administered public land involved in 
the MMPO. The EIS will also evaluate a proposed amendment to the BLM 
Challis Field Office 1999 Resource Management Plan (RMP), to identify 
if the public land involved would be available for disposal pursuant to 
the FLPMA.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. To 
be included in the Draft EIS comments must be submitted in writing 
using any of the methods described in the ADDRESSES section below until 
30 days after publication of this notice in the Federal Register or 30 
days after the last public meeting held to obtain scoping input, 
whichever is later. When a public meeting is held, documentation of 
that meeting and the list of attendees will be available to the public 
for 30 days so that any participant who wishes to clarify the views he 
or she expressed may do so. The date(s) and location(s) of any public 
scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days in advance of the 
meetings through local media, newspapers, individual mailing, and the 
following BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/nepa/nepa/thompson_creek_mine.html. Additional opportunities for public 
participation will be provided upon publication of the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments regarding the proposed actions and 
planning criteria, and request to have your name added to the mailing 
list for the EIS by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected];
     Fax: (801) 942-1852, attention Brian Buck; or
     Mail: Thompson Creek Mine EIS, c/o Brian Buck, JBR 
Environmental Consultants, 8160 South Highland Drive, Sandy, Utah 
84093.
    The public may also examine documents pertinent to the proposed 
actions at the BLM Challis Field Office, 1151 Blue Mountain Road, 
Challis, Idaho 83226 during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. Project 
information and documents will also be available on the following Web 
site: http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/nepa/nepa/thompson_creek_mine.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: BLM Challis Field Office, telephone 
(208) 879-6200; address 1151 Blue Mountain Road, Challis, Idaho 83226. 
Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at (800) 877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: TCMC owns and operates the Thompson Creek 
molybdenum mine, located 7 miles northwest of Clayton and 21 miles 
southwest of Challis in Custer County, Idaho. The mine has been in 
operation since 1981 and is permitted for about 3,400 acres of surface 
disturbance, of which approximately 2,300 acres are private land and 
approximately 1,100 acres are Federal lands administered by the BLM and 
the Forest Service.
    TCMC has proposed to modify its mining plan of operations. The 
proposed MMPO would allow mining to be extended by about 15 years, 
ending around 2030. The MMPO would expand two waste rock storage 
facilities and the tailings impoundment, requiring additional surface 
disturbance on about 350 acres of Federal lands, and 80 acres of 
private land. As a separate action TCMC has proposed to exchange 900 
acres of private land owned by TCMC in Custer and Bannock counties for 
5,000 acres of BLM-administered land near the mine in Custer County. 
The BLM is currently conducting a feasibility analysis of the proposed 
exchange. Upon completion of the feasibility analysis, the BLM may 
enter into an Agreement to Initiate a Land Exchange with TCMC and 
subsequently publish a separate Notice of Exchange Proposal (NOEP) in 
the newspapers servicing Custer and Bannock counties. Public comments 
received in response to the NOEP would be considered in the EIS if the 
NOEP is issued.

[[Page 45653]]

    In response to these proposals (1) The BLM will decide whether to 
approve the portion of the MMPO involving BLM-administered public land 
under BLM regulations at 43 CFR 3809; (2) the Forest Service will 
decide whether to approve the portion of the MMPO involving National 
Forest System lands under Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR part 228 
subpart A; (3) the USACE will decide whether to issue a permit under 
section 404 of the CWA and USACE regulations at 33 CFR part 320 to 
discharge fill materials into waters of the United States; (4) the BLM 
will decide whether to amend the Challis RMP pursuant to Section 202 of 
FLPMA and BLM regulations at 43 CFR part 1600, and identify the public 
land involved for disposal; and (5) the BLM will decide whether to 
approve a land disposal action.
    The authorizations by the Forest Service for National Forest System 
lands and USACE may be required to implement the MMPO regardless of 
whether the BLM approves a land disposal action. If TCMC obtains title 
to all of the BLM-administered land within the mine area, the BLM's 
approval of the MMPO would no longer be necessary because the BLM does 
not regulate mining operations on private land. On the other hand, if 
TCMC obtains title to only some of the BLM-administered land involved 
with the MMPO, then any continuing mining operations on BLM-
administered land would require BLM authorization under 43 CFR part 
3809.
    The purpose and need of the proposed actions are for (1) The BLM to 
respond to TCMC's proposed MMPO, which would enable TCMC to continue 
reasonable development of the existing mine in compliance with BLM laws 
and regulations (FLPMA, 43 CFR 3809); (2) the Forest Service to 
similarly respond to the MMPO in compliance with Forest Service laws 
and regulations (Organic Act of 1897; 36 CFR 228, Subpart A); (3) the 
USACE to respond to TCMC's application for a permit to discharge fill 
materials into waters of the United States, as necessary in the MMPO, 
in compliance with USACE laws and regulations (CWA, 33 CFR 320); (4) 
the BLM to consider amending the Challis RMP to allow a land disposal 
in compliance with Section 102 of FLPMA, and (5) the BLM to respond to 
TCMC's proposal for a land exchange and determine if a public land 
disposal would be in the public interest pursuant to FLPMA.
    The No Action alternative (i.e., completion of mining and 
reclamation under the current mining plan of operations) and 
alternatives that consider the RMP amendment and various aspects of the 
proposed MMPO and public land disposal will be analyzed. Alternatives 
identified to date for the MMPO include using different locations for 
waste rock storage and alternative reclamation measures. Alternatives 
identified to date for the possible public land disposal include 
exchange of private land for public land; how the public and private 
lands would be managed if these lands were exchanged, including 
analysis of potential impacts of conducting the mining operations 
identified in the proposed MMPO under the applicable statutory and 
regulatory authority; and possible variations in the amount of public 
land and/or restrictions on the public land that might be exchanged. 
The planning criteria for the RMP amendment would include that lands 
identified for disposal would serve the national interest and that 
newly acquired lands or interests in lands would be managed for their 
highest potential or for the purposes for which they were acquired.
    By this notice, the BLM is complying with the requirements in 43 
CFR 1610.2(c) to notify the public of potential amendments to land use 
plans, predicated on the analysis in the EIS. The BLM will integrate 
the land use planning process with the NEPA process for the EIS. The 
BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA commenting process to satisfy 
the public involvement for section 106 of the National Historic 
Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided for in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3).
    The BLM is the lead Federal agency for the NEPA analysis process 
and preparation of the EIS. The BLM anticipates that the Forest 
Service, the USACE; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Idaho 
Department of Environmental Quality, and the Idaho Department of will 
be cooperating agencies. Other cooperating agencies may be identified 
during the scoping process.
    Native American tribal consultation will be conducted in accordance 
with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due consideration, 
including impacts on Indian trust assets. Federal, State, and local 
agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be interested or 
affected by the proposed actions subject to the EIS are invited to 
participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be 
requested by the BLM to participate as a cooperating agency.
    The public is invited to submit comments and resource information 
as well as identify issues, concerns and alternatives to be analyzed in 
the EIS. Public input should be as specific as possible (i.e., clearly 
articulate concerns and contentions) to best assist in the NEPA 
process. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, 
or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should 
be aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you may 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 33 CFR 325.3; 43 CFR 1610.2.

David Rosenkrance,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 2010-19054 Filed 8-2-10; 8:45 am]
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