[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 35 (Wednesday, February 22, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10472-10475]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3938]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


San Bernardino National Forest, Mountaintop Ranger District, 
California, Mitsubishi South Quarry Expansion Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: Mitsubishi Cement Corporation is submitting to the San 
Bernardino National Forest and San Bernardino County, for permitting, a 
Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan for the South Quarry. The South 
Quarry will total approximately 153.6 acres consisting of a 128-acre 
quarry, a 2.7 acre landscape berm, a 22.2-acre haul road 1.8 miles in 
length, and a temporary construction road of 0.7 acres. The South 
Quarry and haul road will be located almost entirely (147.0 acres) on 
440 acres of unpatented claims owned by Mitsubishi Cement Corporation 
on the San Bernardino National Forest with approximately 6.6 acres of 
the haul road located on Mitsubishi Cement Corporation fee land where 
it enters the existing East Pit.

[[Page 10473]]

Current estimates project the South Quarry could feed the cement plant 
for approximately 120 years. No change to the throughput or operation 
of the Cushenbury Cement Plant is proposed as part of this project. 
Based on drilling conducted during the winter of 2009 and 2010, the 
South Quarry site has estimated proven and inferred reserves of over 
200 million tons of mostly high to medium grade limestone. This higher 
grade limestone would be blended with lower grade limestone excavated 
from the West and East Pits at a ratio of approximately 50/50 in order 
to meet the limestone specifications to feed the adjacent Mitsubishi 
Cement Corporation Cushenbury Cement Plant. Concurrent reclamation 
would be conducted throughout the life of the quarry and, at the 
conclusion of excavations, 5 years of active reclamation and 
revegetation would be implemented followed by revegetation monitoring 
and remediation until revegetation goals are achieved.
    Comments are being requested to help identify significant issues or 
concerns related to the proposed action, to determine the scope of the 
issues (including alternatives) that need to be analyzed and to 
eliminate from detailed study those issues that are not significant. 
Supporting documentation should be included with comments recommending 
that the joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR) (EIS/EIR), to be prepared by the San Bernardino 
National Forest and County of San Bernardino, as the lead state agency 
under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), address specific 
environmental issues.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by March 23, 2012. The draft EIS/EIR is expected fall 2012 and the 
final EIS/EIR is expected spring 2013.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to San Bernardino National Forest, 
Mitsubishi South Quarry Expansion Project, do Anne Surdzial, ECORP 
Consulting, Inc. 215 N. 5th Street, Redlands, CA 92374. Comments may 
also be sent via email to [email protected] (please put 
``Mitsubishi Cement Company South Quarry Expansion'' in the subject 
line), or via facsimile to (909) 307-0056. 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/EIR. Therefore, 
comments should be provided prior to the close of the comment period 
and should clearly articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions 
with the proposed action.
    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. However, comments submitted anonymously will 
be accepted and considered.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Thomas Hall, Environmental 
Coordinator, San Bernardino National Forest at (909) 382-2905 or 
[email protected]. 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: Mitsubishi Cement Corporation submitted the 
Plan of Operations and Reclamation Plan for the proposed South Quarry 
to the Mountaintop District Ranger, San Bernardino National Forest, on 
October 22, 2010. The South Quarry is within portions of Sections 14, 
15, 22, and 23 Township 3 North, Range 1 East. Elevations at the South 
Quarry site currently range from 5,555 to 6,675 feet.
    The South Quarry would be mined at an average production rate of 
1.3 million tons per year of ore and 150,000 tons per year of waste 
rock for up to 120 years. At this time, Mitsubishi Cement Corporation 
is requesting a 120-year operations plan excavating approximately 156 
million tons of ore. Mitsubishi Cement Corporation's Cushenbury Cement 
Plant requires a limestone feed of up approximately 2.6 million tons 
per year, and this would not change as a result of the South Quarry 
Project. East and West Pits would be reduced to an average of 1.3 
million tons per year of ore and 150,000 tons per year of waste rock. 
Therefore the overall limestone production of 2.6 million tons per year 
and 300,000 tons per year of waste rock at the mining complex would not 
change.

Purpose and Need for Action

    Mitsubishi Cement Corporation submitted to San Bernardino National 
Forest and San Bernardino County a Plan of Operations and Reclamation 
Plan for the proposed South Quarry. The Forest Service is analyzing the 
surface use of National Forest System lands in connection with 
operations authorized by the United States mining laws (30 U.S.C. 21-
54), which confer a statutory right to enter upon the public lands to 
search for minerals, shall be conducted so as to minimize adverse 
environmental impacts on National Forest System surface resources. The 
responsibility for managing mineral resources is in the Secretary of 
the Interior.
    Mitsubishi Cement Corporation's Cushenbury Cement Plant requires a 
limestone feed of approximately 2.6 million tons per year of a specific 
blend of limestone in order to manufacture cement. In 2004, as the 
existing East Pit neared its exhaustion of cement grade limestone, the 
West Pit expansion was approved by the County of San Bernardino on 191 
acres to the west of the existing East Pit with approximately 217 
million tons of limestone reserves. The amount of high grade limestone 
to blend with the lower grades of limestone to meet the feed 
requirement for the cement plant would not be adequate for the life of 
the mine. The proposed South Quarry site would be able to meet the 
requirements for blending with its estimated, proven and inferred 
reserves of over 200 million tons of high to medium grade limestone 
rock.

Proposed Action

    The development of the South Quarry would consist of construction 
of the 1.8 mile long haul road, four phases of excavations, concurrent 
reclamation, and then final reclamation followed by revegetation 
monitoring. During the first two years, the 1.8-mile long haul road 
would be constructed. The planned haul road would access the South 
Quarry at 5,950 feet amsl and traverse down the north slope to an 
elevation of 5,050 feet amsl at the southwest corner of the existing 
East Pit. The road's surface width would be 50 to 60 feet with a grade 
not to exceed 10% and it would have a surface of crushed limestone. The 
excavation plan for the South Quarry is divided into four phases based 
on operational, engineering, and environmental concerns with the 
development of the main quarry to a maximum depth of 5,365 feet above 
mean sea level or 1,215 feet below the quarry rim on the south. Phase 
1A would be initiated after construction of the haul road and 
compliance with preconstruction conditions and has ore reserves of 
approximately 3.5 years. Phase 1B would excavate the southeast 31 acres 
of the quarry. Reserves are estimated at about 29 million tons of ore. 
At an ore production rate of 1.3 million tons per year, Phase 1B would 
have a life of approximately 22 years. Phase 2 would excavate the 
central 85 acres of the quarry. Reserves are estimated at 19 million 
tons of ore. At an ore production rate 1.3 million tons per year, Phase 
1B would have a life of approximately 14.5 years for a cumulative total 
of 40 years from the

[[Page 10474]]

commencement of mining. Phase 3 would be an approximately 40-year 
excavation phase on approximately 75 acres within the central part of 
the quarry within the footprint of Phase 2. Mining would excavate to 
floor elevation of approximately 5,905 feet, a depth of approximately 
315 feet below the Phase 2 floor elevation of 6,130 feet. Reserves are 
estimated at over 52 million tons of ore. Phase 4 would be the final 
excavation phase on approximately 65 acres within the central part of 
the proposed South Quarry configuration, again within the footprint of 
Phase 2, to complete the 120-year lifespan. Mining would excavate to 
floor elevation of approximately 5,365 feet, a maximum depth of 
approximately 550 feet below the Phase 3 floor elevation of 5,905 feet. 
Reserves are estimated at 52 million tons of ore.
    Minimal amounts of overburden are expected as the limestone is 
generally exposed across the quarry site. Any topsoil onsite would be 
in the form of smaller eroded limestone gravel that may contain organic 
material and seeds. This surface material would be salvaged and stored 
in separately marked stockpiles for future reclamation efforts along 
and above the top benches and used for the construction of the 
landscape berm along the southern rim. Instead of removing the waste 
rock and depositing it in a separate waste stockpile(s) outside the rim 
of the quarry, this plan proposes to backfill the waste rock within 
Phases 1B and 4 as mining progresses with depth.
    Mitsubishi Cement Corporation proposes to reclaim the quarry site 
to meet both Forest Service Minerals Regulations (36 CFR 228, Subpart 
A) under the jurisdiction of the San Bernardino National Forest and the 
California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act implemented by San 
Bernardino County that will minimize impacts to the surrounding 
environment. Due to planned extraction, the permanent perimeter quarry 
slopes would be reclaimed from the rim downward as completed per phase 
to meet designed slopes dependent on the findings of the ongoing slope 
stability assessments. Reclamation would consist of sloping excavated 
cuts and benches as necessary to meet the designed 0.55H: 1V overall 
slope and to round the rims of the final benches. Each bench would be 
sloped inward toward the vertical wall to capture any precipitation or 
runoff. The individual benches would be approximately 45 feet vertical 
and 25 feet wide unless required to be flatter in specific areas, as 
determined by geological mapping during ongoing quarry operations or 
where the waste rock stockpiles would be located. Surface material 
salvaged for revegetation would be limited due to the surficial rock 
conditions onsite. Available material containing the native seed bank 
would be placed on the benches and would be augmented with additional 
growth media and mulch in ``islands'' to provide future sources of 
seeds. The revegetation methods include seeding with native perennial 
species, plantings grown in a nursery whether started from seed, 
cuttings or whole plant salvage from seeds collected at or near the 
site, and planting plants salvaged from new mining areas. The 
Biological Monitoring Plan would be an ongoing effort to assess the 
results of revegetation on the disturbed areas of the site. The 
monitoring plan would be followed annually to monitor and assess 
completed revegetated areas and areas where revegetation is being 
planned or just beginning.
    The Plan of Operations includes avoidance/minimization and 
environmental protection measures, including:
    1. Mitsubishi Cement Corporation will, upon withdrawal, quit-claim 
specified unpatented mining claims held within San Bernardino National 
Forest, and convey specified patented lands, which have been verified 
by the Forest Service to contain occupied endangered species habitat on 
a 3 to 1 ratio (acres and conservation value) as mitigation for impacts 
of the expansion on Cushenbury buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium var. 
vineum), Cushenbury oxytheca (Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana), and 
Parish's daisy (Erigeron parishii).
    2. Control of surface drainage, erosion, and sedimentation of the 
proposed haul road and quarry operations will involve the following 
primary components currently being implemented for existing operations:
    a. Limiting surface disturbance to the minimum area required for 
active operations.
    b. Diverting runoff, where operationally feasible, such that runoff 
from undisturbed areas does not enter the area of active operations.
    c. Using ditches, sediment basins, and localized control and 
maintenance measures to intercept and control runoff along the haul 
road.
    d. Stabilizing disturbance areas through regrading, revegetation, 
and other restoration practices.
    3. To avoid incidental killing of birds protected under the 
Migratory Bird Treaty Act, two measures will be implemented: (1) 
Complete all vegetation removal or initial grading outside the breeding 
season (i.e., do not remove potential nesting habitat from February 1 
through August 31), or (2) confirm prior to beginning vegetation 
removal but after survey flagging is in place showing the limits of 
grading, that no birds are nesting in areas to be disturbed.
    4. The occurrence of weeds on-site shall be monitored by visual 
inspection. The goal is to prevent weeds from becoming established and 
depositing seeds in areas to be revegetated at a later date. No areas 
will be allowed to have more than 20 percent of the ground cover 
provided by nonnative plant species. If inspections reveal that weeds 
are becoming an issue or have established on-site, then removal will be 
initiated. Inspections shall be made in conjunction with revegetation 
monitoring.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The San Bernardino National Forest and County of San Bernardino, as 
the lead state agency under the California Environmental Quality Act 
(CEQA), will be preparing a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 
and Environmental Impact Report (EIR). This EIS/EIR will analyze and 
disclose the potential effects of the proposed limestone quarry. Each 
joint lead agency retains its decisionmaking authority over the part of 
the proposed action over which it has authority and does not acquire 
any influence over the other's decisionmaking.
    The Mojave Desert Air Quality Management District has agreed to 
participate as a cooperating agency and to provide expertise regarding 
the proposed actions' relationship to the relevant objectives of 
regional, State and local land use plans, policies and controls.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for the Mitsubishi South Quarry Expansion 
project is the San Bernardino National Forest Supervisor, Jody Noiron.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Responsible Official will decide whether to approve the Plan of 
Operation following the environmental analysis. The Forest Service does 
not have the authority to remove the proponent's ability to mine its 
claims on National Forest System lands. San Bernardino County will 
decide whether to approve the Reclamation Plan under SMARA following 
the analysis under CEQA.

[[Page 10475]]

Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the EIS/EIR. The complete Plan of Operation and 
Reclamation Plan is available on the San Bernardino National Forest Web 
site at: http://data.ecosystem-management.org/nepaweb/nepa_project_exp.php?project=32613. Public Scoping meetings will be held on Tuesday, 
March 13, 2012 at the Lucerne Valley Community Center, 33187 Old Woman 
Springs Road, Lucerne Valley, California 92356 beginning at 7 pm PST, 
and Tuesday, March 20, 2012 at the Big Bear Discovery Center, 40971 
North Shore Drive (Highway 38), Fawnskin, California 92333 beginning at 
7 pm PST.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the EIS/EIR. Therefore, comments should be provided prior to the close 
of the comment period and should clearly articulate the reviewer's 
concerns and contentions.

    Dated: February 13, 2012.
Jody Noiron,
Forest Supervisor, San Bernardino National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2012-3938 Filed 2-21-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M