[Federal Register: May 18, 2001 (Volume 66, Number 97)]
[Notices]
[Page 27675-27677]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr18my01-50]
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DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
[ID-075-1330-AC-241E]
North Rasmussen Ridge Mine, BLM Pocatello Field Office and
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, Caribou County, ID
AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management, USDI and Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Pocatello Field Office and the Department of Agriculture, Forest
Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee National Forest, will jointly prepare
an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document the analysis and
disclose the environmental and human effects of the proposed North
Rasmussen Ridge Mine and Reclamation Plan for future operations at the
existing Rasmussen Ridge Mine, Caribou County, Idaho, located
approximately 25 miles northeast of Soda Springs, Idaho. The proposed
mining operations would utilize land administered by the U.S. Forest
Service and Bureau of Land Management. Mining will take place on
Federal Phosphate Leases I-04375, I-07619 within the Caribou-Targhee
National Forest, and in State Lease I-7957 adjacent the Federal
Phosphate Leases.
Nu-West Industries, Inc. (Agrium) must obtain federal and state
permits prior to mining under the proposed mine plan. The existing
mining operation was authorized by Decision Records (DR) associated
with two environmental analyses prepared--the DR first issued in 1990
for the South Rasmussen Ridge Mine and the second DR in1997 for Central
Rasmussen Ridge Mine. The conditional permits granted by the BLM and
USFS at the beginning of the Rasmussen Ridge mining operations required
that subsequent site-specific mine plans for the individual mine panels
be submitted to the agencies for their review and that appropriate
mitigation measures be developed using further environmental analysis.
The environmental effects from the South and Central Rasmussen
Ridge mining panels were assessed in the 1990 and 1997 EAs, however
this EIS would evaluate the effects of the proposed North Rasmussen
Ridge Mine and
[[Page 27676]]
Reclamation Plan in light of additional information on selenium and
other potential contaminants collected since 1997. Based on the EIS
analysis, the BLM would make decisions regarding the North Rasmussen
Ridge Mine and Reclamation Plan and additional land use authorizations
for the proposed mining activities, including lease modifications by
the BLM. In addition, a Section 404, Clean Water Act permit may be
required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) for the proposed
operations.
Agency Decisions: The BLM Pocatello Field Office Manager, who is
the responsible official for the EIS and administers mineral
development activities on Federal leases, will consider approval of a
mine and reclamation plan. The Caribou-Targhee National Forest
Supervisor, who is the responsible official for Caribou-Targhee
National Forest lands not on-lease, would make a related recommendation
of appropriate land use authorizations regarding this proposal. The
recommendation and decision will include consideration of scoping
comments and responses; anticipated environmental consequences
discussed in the EIS; and applicable laws, regulations, and policies.
Decisions may include approval of site-specific Mine and Reclamation
Plans; issuance of phosphate lease modifications by the BLM; and
possible modification of existing special use permits for roads, ponds,
and ditches by the USFS. A Section 404 Clean Water Act Permit may also
be required by the Corps. They would render a decision related to that
permit and how to mitigate the impacts to affected wetlands and Waters
of the United States.
DATES: Written comments concerning the scope of the analysis described
in this Notice should be received on or before June 18, 2001.
Scoping Procedure: The scoping procedure to be used for this EIS
will involve the following: a broad mailing asking for comments, issues
and concerns to interested and potentially affected individuals,
groups, Federal, State and local government; news releases or legal
notices; and public scoping meetings.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Jerry Koblitz, Greystone
Environmental Consultants, Inc., 5231 Quebec Street, Greenwood Village,
CO 80111. They may also be submitted by e-mail to jkoblitz@greystone-
consultants.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Wendell Johnson, Bureau of Land
Management, Pocatello Field Office, 1111 N. 8th Ave., Pocatello, Idaho
83201, phone (208) 478-6353; or Darrel VandeWeg, Caribou-Targhee
National Forest, Soda Springs Ranger District, 421 W. Second South,
Soda Springs, Idaho 83276, phone (208) 547-4356.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed mining activities consist of
the extension of open pit mining to the northern end of Lease I-04375,
into State Lease I-7957, then into Federal Lease I-07619--known as
North Rasmussen Ridge. In addition, a topsoil stockpile, haul road, and
runoff/sediment control facilities would be constructed. Mining would
include best management practices for control of releases of sediment
and dissolved metals. The proposed open pits would be located along
Rasmussen Ridge and would cross the upper west fork of an ephemeral
stream known locally as No Name Creek. The creek would be temporarily
diverted, then reestablished in it's original location after mining has
been concluded. A haulroad would be constructed on the east side of the
proposed open pit and would extend along the hillside adjacent to the
upper west fork of Sheep Creek and into the upper reach of Reese
Canyon. The existing Forest Service road that was built for timber
access into upper Sheep Creek has been temporarily closed to the
public. The road would remain closed until mining has been completed in
Central and North Rasmussen Ridge. The public would be allowed access
into the upper Sheep Creek using the existing USFS road DFR 192 from
Lanes Creek to Midnight Springs.
Existing mine, haul roads, maintenance, and administrative
facilities would be used during the mine period. Ore from the North
Rasmussen Ridge Mine would be hauled by truck to Agrium's railroad
loading facility located on private property in Wooley Valley. Ore is
then transported to Agrium's Conda Plant located approximately seven
miles north of Soda Springs, Idaho. Overburden from the mining activity
would be used to backfill previously mined panels in Central and North
Rasmussen Ridge.
Disturbed lands directly resulting from the proposed activities
would total 329.1 acres. The new pits would include 254.6 acres and the
rest of the disturbed acreage would be for roads, ponds, and growth
media piles. Approximately 248.4 acres of the proposed disturbance
would be reclaimed by backfilling most of the proposed open pit areas,
regrading fill slopes, spreading topsoil, planting of appropriate
vegetation, and installation and maintenance of runoff and sediment
control facilities.
The BLM and USFS believe, at this early stage, it is important to
give reviewers notice of several court rulings, related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of
draft EISs must structure their participation in the environmental
review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and alerts an agency to
reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp.
v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that
could be raised at the draft EIS stage but that are not raised until
after completion of the final EIS may be waived or dismissed by the
courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F. 2d 1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986)
and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D.
Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it is very important that
those interested in this proposed action participate by the close of
the 60-day comment period for the draft EIS so that substantive
comments and objections are made available to the BLM and USFS at a
time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the
final EIS.
Preliminary Issues
Initially identified issues include potential effects on: ground
water and surface water quantity and quality, wildlife and their
habitats, livestock grazing, wetlands and riparian habitat, socio-
economics, and development of best management practices for mine
operations.
Possible Alternatives
The EIS will analyze the Proposed Action and No Action
Alternatives. Other alternatives may include alterations to portions of
the proposed mining plan or sequence and design parameters to provide
mitigation for resources of concern.
Tentative EIS Project Schedule
The tentative project schedule is as follows:
Begin Public Comment Period--April, 2001
Hold Public Scoping Meetings--May, 2001
Estimated date for Draft EIS--May, 2002
Public Comment Period on Draft EIS--60 days from when the
Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register
Final EIS--September 2002
Record of Decision--October 2002
Public Scoping Meetings
Two public scoping meetings will be held, each an open house, from
7:00 PM-9:00 PM. The open houses would
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include displays explaining the project and a forum for commenting on
the project. Scoping meetings will be held in the Soda Springs City
Office Building, Soda Springs, Idaho, and in the BLM Field Office,
Pocatello, Idaho. Dates for the two scoping meetings will be published
in the Caribou County Sun and in the Idaho State Journal newspapers.
Public Input Requested
The BLM and USFS are seeking information and written comments from
Federal, State and local agencies as well as individuals and
organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed
action. To assist the BLM and USFS in identifying and considering
issues and concerns related to the proposed action, comments for
scoping, and later for the Draft EIS, should be as specific as
possible. Referring to specific pages or chapters of the EIS or the
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the EIS is most
helpful. All scoping comments are due 30 days after publication in the
Idaho State Journal.
Dated: April 18, 2001.
Jeff S. Steele,
BLM Pocatello Field Manager.
Jerry Reese,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest.
[FR Doc. 01-12512 Filed 5-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P
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