[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 40 (Friday, February 28, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12014-12015]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03970]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[19XL.LLIDI00000.L71220000.EO0000.LVTFD1900100.241A.4500134029]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed East Smoky Panel Mine Project at Smoky 
Canyon Mine, Caribou County, ID

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the 
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest (CTNF), have prepared a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (Final EIS) for the proposed East Smoky Panel Mine Project 
(Project) and by this notice are announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days after the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes its notice of availability in the Federal Register. The Final 
EIS and the Draft USFS Record of Decision (ROD) are now available for 
public review. A 60-day objection period for the Draft USFS ROD will 
start when the USFS publishes a legal notice in the newspaper of 
record.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the East Smoky Panel Mine Project Final EIS are 
available for public inspection at the BLM Pocatello Field Office at 
4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204. Interested persons may also 
review the Final EIS on the internet at the following locations:

 BLM Land Use Planning and NEPA Register: https://go.usa.gov/xnYTG
 Caribou-Targhee National Forest Current and Recent Projects: 
http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/ctnf/landmanagement/projects

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle Free, BLM Pocatello Field Office, 
4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204; phone 208-478-6352; email: 
[email protected]; fax 208-478-6376. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 to contact Mr. Free. The FIRS is available 24 hours a 
day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question for Mr. Free. You 
will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The J.R. Simplot Company (Simplot) submitted 
a proposed lease modification (enlargement) and Mine and Reclamation 
Plan (M&RP) for the East Smoky Panel leases (IDI-015259, IDI-26843, and 
IDI-012890), with the intent of expanding the current Smoky Canyon 
Phosphate Mine in Caribou County, Idaho.
    The BLM, as the Federal lease administrator, is the lead agency, 
and the USFS is the co-lead agency. The Idaho Department of 
Environmental Quality, Idaho Department of Lands, and Idaho Governor's 
Office of Energy and Mineral Resources are cooperating agencies.
    The NOA for the Draft EIS published on September 28, 2018, 
initiating a 90-day public comment period. Agencies, organizations, and 
interested parties provided comments on the Draft EIS via mail, email, 
and public meetings.
    The Final EIS fully addresses issues identified during scoping and 
during public review of the Draft EIS by analyzing impacts to water 
resources, air quality, human health and safety, socioeconomics, and 
wildlife. It also addresses reclamation, financial assurance, 
mitigation and monitoring. The Final EIS evaluates three alternatives: 
The Proposed Action, the Preferred Alternative, and a No Action 
Alternative. The agencies identified Alternative 1 as the Preferred 
Alternative because it reduces impacts to groundwater and other 
resources. Under the Preferred Alternative, overall mining operations, 
mining sequences, and other associated ancillary operations remain the 
same as described for the Proposed Action. Use of a steeper pit wall 
would reduce the ultimate pit footprint by approximately 78 acres. This 
eliminates the need to mine the highly seleniferous cherty shale 
overburden. The reduction of seleniferous overburden material 
eliminates the need for the Proposed Action's geologic store-and-
release cover and substitutes a less expensive and less complex, soil-
only cover.
    The BLM and USFS will make separate but coordinated decisions 
related to the proposed Project. The BLM will either approve, approve 
with modifications, or deny the M&RP recommend whether or not to 
modify lease IDI-015259; and decide whether to grant a modification to 
the previously approved B-Panel Mine Plan of the Smoky Canyon Mine. The 
BLM will base its decisions on the Final EIS, public and agency input, 
and any

[[Page 12015]]

recommendations the USFS may have regarding surface management of 
leased National Forest System lands. The USFS will make recommendations 
to the BLM concerning surface management and best management practices 
on leased lands within the CTNF and will issue decisions on special use 
authorizations (SUAs) for off-lease mining support activities. The USFS 
SUAs are necessary for any off-lease disturbances/structures associated 
with the Project located within the CTNF. The Preferred Alternative 
requires an amendment to the forest plan as outlined in the Final EIS.
    The portion of the Project related to USFS SUAs for off-lease 
activities is subject to the objection process pursuant to 36 CFR parts 
218 and 219. The USFS will provide instructions for filing objections 
in the legal notice published in the newspaper of record for the Draft 
USFS ROD. The USFS will only accept objections from those who have 
previously submitted specific written comments regarding the proposed 
project during scoping or other designated opportunities for public 
comment in accordance with 36 CFR 218.5(a) and 219.53(a). Objection 
issues must be based on previously submitted, timely, and specific 
written comments regarding the proposed project unless they are based 
on new information arising after designated opportunities. The BLM will 
release a ROD concurrent with release of the Final USFS ROD.

(Authority: 36 CFR parts 218 and 219; 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)


John F. Ruhs,
State Director, Bureau of Land Management, Idaho.
Mel Bolling,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2020-03970 Filed 2-27-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P