[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 222 (Friday, November 18, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69301-69302]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-25048]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[223.LLIDI00000.L1330000.EO0000.241A]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Husky 1 North Dry Ridge Phosphate Mine, 
Caribou County, ID

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

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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

SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS) Caribou-Targhee 
National Forest (CTNF), announce the availability of the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Husky 1 North Dry 
Ridge Phosphate Mine (Project).

DATES: The Final EIS and the USFS Draft Record of Decision (ROD) are 
now available for public review. A 45-day objection period for the USFS 
Draft ROD will start when the USFS publishes a legal notice in the 
newspaper of record. The BLM will not issue a decision on the proposal 
for a minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in 
the Federal Register. The USFS will issue a Final ROD following 
resolution of any objections.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are 
available for review on the BLM ePlanning project website at https://go.usa.gov/x7HSJ; the Caribou-Targhee National Forest Current and 
Recent Projects at http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/ctnf/landmanagement/projects; or at the BLM Pocatello Field Office at 4350 Cliffs Drive, 
Pocatello, ID 83204.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wes Gilmer, BLM Pocatello Field 
Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204; phone (208) 478-6369; 
email: [email protected]; fax (208) 478-6376. Individuals in the United 
States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech 
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunications relay services for contacting Mr. Gilmer. 
Individuals outside the United States should use the relay services 
offered within their country to make international calls to the point-
of-contact in the United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Itafos Conda LLC (Itafos) submitted a 
proposed mine and reclamation plan (MRP) for the Husky 1 North Dry 
Ridge Phosphate Mine to conduct operations and recover phosphate ore 
from existing leases (IDI-8289, IDI-05549, I-04, and IDI-0678). The MRP 
proposes surface mining, support and reclamation activities on 
approximately 1,146 acres of mostly National Forest System (NFS) land. 
A modification (enlargement by 559 acres) of Federal phosphate lease 
IDI-05549 to recover adjacent ore reserves that would otherwise be 
bypassed and rendered unmineable in the future is also requested.
    The BLM, the Federal lease administrator, is the lead agency, and 
the USFS, the Federal land management agency, is the co-lead agency. 
The United States Army Corps of Engineers, 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 was published on October 22, 2021 (86 FR 
58686), initiating a 45-day public comment period that ended on 
December 6, 2021. Agencies, organizations and individual stakeholders 
provided comments on the Draft EIS via mail, email and through the 
project website.
    Comments on the Draft EIS received from the public were considered 
and incorporated as appropriate into the Final EIS. Public comments 
resulted in the addition of clarifying text and two new alternatives 
but did not significantly change the proposed action or predicted 
impacts of the proposal.
    The Final EIS addresses issues identified during scoping and public 
review of the Draft EIS by analyzing impacts to the human and natural 
environment including water resources, air quality, health and safety, 
socioeconomics and wildlife. It also addresses reclamation, financial 
assurance, mitigation and monitoring. The Final EIS considers a range 
of alternatives and evaluates several in detail: the proposed action, 
an alternative cover, an alternative stream routing, two alternative 
access routes, an alternative sequence of mining and the No Action 
alternative. The agencies' preferred alternative combines four 
alternatives that modify the proposed action to be more protective of 
natural resources, including: alternative cover that reduces impacts to 
surface water and ground water by reducing infiltration of meteoric 
water into waste rock; alternative stream routing to limit long-term 
impacts to Stewart Creek by returning it permanently to its natural 
channel after mining; alternative access Option 2 that permanently 
relocates NFS Road 134 to maintain public and tribal access to the site 
and through NFS lands; and the alternative mine sequence in which 
mining would begin in the North Dry Ridge area prior to developing the 
Husky 1 area.
    The BLM and USFS will make separate but coordinated decisions 
related to the Project. The BLM will either approve, approve with 
modifications, or deny the MRP; and decide whether to modify lease IDI-
05549. The BLM will base its decisions on the Final EIS; public, 
Tribal, and agency input; and any recommendations that the USFS may 
have regarding surface management of leased NFS lands. The USFS will 
make recommendations to the BLM concerning surface management and best 
management practices on leased lands within the CTNF and issue 
decisions on approval of proposed special use authorizations (SUAs) for 
off-lease mining support activities and the alternative access. The 
USFS SUAs are necessary for any off-lease disturbances or structures 
associated with the Project located within the CTNF. The reroute of the 
Simplot slurry line, which crosses the proposed mine operations, will 
require an amendment of the Caribou National Forest Revised Land and 
Resource Management Plan (2003 Revised Forest Plan (RFP)).
    The portion of the Project related to proposed USFS SUAs for off-
lease activities, the selection of the alternative access and the 
amendment of the 2003 RFP are subject to the objection process pursuant 
to 36 CFR 218 subparts A and B. Instructions for filing objections will 
be provided in the legal notice

[[Page 69302]]

published in the newspaper of record for the USFS Draft ROD. Objections 
will be accepted only from those who have previously submitted specific 
written comments regarding the proposed project, either during scoping 
or other designated opportunities for public comment, in accordance 
with 36 CFR 218.5. Issues raised in objections must be based on 
previously submitted, timely and specific written comments regarding 
the proposed project, unless based on new information arising after 
designated opportunities.

(Authority: 36 CFR 218; 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10; 43 CFR 46; 
and 43 CFR 3590.)

Mary D'Aversa,
Idaho Falls District Manager, Bureau of Land Management.
Melvin Bolling,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 2022-25048 Filed 11-17-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P