[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 104 (Friday, May 30, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31131-31133]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-12543]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

[14XL LLID933000.L13300000.EO0000 241A4500062413]


Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Proposed Smoky Canyon Mine, Panels F and G Lease and Mine Plan 
Modification Project, Caribou County, ID

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior; Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 31132]]

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest (CTNF), have prepared a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the proposed Smoky Canyon Mine, Panels F and G 
Lease and Mine Plan Modification Project, and by this Notice announce 
the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the Agencies must receive 
written comments on the Smoky Canyon Mine, Panels F and G Lease and 
Mine Plan Modification Project Draft EIS within 45 days following the 
date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes their Notice of 
Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce any future 
public meetings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 
days in advance through public notices, media news releases, and/or 
mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:

     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: (801) 942-1852.
     Mail: Panels F and G Lease and Mine Plan Modification 
Project EIS, JBR Environmental, 8160 South Highland Drive, Sandy, UT 
84093.
Please reference ``Panels F and G Lease and Mine Plan Modification 
Project EIS'' on all correspondence.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Diane Wheeler, Bureau of Land 
Management, Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 
83204, phone 208-557-5839, fax 208-478-6376. 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: CD-ROM and print copies of the Smoky Canyon 
Mine, Panels F & G Lease and Mine Plan Modification Project Draft EIS 
are available in the BLM Pocatello Field Office at the following 
address: 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204. In addition, an 
electronic copy of the Draft EIS is available at either of the Web 
addresses listed below:

 BLM Land Use Planning and NEPA Register https://www.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/nepa/nepa_register.do.
    [cir] Select ``Idaho'' for State, ``ID--Pocatello FO'' for Office, 
``EIS'' for Document Type, ``2013'' for Fiscal Year, and ``Minerals'' 
for Program. Click the Search button.
    [cir] Click on the link to DOI-BLM-ID-I020-2013-0028-EIS for the 
Panels F and G Lease and Mine Modification Project.
 Caribou-Targhee National Forest Current and Recent Project 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/ctnf/landmanagement/projects.

    The J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot) has submitted lease and mine 
plan modifications for agency review for the existing Panel F (lease 
IDI-27512) and Panel G (lease IDI-01441) leases at the Smoky Canyon 
Phosphate Mine within the CTNF, in Caribou County, Idaho. The Smoky 
Canyon Mine, operated by Simplot, is located approximately 10 air miles 
west of Afton, Wyoming, and approximately 8 miles west of the Idaho/
Wyoming border. The existing Smoky Canyon mining and milling operations 
were authorized in 1982 by a mine plan approval issued by the BLM and 
special use authorizations issued by the USFS for off-lease activities, 
supported by the Smoky Canyon Mine Final EIS and Record of Decision 
(ROD). Mining operations began in Panel A in 1984 and have continued 
ever since with the mining of Panels A-E. In 2007, the BLM published a 
Final EIS and the RODs were issued in 2008 approving a mining and 
reclamation plan for Panels F and G (Final EIS and RODs available at: 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/ctnf/landmanagement/resourcemanagement/?cid=FSM8_047870). The Draft EIS tiers to the 2007 Final EIS. 
Applicable information from the 2007 Final EIS is incorporated by 
reference throughout the Draft EIS. Panel F is contiguous with the 
south end of the existing mine Panel E and Panel G is located 
approximately one mile southwest of Panel F. Mining activities 
associated with Panel F were initiated in 2008 and are ongoing. Mining 
activities associated with Panel G have been initiated through the 
early stages of haul road construction.
    The proposed lease and mine plan modifications at Panels F and G of 
the Smoky Canyon Mine area would occur on Federal phosphate leases 
administered by the BLM situated on National Forest System (NFS) lands 
and on un-leased parcels of NFS lands. The NFS lands involved lie 
within the Montpelier and Soda Springs Ranger Districts of the CTNF. 
The existing leases grant the lessee, Simplot in this case, exclusive 
rights to mine and otherwise dispose of the federally-owned phosphate 
deposit at the site.
    As directed by the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, the BLM will 
evaluate and respond to the lease and mine plan modifications and issue 
decisions related to the development of the phosphate leases, to 
consider the no action alternative, and to decide whether to approve 
the proposed lease and mine plan modifications. The USFS will make 
recommendations to the BLM concerning surface management and mitigation 
on leased lands within the CTNF, and decisions on special use 
authorizations for off-lease activities. The BLM, as the Federal lease 
administrator, is the lead agency for the Draft EIS. The USFS is the 
co-lead agency and the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality is a 
cooperating agency. The Draft EIS provides the analysis upon which the 
BLM and other involved agencies can base their decisions.
    The Proposed Action, submitted in February 2013, consists of a 
proposal for lease and mine plan modifications for Panels F and G at 
the Smoky Canyon Mine. The proposed modifications to Panel F are 
related to the construction and use of an ore conveyance system between 
Panel F and the existing mill. The proposed conveyance system would 
generally follow the existing haul road and would deviate only where 
engineering constraints dictate (i.e., too tight a corner on the road 
to construct the conveyor due to vertical and/or horizontal design 
limitations), such as at the north end of Panel F where Simplot is 
requesting a special use authorization to construct a portion of the 
ore conveyor off lease. Construction of the conveyor would eliminate 
the need to haul ore to the mill via haul trucks from Panels F and G, 
although the haul road would remain open so that equipment could be 
transported to the shop for maintenance. The proposed 4.5-mile conveyor 
system would include a crusher and stockpile location on lease in Panel 
F.
    There are three components to the proposed modification of Panel G: 
(1) Modification (enlargement) of lease IDI-01441 by 280 acres to 
accommodate the expansion of the previously approved east overburden 
disposal area (ODA); (2) increase the on-lease disturbance area of the 
previously approved south ODA by 20 acres for the temporary storage of 
chert to be used for reclamation; and (3) utilization of a geo-
synthetic clay laminate liner (GCLL) instead of the currently approved 
geologic cover over the in-pit backfill and the east external ODA. The 
current lease area for Panel G is not large enough to allow for maximum 
ore recovery and the necessary overburden disposal.

[[Page 31133]]

Backfilling into the pit is limited due to existing topography 
constraints, re-handling issues, and safety concerns when backfilling 
and mining concurrently within Panel G's pit configuration. The lease 
modification is necessary to accommodate all of the overburden 
generated from mining Panel G, as analyzed in the 2007 Final EIS. At 
the time the RODs for the 2007 Final EIS were issued, neither the BLM 
nor the USFS had the regulatory authority to approve Simplot's original 
plan for overburden storage. In 2009, the rules were modified giving 
the BLM authority to approve a lease modification for the purpose of 
overburden storage.
    Regional mitigation strategies for cumulative effects from 
phosphate mining to wildlife habitat are currently being developed in 
the Pocatello Field Office. Although regional mitigation will not be 
applied in this case because the proposed action would not result in 
impacts drastically different than those from the existing mine plan 
already approved in 2008 (evaluated as the No Action Alternative in the 
Draft EIS), on-site mitigation is proposed to reduce water quality 
effects. For example, to further reduce or eliminate water quality 
impacts due to increasing the size of the currently approved mine, 
Simplot is proposing to cover all seleniferous overburden in Panel G 
with a GCLL. They feel it is in the best interest of increased long-
term environmental protection and may lend itself to a more expeditious 
review of the proposed modifications. In addition, Simplot is proposing 
storm water control features to address surface water run-off from the 
proposed GCLL. It is estimated that up to 11 acres of new disturbance 
would be necessary for these storm water features. Portions of these 
features would be situated on lease, within the proposed lease 
modification area, or off lease. Off-lease disturbance would require 
USFS special use authorization.
    In total, approximately 170 acres are proposed for new disturbance. 
Compared to what was analyzed in the 2007 Final EIS, there would be an 
additional 8 acres disturbed for the ore conveyor system (mostly at the 
north end of Panel F); 20 acres for the Panel G south ODA expansion of 
temporary chert storage; up to 11 acres for storm water control 
features to address run-off from the GCLL at Panel G; and 131 acres for 
the Panel G east seleniferous ODA expansion.
    Two additional Action Alternatives were developed to address 
concerns raised during public scoping about the long term durability 
and use of a synthetic liner such as a GCLL at Panel G and/or reducing 
the amount of new disturbance within the Inventoried Roadless Area 
(IRA). Alternatives 1 and 2 would include all components of the 
Proposed Action, but would limit use of the GCLL by utilizing the 
previously approved geologic cover on portions of the disturbed areas. 
In addition, Alternative 2 would reduce the east ODA expansion within 
the Sage Creek IRA by approximately 45 acres and reduce the proposed 
lease modification area by approximately 40 acres.
    Under the No Action Alternative in the Draft EIS, the proposed 
lease and mine plan modifications and special use authorizations would 
not be approved, and mining would continue under the current mine plan 
as approved by the 2008 RODs. Under the No Action Alternative, Simplot 
estimates that approximately 50 percent of the phosphate ore in Panel 
G, previously considered economically recoverable, would not be mined 
but the overall disturbance would remain unchanged from the 2008 mine 
plan approval. In addition, the proposed conveyor system would not be 
approved, thus no new disturbance associated with the conveyor would 
occur. The previously approved geologic cover would be used to limit or 
prevent the release of contaminants to the environment.
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare this EIS was published in the 
Federal Register on June 24, 2013. Publication of the NOI in the 
Federal Register initiated a 30-day public scoping period for the 
Proposed Action that provided for acceptance of written comments. The 
scoping process identified concerns that primarily involved impacts to 
water resources and watersheds, and selenium, but also include 
potential effects and/or cumulative effects of the proposed project on 
Inventoried Roadless Areas, wetlands, climate change, socioeconomics, 
visual resources, and mitigation and monitoring for mine operations.
    To facilitate understanding and comments on the Draft EIS, public 
meetings are planned to be held in Afton, Wyoming, and Pocatello and 
Fort Hall, Idaho. Meetings will be open-house style, with displays 
explaining the project and a forum for commenting on the project. The 
dates, times, and locations of the public scoping meetings will be 
announced in mailings and public notices issued by the BLM.
    Written and electronic comments regarding the Draft EIS should be 
submitted within 45 days of the date of publication of the 
Environmental Protection Agency's Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register. To assist the BLM and the USFS in identifying issues and 
concerns related to this project, comments should be as specific as 
possible. The portion of the proposed project related to special use 
authorizations for off-lease activities is subject to the objection 
process pursuant to 36 CFR part 218 Subparts A and B. Only those who 
provide comment during this comment period or who have previously 
submitted specific written comments on the Proposed Action, either 
during scoping or other designated opportunity for public comment, will 
be eligible as objectors (36 CFR 218.5). BLM appeal procedures found in 
43 CFR part 4 apply to the portion of the project related to the 
Federal mineral lease(s).
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of respondents 
will be available for public review and disclosure at the above BLM 
address during regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), Monday 
through Friday, except holidays.
    Before including your phone number, email 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: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 CFR parts 1500-1508; 43 
CFR part 46; 43 U.S.C. 1701; and 43 CFR part 3590.

Joe Kraayenbrink,
District Manager, Idaho Falls District, Bureau of Land Management.
Brent Larson,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2014-12543 Filed 5-29-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P