[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 54 (Wednesday, March 22, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14742-14744]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05679]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[16XL LLIDI00200 L71220000.EO0000.LVTFDX602300; 4500101185]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Caldwell Canyon Mine and Reclamation Plan, Caribou County, 
Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Pocatello 
Field Office, Pocatello, Idaho, intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential impacts of approving 
the proposed Caldwell Canyon mine and reclamation plan (MRP). The EIS 
will also consider

[[Page 14743]]

the effects of lease modifications that are part of the proposed 
project. This notice announces the beginning of the scoping process to 
solicit public comments and identify issues to be addressed in the EIS.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until April 21, 2017. 
The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced 
at least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers, and the 
BLM Web site at: http://bit.ly/2eoKYV8. In order to be addressed in the 
Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 30-
day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever 
is later. We will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation upon publication of the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Caldwell Canyon Mine 
Project by any of the following methods:

     Web site: http://bit.ly/2eoKYV8.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 208-478-6376.
     Mail: Caldwell Canyon Mine EIS, C/O Tetra Tech, 2525 
Palmer Street, Suite 2, Missoula, MT 59808.

    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Pocatello Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Alderman, BLM Pocatello Field 
Office, telephone (208) 478-6369; address 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, 
Idaho 83204; [email protected]. Information is also available at the 
BLM's Web site at http://bit.ly/2eoKYV8. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay 
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during 
normal business hours. The FRS 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: P4 Production, LLC (P4), a subsidiary of 
Monsanto Company, has developed and submitted a mine and reclamation 
plan (MRP) for the Caldwell Canyon Phosphate Mine. The proposed mine is 
located along Schmid Ridge, approximately 13 air miles northeast of 
Soda Springs, Idaho. The BLM will serve as the lead agency for 
conducting the necessary environmental analysis. The Idaho Department 
of Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Lands, and the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers will be cooperating agencies. Although a small 
amount of U.S. Forest Service (USFS) surface land is within the 
proposed project area, the USFS will not participate as a cooperating 
agency. The affected USFS lands are located on BLM-administered 
phosphate leases owned by Agrium, Inc. (Agrium) and managed as part of 
the Dry Valley Mine. Dry Valley Mine has been mined and fully reclaimed 
per the existing MRP for that project.
    The proposed action includes a haul road across the reclaimed 
surface of the Dry Valley Mine and the partial filling in of the open 
Panel D pit with waste rock from Caldwell Canyon. A modification of the 
Dry Valley MRP to allow construction of the haul road and backfilling 
of the Dry Valley D Pit is necessary and will be evaluated as part of 
this EIS. No USFS special use permits or other decisions are needed to 
permit the project. The USFS will be routinely apprised regarding the 
progress of the environmental analysis and will be consulted regarding 
project aspects affecting USFS lands.
    Operations at Caldwell Canyon would consist of open pit mining on 
the Federal Phosphate Leases IDI-02, IDI-014080, and IDI-13738. The 
mine would also include State of Idaho Mineral Lease E07959. P4 is 
requesting modifications to phosphate lease boundaries for each of 
these leases. All of the proposed lease modifications contain part of 
the proposed mine pit and are necessary to maximize ore recovery. 
Issuing these lease modifications is a discretionary decision that will 
be analyzed in the EIS. New mining operations at the Caldwell Canyon 
Mine would occur on Federal phosphate leases and public lands 
administered by the BLM, on National Forest System lands administered 
by the USFS, on a State of Idaho phosphate lease and state lands 
administered by Idaho Department of Lands (IDL), and on private lands. 
The public lands lie in the BLM Pocatello Field Office. The leases 
grant exclusive rights to the leaseholder to mine and otherwise dispose 
of the phosphate resource at the sites. Through development of this 
EIS, the BLM will analyze environmental impacts of the proposed mining 
and reclamation operations and reasonable alternatives to the proposed 
action. Appropriate mitigation measures will also be formulated by the 
BLM in conjunction with the proponent.

Agency Decisions

    The BLM Idaho State Director, or delegated official, will make a 
decision regarding approval of the MRP and appropriate mitigation 
measures, the proposed Federal phosphate lease modifications and other 
appropriate land use authorizations for activities that take place off 
leased lands. Decisions will be based on BLM's authority, the EIS 
analysis, and any recommendations the cooperating agencies may have 
related to their jurisdiction, expertise, or permitting actions.
    The proposed action has been reviewed for consistency with the 2012 
Pocatello Field Office Resource Management Plan and, at this time, the 
project is generally consistent with the management direction in the 
Resource Management Plan. It is unlikely that any amendments to the 
Resource Management Plan will be needed.
    The IDL will make an independent decision on approving a mine plan 
for state lease EO7959. IDL is a cooperating agency for the EIS and 
will consider the BLM's EIS in its decision making.
    The Army Corps of Engineers may also make decisions related to 
permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act.

Background

    The MRP for Caldwell Canyon includes development of two open mine 
pits: North Pit and South Pit. Mining operations would be conducted 
over an estimated 40-year period using a pit panel mining method. 
Mining would be initiated in the mid-point of the South Pit and proceed 
southward. Approximately six million tons of initial overburden 
materials would be hauled to the inactive Dry Valley Mine Panel D and 
placed as backfill. All other overburden generated from each new panel 
would be used to backfill a previously mined panel. Once mining reaches 
the south end of the South Pit, mining would resume at the mid-point of 
the South Pit and proceed northward in the same fashion.
    Ore would be transported via a two mile-long haul road linking the 
mine pit areas to an ore stockpile located off-lease at the East 
Caldwell Area. The haul road is mostly on lease or on private land but 
a small section is off lease on BLM land and will require a right of 
way. The ore stockpile would be located adjacent to an ore loadout 
facility, which would be used to load ore into a train for rail 
transport by existing rail line to P4's processing plant at Soda 
Springs. The proposed stockpile and ore loadout site was previously 
used by Agrium during active mining operations at the Dry Valley Mine. 
Selected materials generated from development of the initial pit panel 
would be used for the construction of haul roads. Once P4 has hauled 
the initial overburden to the Dry Valley Pit

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(estimated to occur during the third year of production at Caldwell 
Canyon), overburden generated from each subsequent pit panel would be 
used to backfill pit panels in sequence in the South and North pits of 
the Caldwell Canyon Mine.
    Hauling overburden from the Caldwell Canyon South Pit to the open 
pit at Dry Valley Mine would require construction of an additional two-
mile long haul road from the ore stockpile area to the Dry Valley Pit 
(Panel D Pit) across reclaimed areas of the Dry Valley Mine. 
Construction, operation, maintenance, grading, and reclamation of this 
haul road would be the responsibility of P4 and are addressed in the 
MRP for Caldwell Canyon. Agrium, as the Dry Valley mine owner, is 
ultimately responsible for the final reclamation at Dry Valley. Agrium 
would place the final cover/growth media on the partially backfilled 
Panel D pit and haul road and revegetate the reclaimed surface.
    Mining below the water table would occur at the south and north 
ends of the Caldwell Canyon South Pit; mining in these areas is 
expected to occur during years 6-8 and 14-16 of production, 
respectively. In these locations, P4 would install ground water 
interception wells to draw down the water table to an elevation below 
the planned pit bottom. This would reduce the amount of ground water 
flowing into the pit. The water would be stored in water management 
ponds until water quality meets infiltration criteria at which point it 
would be infiltrated into the ground water. The sequestered water would 
not be allowed to leave the mine site other than by infiltration or 
evaporation. With the exception of one culverted haul road crossing, 
P4's MRP proposes to avoid Caldwell Creek, which is a small non-
connected/non-fish bearing stream that runs between the north and south 
pits.
    All overburden and waste material would be backfilled into mine pit 
panels and reclaimed using an earthen cap to reduce infiltration of 
precipitation, groundwater and surface water, and to support 
establishment of vegetation to meet post-closure land use goals. The 
proposed cap is a capillary break design consisting of 1.5 feet of 
topsoil and 2.5 feet of alluvium and colluvium over two feet of cherty 
material taken from overburden at the site.
    Mining operations at Caldwell Canyon would disturb approximately 
1,530 acres. Some mine facilities (ore stockpile, tipple, water 
management infrastructure, offices, shop and storage facilities) would 
be located in the East Caldwell Area in Dry Valley. Additional 
facilities located at the Caldwell Canyon mine site include service and 
haul roads, water pipelines, water management ponds, sediment control 
ponds, infiltration galleries, growth media stockpiles, and other 
facilities.
    P4 and Agrium would obtain governmental agency approvals necessary 
to allow placement of overburden into the Dry Valley Pit in accordance 
with a proposed Dry Valley Mine Plan Modification. The mine plan 
modification would be analyzed as part of this EIS.

Alternatives and Schedule

    The EIS will analyze the Proposed Action (approving the MRP and 
lease modifications) and the No Action Alternative. Other mining 
alternatives may be considered that could resolve important issues or 
provide mitigation of potential impacts.
    The tentative EIS project schedule is as follows:

     Begin public scoping period and meetings: Early 2017.
     Estimated date for draft EIS and associated comment 
period: Fall 2017.
     Final EIS publication: Spring 2018.
     Record of Decision: Spring 2018.

Scoping

    The purpose of the public scoping process is to identify relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS. 
The BLM has identified some preliminary issues associated with the 
Caldwell Canyon Mine Project:
     Potential impacts to groundwater and surface water 
quantity and quality;
     Impacts to vegetation including rare species and species 
important to Native Americans;
     Impacts to soil and mineral resources;
     Impacts to air quality from vehicle emissions and fugitive 
dust;
     Potential reductions of wildlife and their habitats, 
including the Greater Sage-Grouse;
     Potential reductions in livestock grazing;
     Impacts to wetlands and riparian habitat;
     Impacts to recreation including hunting and camping;
     Socio-economic effects such as increased employment and 
the continued operation of an elemental phosphorous plant and support 
businesses;
     Impacts to Native American rights, treaties, and land 
uses;
     Impacts to visual resources from the development of the 
mine; and
     Impacts to resources from the cumulative effects of the 
multiple mines in southeast Idaho.
    The BLM will continue to refine these issues during the scoping 
process.
    The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to help 
fulfill the public involvement requirements under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
treaty rights and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be 
given due consideration.
    Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
Caldwell Canyon Mine are invited to participate in the scoping process. 
Agencies with regulatory authority or special expertise, if eligible, 
may request or be requested by the BLM to participate in the 
development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
    Before including your address, 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:  40 CFR 1501.7.

Mary D'Aversa,
District Manager, BLM Idaho Falls District.
[FR Doc. 2017-05679 Filed 3-21-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P