[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 68 (Friday, April 8, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19786-19787]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-8333]



[[Page 19786]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[OR-65891, LLORB00000-L51010000-GN0000-LVRWH09H0560; HAG-11-0038]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Celatom Mine Expansion Project in Harney and Malheur 
Counties, OR

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
Celatom Mine Expansion Project and by this notice is announcing the 
opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS within 45 days following the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register. The BLM will announce future meetings or hearings 
and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days in advance 
through public notices, media releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Celatom Mine 
Expansion Project by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected];
     Mail: Celatom Mine Expansion Project Lead, BLM Burns 
District Office, 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738;
     Fax: (541) 573-4411, Attention Celatom Mine Expansion 
Project Lead; or
     Written comments may also be hand-delivered to the BLM 
Burns District Office at the address shown above.
    Copies of the Draft EIS are available at the Burns District Office 
at the address listed above and electronically at the following Web 
site: http://www.blm.gov/or/districts/burns/plans/index.php.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact 
William Dragt, Celatom Mine Expansion Project Lead, telephone (541) 
573-448-4400; address 28910 Highway 20 West, Hines, Oregon 97738; or e-
mail [email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: EP Minerals (EPM), formally known as 
EaglePicher Minerals, operates a diatomaceous earth mine complex 
(Celatom Mine Complex), approximately 50 miles east of Burns and 60 
miles west of Vale, Oregon. The Celatom Mine Complex currently consists 
of three open-pit mines: Kelley Field (on BLM-administered land), 
Section 36 (on State land), and Beede Desert (on private land) in 
Harney and Malheur Counties, Oregon.
    Existing EPM mining operations on BLM-administered land in the 
Project Area were described in a Mine Plan of Operations (MPO) 
submitted by EPM to the BLM in 1984.
    The total MPO area was 1,634 acres. The BLM approved the MPO after 
completion of an Environmental Assessment in 1985 (BLM 1985). Existing 
EPM stockpile operations on 35 acres of BLM-administered land at the 
Vines Hill Stockpile Area (VHSA) approximately 14 miles west of Vale, 
Oregon, were described in an MPO submitted by EPM and approved by the 
Vale District BLM in 1986 (BLM 1986). Existing EPM mining operations on 
private and State land in the Project Area and EPM mill operations on 
private land approximately 7 miles west of Vale operate under county 
and State permits. During preparation of this EIS, EPM is authorized to 
continue operations within the Project Area on BLM-administered land as 
approved by BLM in 1985, at the VHSA as approved by BLM in 1986, and on 
private and State lands permitted by county and State agencies.
    In 2008, EPM submitted an MPO to the BLM for 12,640 acres. The MPO 
area includes expanded mining operations on 1,131 acres of BLM 
administered lands which would be disturbed for decades plus 
exploration and sampling on 250 acres which would be disturbed for 
several years and then reclaimed. The remaining 11,259 acres in the MPO 
area lies between the mines. This area will be largely undisturbed by 
mining activities except for 5 acres for a new connector road and 250 
acres to be used for exploration and sampling. Except for safety 
considerations, this area also remains open to BLM's multiple uses. Due 
to the size of the proposed operations, the BLM determined preparation 
of an EIS is necessary to comply with the requirements of the NEPA. The 
Draft EIS analyzes proposed activities on BLM-administered land and 
cumulative effects from proposed activities on State-administered and 
private land, all within the project boundary. This Draft EIS would 
analyze EPM's proposed MPO as well as changes or conditions necessary 
to meet the performance standards of 43 Code of Federal Regulations 
(CFR) 3809.420 to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation. The 
proposed operations associated with the project include:
    (1) Expanding operations: At the Kelly Field area, expand mining 
operations to 72.5 acres of BLM-administered land; in Section 36, 
expand mining operations on State-administered land; at Beede Desert, 
construct two new roads to connect Hidden Valley and Section 36 and 
establish access from Hidden Valley north to Eagle; and, at Puma 
claims, expand operations on private land to 5 acres.
    (2) Developing new mining operations on BLM-administered land on 
225 acres at Hidden Valley, 462.5 acres in North Kelly Field, 50 acres 
in Section 25, and 286 acres in Eagle.
    (3) Exploratory drilling on 200 acres of BLM-administered land, as 
well as development drilling, sampling, trenching, and bulk sampling on 
50 acres of BLM-administered land within the project boundary. 
Exploration and subsequent trenching and bulk sampling would be 
conducted to delineate boundaries of known ore reserves and to explore 
for new deposits. These activities could occur on BLM-administered 
lands anywhere within the Project Area. Activities under the Proposed 
Action, including final reclamation, would be conducted over the course 
of approximately 50 years. EPM proposes no changes to the permitted 
operations at VHSA.
    The proposed types of expansion of mining operations and 
development of new mining operations in the Project Area include open 
pit mines, roads within the mine operations areas, and other operations 
such as stock piling and ancillary features such as service areas.
    A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Celatom Mine Expansion 
Project was published in the Federal Register on September 15, 2008 (73 
FR 53268). Public participation was solicited through the media, 
mailings, and the BLM Web site. Public meetings were held in Burns and 
Vale, Oregon, in October 2008. Major issues brought forward during the 
public scoping process and addressed in the Draft EIS include: Air 
Quality; Forestry and Woodlands; Geology and Minerals; Grazing 
Management; Land Use and Realty; Migratory Birds; Noise;

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Recreation; Social and Economic Values; Soils; Special Status Species; 
Transportation and Roads; Vegetation; Visual Resources; Water Quality; 
Wetlands and Riparian Zones; Wilderness Characteristics; and Wildlife 
and Fisheries.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses and e-mail addresses of respondents 
will be available for public review and disclosure at the above BLM 
address during regular business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday 
through Friday, except holidays.
    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 can 
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: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Kenny McDaniel,
District Manager, Burns.
[FR Doc. 2011-8333 Filed 4-7-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-33-P