[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21401-21402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-9074]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMP02000 L71220000.EX0000 LVTFGX9G4200]
Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS for the HB In-Situ
Solution Mine Project, Eddy County, NM
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 HB In-
Situ Solution Mine 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 HB In-Situ Solution Mine Project Draft EIS
within 60 days following the date of publication of this 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 HB In-Situ Solution
Mine Project by any of the following methods:
Web site: http://www.nm.blm.gov/cfo/HBIS/index.html
E-mail: [email protected]
Fax: 575-885-9264
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, 620 E. Greene St.,
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220
Copies of the HB In-Situ Solution Mine Project proposal are
available in the Carlsbad Field Office at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact David Alderman, Assistant
Project Manager; telephone 575-234-6232; address 620 E. Greene St.,
Carlsbad, New Mexico 88220; 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: Intrepid Potash, Inc. (Intrepid) is
proposing to extract potash, a potassium compound commonly used for
fertilizer, remaining in inactive underground mine workings using
solution mining methods. Intrepid proposes to construct and operate a
solution mining project in an existing deep mine located approximately
20 miles northeast of Carlsbad in Eddy County, New Mexico, in the
Secretary's Potash Area.
The potash left in the pillars and walls of the inactive
underground mine workings is not accessible through conventional
methods. The proposed action is to inject saline water into the mine
workings, dissolve potash, and extract the mineral solution. This
mineral-rich solution would be pumped to the surface and transported
through a series of surface pipelines to evaporation ponds. Once the
solution evaporates in the ponds, the potassium-bearing salts would be
harvested from the ponds and transported to a newly constructed mill
for ore refinement.
The project area is located in portions of Township 19 South, Range
30 and 31 East, Township 20 South, Ranges 29, 30 and 31 East and
Township 21 South, Ranges 29 and 30 East, New Mexico Principal
Meridian. The project area, which encompasses the proposed facilities
and inactive workings under consideration, includes a total of 38,453
acres, of which 82 percent is on public lands managed by the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Four thousand
three hundred and thirty acres of open mine workings are targeted for
flooding but the total surface footprint of the project would be 822
acres.
[[Page 21402]]
The BLM initiated the NEPA process for the HB In-Situ Solution Mine
Project by preparing an environmental assessment (EA) in 2008. Two
public scoping meetings were held on September 16, 2008, to receive
public input and comments on the proposed project. During development
of the EA and prior to publication, the BLM determined that the
preparation of an EIS would be required for the proposed project. The
Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS for the HB In-Situ Solution Mine
Project was published in the Federal Register on January 12, 2010, and
two public scoping meetings were conducted on January 26, 2010. A
scoping report was compiled and published on April 1, 2010. Major
issues identified for this project include water use, ground
subsidence, and the concurrent development of oil and gas resources in
the same area.
Alternatives developed include the proposed action (Alternative A)
which uses non-potable water supplied by seven wells in the Rustler
formation. Alternative B includes six of the seven wells from the
proposed action but also considers that a substantial portion of the
water needed for the project would be supplied from fresh water wells
in the Caprock formation (Ogallala Aquifer) 30 miles northeast of the
project area. Alternative C buries the pipelines to reduce surface
impacts. An alternate routing of pipelines to the Caprock is also being
considered under Alternative B.
Currently, a preferred alternative has not been selected.
Alternative A uses a greater quantity of non-potable saline water;
however, this has impacts to the environment from the drawdown of the
aquifer. Alternative B uses a greater quantity of potable fresh water
but impacts from drawdown of the aquifers would be reduced.
Please note that public comments and information submitted
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at
the above address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 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.
Linda S.C. Rundell,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2011-9074 Filed 4-14-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-OX-P