[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 226 (Wednesday, November 24, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71668-71669]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29477]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Cibota National Forest, Mount Taylor Ranger District, NM, Roca 
Honda Mine

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: Roca Honda Resources, LLC has submitted a Plan of Operations 
proposing to develop and conduct underground uranium mining operations 
on their mining claims on and near Jesus Mesa in the Mount Taylor 
Ranger District of the Cibola National Forest. The proposed mine is 
located within portions of Sections 9, 10 and 16, Township 13 North, 
Range 8 West, New Mexico Principal Meridian. These sections are located 
in McKinley County, New Mexico approximately three miles northwest of 
San Mateo and 22 miles northeast of Grants, New Mexico. Sections 9 and 
10 are National Forest System lands, which are open to mineral entry 
under the General Mining Law of 1872. Section 16 is State of New Mexico 
land, which is not subject to the regulatory jurisdiction of the Forest 
Service. Roca Honda proposes a mine permit area encompassing all three 
sections (1,920 acres) and a surface disturbance area of 183 acres 
within Sections 9, 10 and 16. Additional surface disturbance associated 
with the mine haul roads is proposed for Sections 11, 17 and 20. The 
Cibola National Forest will prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) to assess the development of a uranium mining operation on the 
Mount Taylor Ranger District.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by 30 days after the publication of the NOI. Public scoping open houses 
will be held during the scoping period in Grants and Gallup, New 
Mexico. The tentative schedule for the open houses is as follows: 
Tuesday, December 14, 2010, in Grants, New Mexico, and Thursday, 
December 16, 2010, in Gallup, New Mexico. The final times and locations 
of these meetings will be announced by public notice and will be posted 
on the Cibola National Forest Web site. The draft environmental impact 
statement is expected by the summer of 2011 and the final environmental 
impact statement and Record of Decision (ROD) is expected by the end of 
2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Diane Tafoya, Minerals Project 
Manager, Cibola National Forest, 2113 Osuna Road, NE., Albuquerque, NM 
87113.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, mail 
correspondence to Diane Tafoya, Minerals Project Manager, Cibola 
National Forest, 2113 Osuna Road, NE., Albuquerque, NM 87113.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for Action

    Roca Honda Resources, LLC has submitted a Plan of Operations for 
development of a uranium mine at the Roca Honda claims. The purpose of 
the EIS is to evaluate the environmental impacts of the proposed Plan 
of Operations and determine whether to approve the Plan as proposed or 
to require additional mitigation measures to protect the environment 
(in accordance with Forest Service regulations for locatable minerals).
    The need for action is to allow Roca Honda Resources, LLC to 
exercise their rights under U.S. mining laws. Roca Honda Resources, LLC 
has a right to develop and remove the mineral resources as set forth by 
the General Mining Law of 1872 as amended. The 1872 Mining Law and 1897 
Organic Act provide that the public has a statutory right to conduct 
prospecting, exploration, development and production activities on 
federal lands (unless specifically exempted), provided these activities 
are reasonably incident (1955 Multiple Use Mining Act and case law) to 
mining and comply with other federal laws.
    The Forest Service has the responsibility to protect surface 
resources. Mining regulations state that, ``operations shall be 
conducted so as, where feasible, to minimize adverse environmental 
effects on National Forest System surface resources (36 CFR 228.8),'' 
provided such regulation does not endanger or materially interfere with 
prospecting, mining, or processing operations or reasonably incidental 
uses (1955 Multiple Use Mining Act and case law).

Proposed Action

    Roca Honda proposes to conduct mining operations for a period of 
approximately 18-19 years, including mine development, operations and 
reclamation. The proposed mining operations consist of three phases: 
(1) Mine Development--baseline data gathering, initial site 
development, construction, and depressurizing activities, which would 
be conducted to facilitate mine shaft construction. Depressurizing 
activities include constructing a ring of wells around the perimeter of 
the area of the productions shafts into the Gallup, Dakota, and 
Westwater formations. These wells would be installed in advance of 
shaft construction and pumped in order to relieve the hydrostatic 
pressure in the formation, thus reducing the amount of water flowing 
into the shaft excavation as it advances through the formation. Five 
ventilation shafts, 8-10 ft in diameter, and two concrete-lined 
production shafts, 18 ft in diameter, would be constructed. (2) Mine 
Operation activities directly related to production of uranium ore from 
the underground mine, and transport of the ore offsite for mineral 
processing. Soils, rock, and ore would be stockpiled on the surface. Up 
to 4,000 gallons per minute of water would be pumped from the mine and 
treated prior to discharge in a tributary of San Mateo Creek. (3) Mine 
Reclamation--activities intended to reclaim land affected by mine 
development and operation, and to return that land to an approved post-
mining land use (grazing).
    The proposed federal action is to approve Roca Honda Resources, 
LLC's Plan of Operations with mitigations needed to protect other non-
mineral surface resources consistent with Forest Plan, regulations, and 
other applicable laws.

[[Page 71669]]

Possible Alternatives

    1. No. Action. 2. Approve the Plan as presented by Roca Honda 
Resources, LLC. 3. Approve the Plan as presented with stipulations 
necessary to protect the non-mineral resources of the area.

Responsible Official

    Nancy Rose, Forest Supervisor, Cibola National Forest. 2113 Osuna 
Road, NE., Albuquerque, NM 87113.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor will use the EIS process to develop the 
necessary information to make an informed decision on whether or not to 
approve the proposed Plan as submitted, or to decide what additional 
mitigations are needed to protect other resources as provided for in 36 
CFR 228.8.

Preliminary Issues

    Four preliminary issues have been identified: (1) Mine development 
and operations could potentially affect surface and ground water 
quality. (2) Mine development and operation may adversely affect the 
characteristics that make the Mt. Taylor Traditional Cultural Property 
(TCP) eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. (3) Legacy 
health issues with past uranium mining remain an issue in the region, 
raising concerns that the proposed mining could result in effects to 
workers and general public health. (4) Mine development and operations 
could induce local economic development by increasing jobs, income, 
expenditures, and the tax base. Other potential issues are air quality 
degradation from fugitive dust and radon gas emissions, traffic 
control, road construction standards, and uranium ore transport.

Permits or Licenses Required

    The approved Plan of Operations authorizes mining. Operations must 
be consistent with Forest Service Conditions of Approval, and other 
applicable laws and regulations, including state permits for mining in 
New Mexico.

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. Comments are 
solicited and are welcome for 30 days beginning on the publication date 
of this notice.
    Scoping will include this NOI, listing in the Quarterly Schedule of 
Proposed Actions, letters to interested and affected individuals, 
agencies, and organizations, and legal notices, and the open houses in 
Grants and Gallup, New Mexico. Additional information about the 
project, schedule, permits and approvals, and opportunities for public 
involvement will be available at the open houses and after those dates 
by contacting Diane Tafoya, Forest Service point of contact. The intent 
of scoping is to solicit comments on issues and alternatives that 
agencies and the public feel should be addressed in the EIS.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a way that they are useful to the Agency's preparation of 
the EIS. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close of 
the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's 
concerns and contentions. The submission of timely and specific 
comments can affect a reviewer's ability to participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered; however, anonymous comments will not provide 
the respondent with standing to participate in subsequent 
administrative review or judicial review.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; 36 CFR 220.4.

    Dated: November 16, 2010.
Nancy Rose,
Forest Supervisor Cibola National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2010-29477 Filed 11-23-10; 8:45 am]
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