[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 53 (Monday, March 18, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19346-19348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-05719]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_OR_FRN_MO4500177683]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Grassy Mountain Mine Project, Malheur County, Oregon

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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Vale 
District Office, Vale, Oregon, intends to prepare an environmental 
impact statement (EIS) to consider the effects of Calico Resources 
USA's (proponent) proposal to construct, operate, reclaim, and close an 
underground mining and precious metal milling operation known as the 
Grassy Mountain Mine Project. By this notice, the BLM announces the 
beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments and 
identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
The BLM requests that the public submit comments concerning the scope 
of the analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant 
information and studies by April 17, 2024. To afford the BLM the 
opportunity to consider comments in the Draft EIS, please ensure your 
comments are received prior to the close of the 30-day scoping period 
or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Grassy Mountain Mine 
Project by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2030186/510.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 541-473-6213.
     Mail: Vale BLM District Office, 100 Oregon Street, Vale, 
OR 97918.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2030186/510 and at the 
Vale BLM District Office, 100 Oregon Street, Vale, OR 97918.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Daniel Pike, Geologist; 541-473-6369, 
100 Oregon Street, Vale, OR 97918; [email protected]. Contact Daniel Pike 
to have your name added to our mailing list. 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 Daniel Pike. 
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: The proponent requests BLM approval to 
construct, operate, reclaim, and close an underground mining and 
precious metal milling operation, including associated structures and 
facilities, known as the Grassy Mountain Mine Project.
    In addition to approval of the mine plan of operations, the 
proponent also seeks BLM's concurrence for occupancy incident to the 
mining operations and a right-of-way (ROW) grant, parallel to the 
access road, for a transmission line to provide electricity for 
facilities and operations at the mine.

Purpose and Need for Federal Action

    The BLM is responsible for administering mineral rights access on 
certain federal lands as authorized by the General Mining Law of 1872. 
Under the law, qualified prospectors are entitled to reasonable access 
to mineral deposits on public domain lands that have not been withdrawn 
from mineral entry. To use public lands managed by the BLM for 
locatable mineral exploration and development, persons must comply with 
FLPMA and the BLM's implementing regulations governing surface 
management, occupancy, and, where appropriate, ROW grants across public 
lands, at title 43 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), parts 
3809, 3715, and 2800, respectively, as well as other applicable 
statutes and regulations. The purpose of this Federal action is to 
analyze the environmental effects associated with approving, denying, 
or conditionally approving the proposed action. The need for Federal 
action is established by the BLM's responsibilities under FLPMA and its 
implementing regulations to respond to the proponent's request for 
approval of a plan of operations for the proponent to exercise its 
rights under the General Mining Law of 1872, as well as the proponent's 
related proposal to occupy BLM-administered lands more than the 14 
calendar days within a 90-day period

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at a single location (43 CFR subpart 3715) and its application for a 
transmission line ROW across BLM-administered public lands.

Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The proponent's proposed action is to construct, operate, reclaim, 
and close an underground mining and precious metal milling operation, 
including associated structures and facilities. The project would be 
located in Malheur County, Oregon, approximately 22 miles south-
southwest of Vale, Oregon, in Sections 5, 6, 7, and 8, Township 22S, 
Range 44E, Willamette Base & Meridian. The project would consist of a 
mine and process plant area and a project access area. Access to the 
mine would be along an existing road, though road improvements would 
need to be made to accommodate large mining vehicles. The proponent 
proposes to mine approximately 2.07 million tons of mill-grade ore and 
0.27 million tons of waste rock for a mine operation of approximately 8 
years. The project would result in approximately 487.9 acres of 
proposed surface disturbance on 18.9 acres of private land and 469 
acres of public land. The project would include the following major 
components:
     One underground mine;
     One waste rock storage area;
     One carbon-in-leach processing plant;
     Three borrow pit areas;
     One tailings storage facility;
     Run-of-mine ore stockpile;
     One reclaim pond;
     A water supply well field and pipeline, associated water 
delivery pipelines, and power;
     A power substation and distribution system;
     Access and haul roads;
     Ancillary facilities that include the following: haul, 
secondary, and exploration roads; truck workshop; warehouse; storm 
water diversions; sediment control basins; reagent and fuel storage; 
storage and laydown yards; explosive magazines; freshwater storage; 
monitoring wells; meteorological station; administration/security 
building; borrow areas; landfill; growth media stockpiles; and solid 
and hazardous waste management facilities to manage wastes; and
     Reclamation and closure, including the development of an 
evaporation cell for potential long-term discharge from the tailings 
storage facility.
    The main access area is in portions of Section 5, T22S, R44E; 
Sections 3, 10, 11, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, and 32, T21S, R44E; 
Sections 1, 12, 13, 14, 23, 26, 27, and 34, T20S, R44E; Sections 6 and 
7, T20S, R45E; and Sections 22, 23, 26, 35, and 36, T19S, R44E. The 
access road and its analysis corridor cover 876 acres. In addition to 
approval of the mine plan of operations, the proponent also seeks BLM's 
concurrence for occupancy incident to the mining operations and a ROW 
grant, parallel to the access road, for a transmission line to provide 
electricity for facilities and operations at the mine.
    At present, there are two alternatives that will be considered. 
Under the No Action alternative, the BLM would disapprove the plan of 
operations, issue a determination of non-concurrence for occupancy, and 
deny the application for a ROW grant for a transmission line. The 
proponent, with permits from the Oregon Department of Geology and 
Mineral Industries, could conduct mining operations on their privately 
held parcels of land. The facilities that they propose building on BLM-
administered lands would not be constructed, and current land use would 
continue, including grazing and notice level work by the proponent on 
BLM-administered land where it has valid mining claims. This notice 
level work would be limited to five acres of ground disturbance, and 
the proponent would be required to reclaim these acres once the notice 
level activity is completed.
    The action, as proposed by the proponent, will be considered in the 
EIS. If the proposed action would cause unnecessary or undue 
degradation, the BLM will consider an alternative with mitigation 
measures necessary to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation. Other 
alternatives may be identified after scoping has been completed and the 
alternatives/issues meeting with the interdisciplinary team takes 
place. The proponent has prepared an alternatives analysis for the 
state agencies, which has been provided to the BLM. The BLM welcomes 
comments on these preliminary alternatives as well as suggestions for 
additional alternatives.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Anticipated impacts from the proposed project include up to 487.9 
acres of proposed surface disturbance on 18.9 acres of private land and 
469 acres of public land for development of the major components 
described above. Potential impacts may include vegetation removal; 
recreation and access changes; wildlife impacts including habitat loss; 
impacts to cultural resources and other impacts of concern to Native 
Americans; and socioeconomic impacts. Known resources to be addressed 
in the analysis include, but are not limited to, water quality and 
quantity; Native American religious concerns; environmental justice; 
socioeconomics; mining and minerals; recreation; grazing/rangelands; 
cultural resources; wildlife; soils; and invasive species. Impact 
analysis will also consider the cumulative impacts to natural and 
cultural resources from reasonably foreseeable future projects in the 
area.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    The BLM will provide additional opportunities for public 
participation consistent with the NEPA process, including a 45-day 
comment period on the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS is anticipated to be 
available for public review in February 2025, and the Final EIS is 
anticipated to be released in August 2025 with a Record of Decision in 
November 2025.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    If approved, the BLM would authorize the ground disturbance and 
occupancy as proposed in the plan of operations, as well as determine a 
financial guarantee to account for reclamation responsibilities. Other 
Federal, State, and local authorizations will be required for the 
project. These could include authorizations under the Clean Water Act, 
14 CFR part 77, and other State laws and regulations determined to be 
applicable to the project.

Public Scoping Process

    The BLM will hold two public scoping meetings in the following 
locations:

 Lions Club Hall, Jordan Valley, OR
 Senior Citizens Center, Vale, OR

    The event to be held in Vale, OR, will be livestreamed and 
participants can attend virtually. The specific dates of these scoping 
meetings will be announced in advance through a news release in local 
newspapers, the BLM website (see ADDRESSES), and the project's 
ePlanning page (see ADDRESSES).

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM is the lead agency for this EIS. The United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, Malheur County, and the Oregon 
Department of Geology and Mineral Industries have accepted cooperating 
agency status.

Responsible Official

    As authorized by the BLM Manual 1203--Delegation of Authority, the 
Vale District Manager is delegated the authority to make the final 
decision on the EIS for a mining plan of operations,

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occupancy determination, and ROW grant.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Authorized Officer will consider alternatives analyzed through 
the NEPA process, including an alternative to not authorize the project 
and the proponent's proposed mine plan of operations. The Authorized 
Officer will select an alternative and consider whether that action 
will be authorized, what mitigation to avoid or reduce resource effects 
will be necessary, and whether an amendment to the existing 
Southeastern Oregon Resource Management Plan (2002, as amended) will be 
necessary. If an amendment is necessary, the BLM would propose a plan 
amendment concurrently with the final decision on the project.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
reasonably foreseeable effects to resources from the Proposed Action 
and all analyzed reasonable alternatives, and in accordance with 40 CFR 
1502.14(e), including appropriate mitigation measures not already 
included in the proposed action. Mitigation may include avoidance, 
minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over time, and 
compensation, and may be considered at multiple scales, including the 
landscape scale.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA process to help 
support compliance with applicable procedural requirements under the 
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. 1536) and section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), including 
public involvement requirements. The information about historic and 
cultural resources and threatened and endangered species within the 
area potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in 
identifying, evaluating, and where appropriate, mitigating effects to 
such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Indian Tribal Nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual 
Section 1780, and other departmental policies. Tribal concerns, 
including effects on Indian trust assets and potential effects to 
cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Federal, state, 
and local agencies, along with Indian Tribal Nations and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
action that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the 
scoping process, and 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 1501.9).

Shane DeForest,
Vale District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2024-05719 Filed 3-15-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-24-P