[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 28, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46155-46157]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11646]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_FRN_MO4500177410]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Lisbon Valley Mining Company, LLC Copper Mine Plan of 
Operations Modification, San Juan County, Utah

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), 
Canyon Country District, Moab Field Office, Moab, Utah, intends to 
prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to consider the effects 
of the Lisbon Valley Mining Company, LLC (LVMC) proposed plan of 
operations modification. This notice 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 the public submit comments concerning the scope of the 
analysis, potential alternatives, and identification of relevant 
information and studies by June 27, 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 plan of operations 
modification EIS by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2027164/510
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Moab Field Office, Lisbon 
Valley Mine Plan Modification EIS, 82 East Dogwood, Moab, Utah 84532
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined online at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2027164/510 and at the 
BLM Moab Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jill Stephenson, Planning and 
Environmental Specialist, telephone: 435-249-2100; address: 82 East 
Dogwood, Moab, UT 84532; email: [email protected]. Contact Ms. 
Stephenson 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 Ms. Stephenson. 
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 Lisbon Valley Copper Mine is in the 
Lisbon Valley in San Juan County in southeast Utah. The mine, situated 
on Federal, State, and private lands, has been in operation under the 
ownership of multiple companies since 1998. LVMC has operated the mine 
under Plan of Operations Serial No. UTU 072499 (mine plan) since it 
obtained ownership in 2009. The mine plan boundary encompasses 4,480 
acres, of which current operations cover 1,146 acres (BLM: 521 acres; 
State: 333 acres; and private: 292 acres) of disturbance. LVMC also 
conducts exploration activities within a 5,430-acre authorized boundary 
adjacent to the mine plan boundary under Exploration Plan of Operations 
Serial No. UTU 077879 (exploration plan). Federal, State, and private 
lands occur within the exploration plan boundary (BLM: 3,199 acres; 
State:1,056 acres; and private: 1,175 acres).
    LVMC currently mines copper ore at the mine from mineralized zones 
in porous sandstones approximately 50 to 200 feet below the surface 
using conventional open pit mining methods. Waste rock material is 
hauled to existing waste rock storage areas or is used to backfill 
existing pits. The copper ore is hauled to a heap leach facility where 
it is crushed and stacked onto a heap leach pad. A low pH solution is 
sprayed onto the crushed ore and copper is leached out of the rock into 
solution. The resultant copper-laden solution is sent to adjacent 
process facilities where it undergoes solvent extraction and 
electrowinning processing. The final product is copper cathode of a 
99.9% purity. Currently, LVMC is mining copper ore from two open pits. 
LVMC expects to operate the current mine until both pits are exhausted 
in approximately 2028.
    On April 11, 2023, the BLM Moab Field Office received a proposal 
from LVMC to modify its current mine plan. Consistent with the surface 
management regulations at 43 CFR 3809.411(a), the BLM reviewed the 
filed plan of operations modification and accepted it as complete on 
May 5, 2023.

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The BLM's purpose and need are to respond to LVMC's mine plan 
modification proposal to expand mining operations and associated 
infrastructure and to prevent unnecessary and undue degradation of the 
public lands consistent with the BLM's responsibilities under FLPMA, 
surface management regulations (43 CFR subpart 3809), and use and 
occupancy regulations (43 CFR subpart 3715).

Preliminary Proposed Action and Alternatives

    The proposed action is to modify the mine plan to expand open pit 
mining and beneficiation operations and to initiate the extraction of 
copper through a method of in-situ recovery (ISR) mining. The proposed 
expansion activities would include improvement of existing mining 
facilities in the mine plan boundary and construction of new facilities 
and associated access, power, and water facilities in the exploration 
plan boundary. Under the proposed action there would be approximately 
2,391 acres of new surface disturbance (BLM: 1,388 acres; State: 412 
acres; and private: 591 acres). Reclamation would be ongoing through 
the different phases of mining. The life of the mine is anticipated to 
be 20 years with final reclamation and post-closure monitoring 
occurring until approximately 2066.
    The mine plan modification would include the following components: 
open pit, backfill area, ISR wellfield (injection wells, pump-back 
wells, and monitor wells), waste rock storage, storm water diversion 
channels, sediment basins, berms, heap leach pad, process ponds, 
solution pipelines, access roads, and ancillary facilities (power 
supply; reagent, fuel, ready line; crushing area and related 
stockpiles; area for temporary storage of petroleum-contaminated soils; 
groundwater monitoring wells; water supply pipeline and facilities; and 
construction laydown yards).
    The proposed disturbance also includes improvements to the existing 
mining and processing facilities and their associated roads in the mine 
plan

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boundary to accommodate the increase in copper production and personnel 
on site. Ongoing mining activity would continue in the existing mine 
plan boundary as LVMC constructs the proposed new facilities, which are 
expected to be completed within three years.
    The installation of ISR wellfields would occur in conjunction with 
open pit mining operations. ISR activities would include the 
construction of access roads and approximately 1,700 well pads for 
injection, production, and/or monitoring that would each be 50 feet by 
50 feet in size and spaced approximately 125-200 feet apart. LVMC would 
install the first injection and production wells in an existing pit 
area for a pilot test for the ISR. The pilot test at the existing pit 
area would last approximately one year. At the end of the pilot test, 
the data derived would be used to fine-tune the installation of the ISR 
wellfield, which would be adjacent to the new open pit. ISR mining 
would occur for the life of the mine until final reclamation.
    In accordance with 40 CFR 1502.14(e), the BLM will develop 
alternatives to the proposed action in response to resource concerns 
and public scoping input. Resource concerns likely to influence 
alternatives development include water and waste management (e.g., 
waste rock and tailings). One preliminary alternative identified at 
this stage is the proposed action without ISR mining. The BLM welcomes 
comments on all preliminary alternatives as well as suggestions for 
additional alternatives.

Summary of Expected Impacts

    Surface and subsurface disturbances associated with open-pit and 
ISR mining techniques may result in impacts to cultural, biological, 
visual, and water resources (surface and groundwater, including 
drinking water). Mining activities would also result in emissions of 
air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Anticipated Permits and Authorizations

    The following permits and authorizations are anticipated to be 
required to proceed with the proposed action:
     BLM authorization of the modification to the Plan of 
Operations Serial No. UTU 072499. (The total acreage of the exploration 
plan boundary would be reduced commensurate with the total exploration 
plan area that would get subsumed in the mine plan area.)
     U.S. Environmental Protection Agency authorization of an 
Aquifer Exemption (Class III Wells) Permit.
     State of Utah, Department of Environmental Quality 
authorization of Class III and Class V Underground Injection Control 
Permits, Utah Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Industrial 
Stormwater Permit (UTR00737), Ground Water Discharge Permit 
(UGW370005), Approval Order for Emissions Source (DAQE-AN114620014).
     State of Utah, Department of Natural Resources 
authorization of a Large Mining Permit (M/037/0088), Reclamation 
Contract (M/037/0088), Exploration Permit (E/037/0115), and Water 
Rights 05-2593; 05-762.
     San Juan County, Utah authorization of a Conditional Use 
Permit and a Building Permit.

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 the winter of 2025, and the final EIS is 
anticipated to be released in the spring of 2026 with a record of 
decision also in the spring of 2026.

Public Scoping Process

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping period. The BLM will be 
holding one in-person public scoping meeting in Moab, Utah, and one 
virtual public scoping meeting. The specific dates and locations of 
these scoping meetings and any additional scoping meetings will be 
announced in advance through the BLM Moab Field Office website (https://www.blm.gov/office/moab-field-office), BLM social media, and on the 
BLM e-Planning page (see ADDRESSES).

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The lead agency is the BLM. During the scoping process the BLM will 
invite other Federal, State, and local agencies with special expertise 
and/or jurisdiction by law to participate as cooperating agencies in 
the preparation of the EIS. Tribal nations will also be invited to 
participate as cooperating agencies.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official for the BLM is the BLM Utah State 
Director. The scope of the State Director's decision is limited to the 
modification to the Plan of Operations Serial No. UTU 072499.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The BLM will decide whether to authorize modifications to LVMC's 
mine plan of operations and, if so, under what terms and conditions.

Additional Information

    The BLM will identify, analyze, and consider mitigation to address 
the reasonably foreseeable impacts to resources from the proposed 
action and all analyzed alternatives and, in accordance with 40 CFR 
1502.14(e), include appropriate mitigation measures not already 
included in the proposed action or alternatives. Mitigation may include 
avoidance, minimization, rectification, reduction or elimination over 
time, and compensation; and it 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 (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3), including public involvement requirements of Section 106. 
The information about historic and cultural resources and threatened 
and endangered species within the area potentially affected by the 
proposed project will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating 
impacts to such resources.
    The BLM will consult with Tribal nations on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, BLM Manual 
Section 1780, and other Department of the Interior policies. Tribal 
concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential 
impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration. 
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribal nations and other 
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
project 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

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cannot guarantee we will be able to do so.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9)

Gregory Sheehan,
BLM Utah State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-11646 Filed 5-24-24; 8:45 am]
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