81 FR 62531 - Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rasmussen Valley Phosphate Mine, Caribou County, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 175 (September 9, 2016)

Page Range		62531-62533
FR Document		2016-21772

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), 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 (EIS) for the proposed Rasmussen Valley Phosphate Mine, and by this Notice are announcing the opening of the review and availability of the document. A Draft USFS Record of Decision (ROD) is also available for review and objection as described in the Summary section.

Federal Register, Volume 81 Issue 175 (Friday, September 9, 2016)

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 175 (Friday, September 9, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62531-62533]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-21772]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[15XL LLIDI02000 L71220000.EO0000-LVTFDX508400 241A 4500080287]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement
for the Proposed Rasmussen Valley Phosphate Mine, Caribou County, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior, United States Forest
Service, Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), 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 (EIS) for the proposed Rasmussen Valley Phosphate Mine, and
by this Notice are announcing the opening of the review and
availability of the document. A Draft USFS Record of Decision (ROD) is
also available for review and objection as described in the Summary
section.

DATES: The BLM and USFS will issue coordinated RODs for this project.
The Final EIS is now available for public review, as is the Draft USFS
ROD. The BLM ROD will be released and announced separately, no sooner
than the end of the Final EIS availability period on October 11, 2016.
A legal notice published in the newspaper of record of the Final USFS
ROD will be released no sooner than five business days following the
end of the 45 day objection period after the Draft USFS ROD has been
announced and made available.

ADDRESSES: CD-ROM and print copies of the Rasmussen Valley Mine Final
EIS and the Draft USFS ROD are available in the BLM Pocatello Field
Office at the following address: 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID
83204. In addition, an electronic copy of the Final EIS is available
online at BLM Planning and NEPA Register: http://on.doi.gov/1GpGxyW and
an electronic copy of the Final EIS and the Draft USFS ROD are
available online at CTNF Current and Recent Projects: http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/ctnf/landmanagement/projects.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William (Bill) Volk, Bureau of Land
Management, Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID
83204, telephone 208-236-7503, fax 208-478-6376. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to
leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Nu-West Industries, Inc., doing business as
Agrium Conda Phosphate Operations (Agrium), has submitted a mine and
reclamation plan for the Rasmussen Valley Mine to exercise their
contractual rights to recover phosphate ore reserves contained within
Federal Phosphate Lease I-05975 (the Lease). The mine would be located
in Caribou County approximately 18 miles northeast of Soda Springs,
Idaho, on the southwestern flank of Rasmussen Ridge and adjacent to
Rasmussen Valley near the headwaters of the Blackfoot River.
Agrium proposes to develop the Rasmussen Valley Mine within the
Lease on a combination of BLM-managed lands managed by the Pocatello
Field Office, National Forest System (NFS) lands administered by the
Soda Springs Ranger District, the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management
Area (WMA) administered by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game
(IDFG), and on split estate lands (private land with Federal minerals).
The Lease grants the lessee, Agrium, exclusive rights to mine and
otherwise dispose of the federally-owned phosphate deposit. The
proposed Rasmussen Valley Mine would also include some development
outside the Lease on private lands, NFS lands, WMA lands, and on State
lands administered by the Idaho Department of Lands (IDL). Agrium has
also requested lease modifications in three locations to accommodate
recovering phosphate outside the existing Lease area, or to accommodate
disposal of mine waste on NFS lands.
The BLM, as the Federal Lease administrator, is the lead agency for
the Final EIS. The USFS is the joint-lead agency, and the Idaho
Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers are cooperating agencies. The IDL, IDFG, Idaho Department of
Water Resources, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have also
participated in the preparation of the Final EIS. The Final EIS
provides the analysis upon which the BLM, USFS, and other involved
agencies will base their decisions regarding the proposed Rasmussen
Valley Mine.

[[Page 62532]]

In accordance with the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and
NEPA, the BLM will evaluate the information in the Final EIS and
respond to Agrium's mine and reclamation plan, review the impacts of
the alternatives to the Proposed Action, including the No Action
Alternative, and will issue decisions related to the development of the
Lease and the proposed lease modifications. The USFS will make
recommendations to the BLM concerning surface management and mitigation
on leased lands within the CTNF and will make separate but coordinated
decisions on special use authorizations for off-lease activities within
the CTNF.
Approval of the Proposed Action would constitute both agencies'
approval of Agrium's Juanuary 2011 mine and reclamation plan and
proposed lease modifications. Under the Proposed Action, Agrium would
disturb approximately 468 acres using open pit mining methods in phases
(panels), allowing concurrent backfilling and reclamation of previously
mined panels; construct permanent and temporary external overburden and
ore piles, topsoil and growth media stockpiles; construct haul roads
and realign portions of nearby county roads; and construct power lines,
a staging and fuel storage area, water supply wells, and runoff
sediment control structures. In addition, Agrium would shape pit
backfill and external overburden piles to reduce the risk of ponded
water on or in the pit; place a cover system over the backfill and
select overburden to reduce the risk of deep percolation of water;
leave high wall exposures in portions of the backfilled pit; and extend
the pit and associated backfill beyond the Lease boundary in several
locations, requiring enlargement of the Lease by lease modification.
Phosphate ore would be hauled to Agrium's existing Wooley Valley
Tipple, where it would be placed on rail cars and shipped by existing
rail to Agrium's Conda Phosphate Operation (CPO) Fertilizer Plant
approximately 12 miles to the southwest.
A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare this EIS was published in the
Federal Register on March 1, 2011, which initiated a 30-day public
scoping period for the Proposed Action. During public and internal
scoping, issues and concerns were expressed that included impacts to
wetlands; impacts to surface water and groundwater potentially
resulting from releases of selenium and other contaminants of potential
concern (COPCs) from waste rock; physical stability of proposed
external overburden piles; management of pit water; impacts to wildlife
and associated wildlife habitat, especially on the WMA; and maximizing
phosphate resource recovery.
To address these issues and concerns, the agencies considered
several alternatives to the Proposed Action. From these alternatives,
Agrium proposed a combined set of alternatives to form Alternative One,
called the Rasmussen Collaborative Alternative (RCA). In the Final EIS,
the RCA is the agencies' preferred alternative and would disturb
approximately 548 acres. Under the RCA, wetlands issues would be
addressed by relocating the haul road, pit ramps and county road, and
positioning borrow areas to avoid all wetlands. The potential for
selenium and other COPCs to impact shallow groundwater and connected
surface water would be avoided by eliminating the three external
overburden piles from the mine plan. To accomplish this, overburden
would be placed as backfill in the existing open pit at the Monsanto
Company's wholly owned subsidiary, P4 Production, LLC's (P4), nearby
South Rasmussen Mine. Eliminating the three external overburden piles
would also alleviate concerns for the stability of these piles. Water
management needs would be greatly reduced by not excavating the pit
below the water table. Impacts to regional groundwater from COPCs would
be reduced by proposing a more protective earthen cover over the
backfill and overburden than the cover system proposed in the Proposed
Action. The RCA cover system would use select alluvium and soil,
available from a nearby borrow area, to reduce the amount of
precipitation that percolates through the backfill and overburden. The
RCA would also extend the pit toward the north to maximize phosphate
resource recovery.
Under the RCA, the proposed lease modifications would be revised to
accommodate backfill and external overburden piles on NFS land outside
of the current Lease boundaries. Off-lease borrow areas on NFS lands
would require a mineral materials permit from the USFS. Other off-lease
activities on NFS land would require USFS Special Use Authorizations.
RCA activities on State land, including pit backfill and haul roads on
P4's South Rasmussen Mine, would require a modification to the
currently approved mine plan for P4's State lease. A modification to
the currently approved mine plan for P4's South Rasmussen Mine Federal
fringe lease (IDI-023868) would also be required for RCA activities
that would backfill a portion of that mine pit.
The RCA proposes various mitigation measures to avoid, minimize
and/or compensate for mine impacts to all resources. The RCA would
avoid impacts that may be associated with the Proposed Action where
possible. For example, under the RCA, surface water impacts from mine
waste leachates would be avoided by eliminating certain waste piles.
Also, the main haul road would be relocated to totally avoid wetlands.
The RCA would also minimize other impacts to the extent practicable
such as applying a more protective cover on mine waste to reduce the
amount of leachate reaching groundwater to a level allowable by the
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality. Some impacts such as
conversion of visual resources from upland range or aspen to bare pit
wall cannot be fully mitigated, but would be minimized to the extent
practicable by backfilling mine pits with all of the overburden
generated by mining. Impacts to wildlife habitat would be minimized on-
site by using more robust reclamation including a reclamation seed mix
with native species to provide more vegetation diversity for wildlife
forage.
The residual impacts to wildlife habitat for the proposed Rasmussen
Valley Mine were quantified using a Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA)
methodology. The HEA quantifies the baseline wildlife habitat and
predicts the permanent and interim losses and gains of wildlife habitat
that would result from the mining activity and reclamation. Agrium has
proposed to use the quantitative results of the HEA in the
determination of a monetary fee that they will contribute to a third
party, such as a State natural resource management agency, foundation,
or other appropriate organization, to implement wildlife habitat
mitigation projects in the regional watershed, to achieve, at a
minimum, no net loss to the services, functions, and values of the
original habitat.
A Draft EIS was prepared and a notice of availability published in
the Federal Register on September 18, 2015, initiating a 45-day public
comment period. The Draft EIS considered several alternative
components. Besides the Proposed Action, the RCA and the No Action
Alternative were carried forward for full analysis in the Final EIS.
Agencies, organizations, and interested parties provided comments on
the Draft EIS via mail, email, and public meetings.
In developing responses to these comments, revisions were made to
the RCA in the Final EIS to minimize impacts to non-Federal lands and
groundwater impacts at P4's South Rasmussen Mine. These revisions
include the addition of off-lease borrow

[[Page 62533]]

areas on NFS lands to potentially minimize the borrow area on the WMA,
and using select borrow material to improve the earthen cover on the
RCA pit backfill at the South Rasmussen Mine.
Under the No Action Alternative, the Rasmussen Valley Mine would
not be approved for mining, and no associated development would occur
on the existing Lease at this time. Similarly, associated requests such
as the lease modification applications would not be approved. The No
Action Alternative would not provide ore for the CPO and would leave
the mineral resource unmined. However, the No Action Alternative does
not preclude application and approval of future mine and reclamation
plans for the site because of pre-existing mining rights granted in the
existing Lease.
The USFS's decision concerning that portion of the proposed project
related to Special Use Authorizations for off-lease activities is
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 published in the newspaper of record for the Draft USFS 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(a). 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.
The BLM will not issue a draft ROD for the project but will release
a ROD in the future, based on the Final EIS and any considerations the
public may communicate regarding this proposal during the
``availability period'' previously described. The BLM's decision
regarding the mine and reclamation plan and lease modifications will be
subject to appeal under procedures found in 43 CFR part 4, with
explanation and opportunity to be provided in the forthcoming ROD.
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: 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.

Mary D'Aversa,
District Manager, Idaho Falls District, Bureau of Land Management.
Garth Smelser,
Forest Supervisor, Caribou-Targhee National Forest, U.S. Forest
Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-21772 Filed 9-8-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P

Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 175 / Friday, September 9, 2016 / Notices 62531

management, resource rehabilitation DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204,
following catastrophic fires, and other telephone 208–236–7503, fax 208–478–
disturbances. The BLM served as the Bureau of Land Management 6376. Persons who use a
lead Federal agency for the preparation [15XL LLIDI02000 L71220000.EO0000– telecommunications device for the deaf
of the Final EIS. Alternative B in the LVTFDX508400 241A 4500080287] (TDD) may call the Federal Information
Final EIS identifies three herbicides Relay Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339
selected for use: Aminopyralid, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE to contact the above individual. The
fluroxypyr, and rimsulfuron. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days
Record of Decision identifies best Forest Service a week, to leave a message or question
management practices, standard with the above individual. You will
Notice of Availability of Final receive a reply during normal business
operating procedures, and mitigation
Environmental Impact Statement for hours.
measures for all vegetation treatment the Proposed Rasmussen Valley
projects involving the use of SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Nu-West
Phosphate Mine, Caribou County, Industries, Inc., doing business as
aminopyralid, fluroxypyr, and Idaho
rimsulfuron. Agrium Conda Phosphate Operations
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, (Agrium), has submitted a mine and
The Final EIS addresses human health reclamation plan for the Rasmussen
Interior, United States Forest Service,
and ecological risk for the use of Valley Mine to exercise their contractual
Agriculture.
chemical herbicides on public lands and rights to recover phosphate ore reserves
provides a cumulative impact analysis ACTION: Notice of availability.
contained within Federal Phosphate
of the use of chemical herbicides in SUMMARY: In accordance with the Lease I–05975 (the Lease). The mine
conjunction with other treatment National Environmental Policy Act of would be located in Caribou County
methods. 1969, as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of approximately 18 miles northeast of
The decision area includes surface Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Soda Springs, Idaho, on the
estate public lands administered by 11 Department of Agriculture, Forest southwestern flank of Rasmussen Ridge
BLM State offices: Alaska, Arizona, Service (USFS), Caribou-Targhee and adjacent to Rasmussen Valley near
California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana National Forest (CTNF), have prepared the headwaters of the Blackfoot River.
(North Dakota/South Dakota), New a Final Environmental Impact Statement Agrium proposes to develop the
(EIS) for the proposed Rasmussen Valley Rasmussen Valley Mine within the
Mexico (Oklahoma/Texas/Nebraska),
Phosphate Mine, and by this Notice are Lease on a combination of BLM-
Nevada, Oregon (Washington), Utah,
announcing the opening of the review managed lands managed by the
and Wyoming.
and availability of the document. A Pocatello Field Office, National Forest
The BLM issued a Notice of Draft USFS Record of Decision (ROD) is System (NFS) lands administered by the
Availability of the Draft Programmatic also available for review and objection Soda Springs Ranger District, the
Environmental Impact Statement Using as described in the Summary section. Blackfoot River Wildlife Management
Aminopyralid, Fluroxypyr, and DATES: The BLM and USFS will issue
Area (WMA) administered by the Idaho
Rimsulfuron (Draft EIS) on June 19, coordinated RODs for this project. The Department of Fish and Game (IDFG),
2015 (80 FR 35394). Final EIS is now available for public and on split estate lands (private land
The BLM responded to 98 individual review, as is the Draft USFS ROD. The with Federal minerals). The Lease grants
public comments during the Draft EIS BLM ROD will be released and the lessee, Agrium, exclusive rights to
announced separately, no sooner than mine and otherwise dispose of the
public review period.
the end of the Final EIS availability federally-owned phosphate deposit. The
Comment responses and subsequent proposed Rasmussen Valley Mine
changes to the impact analysis are period on October 11, 2016. A legal
notice published in the newspaper of would also include some development
documented in the Final EIS. In outside the Lease on private lands, NFS
record of the Final USFS ROD will be
addition, the FEIS contains Subsistence lands, WMA lands, and on State lands
released no sooner than five business
analysis required under Section 801(a) administered by the Idaho Department
days following the end of the 45 day
of the Alaska National Interest Lands objection period after the Draft USFS of Lands (IDL). Agrium has also
Conservation Act (ANILCA). ROD has been announced and made requested lease modifications in three
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1606.10. available. locations to accommodate recovering
phosphate outside the existing Lease
Kit Muller, ADDRESSES: CD–ROM and print copies area, or to accommodate disposal of
Acting Assistant Director, Resources and of the Rasmussen Valley Mine Final EIS mine waste on NFS lands.
Planning, Bureau of Land Management. and the Draft USFS ROD are available The BLM, as the Federal Lease
[FR Doc. 2016–21446 Filed 9–8–16; 8:45 am]
in the BLM Pocatello Field Office at the administrator, is the lead agency for the
following address: 4350 Cliffs Drive, Final EIS. The USFS is the joint-lead
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
Pocatello, ID 83204. In addition, an agency, and the Idaho Department of
electronic copy of the Final EIS is Environmental Quality and the U.S.
available online at BLM Planning and Army Corps of Engineers are
NEPA Register: http://on.doi.gov/ cooperating agencies. The IDL, IDFG,
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

1GpGxyW and an electronic copy of the Idaho Department of Water Resources,
Final EIS and the Draft USFS ROD are and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have
available online at CTNF Current and also participated in the preparation of
Recent Projects: http://www.fs.usda.gov/ the Final EIS. The Final EIS provides
projects/ctnf/landmanagement/projects. the analysis upon which the BLM,
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USFS, and other involved agencies will
William (Bill) Volk, Bureau of Land base their decisions regarding the
Management, Pocatello Field Office, proposed Rasmussen Valley Mine.

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62532 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 175 / Friday, September 9, 2016 / Notices

In accordance with the Mineral associated wildlife habitat, especially on resources. The RCA would avoid
Leasing Act of 1920, as amended, and the WMA; and maximizing phosphate impacts that may be associated with the
NEPA, the BLM will evaluate the resource recovery. Proposed Action where possible. For
information in the Final EIS and To address these issues and concerns, example, under the RCA, surface water
respond to Agrium’s mine and the agencies considered several impacts from mine waste leachates
reclamation plan, review the impacts of alternatives to the Proposed Action. would be avoided by eliminating certain
the alternatives to the Proposed Action, From these alternatives, Agrium waste piles. Also, the main haul road
including the No Action Alternative, proposed a combined set of alternatives would be relocated to totally avoid
and will issue decisions related to the to form Alternative One, called the wetlands. The RCA would also
development of the Lease and the Rasmussen Collaborative Alternative minimize other impacts to the extent
proposed lease modifications. The USFS (RCA). In the Final EIS, the RCA is the practicable such as applying a more
will make recommendations to the BLM agencies’ preferred alternative and protective cover on mine waste to
concerning surface management and would disturb approximately 548 acres. reduce the amount of leachate reaching
mitigation on leased lands within the Under the RCA, wetlands issues would groundwater to a level allowable by the
CTNF and will make separate but be addressed by relocating the haul Idaho Department of Environmental
coordinated decisions on special use road, pit ramps and county road, and Quality. Some impacts such as
authorizations for off-lease activities positioning borrow areas to avoid all conversion of visual resources from
within the CTNF. wetlands. The potential for selenium upland range or aspen to bare pit wall
Approval of the Proposed Action and other COPCs to impact shallow cannot be fully mitigated, but would be
would constitute both agencies’ groundwater and connected surface minimized to the extent practicable by
approval of Agrium’s Juanuary 2011 water would be avoided by eliminating backfilling mine pits with all of the
mine and reclamation plan and the three external overburden piles from overburden generated by mining.
proposed lease modifications. Under the the mine plan. To accomplish this, Impacts to wildlife habitat would be
Proposed Action, Agrium would disturb overburden would be placed as backfill minimized on-site by using more robust
approximately 468 acres using open pit in the existing open pit at the Monsanto reclamation including a reclamation
mining methods in phases (panels), Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, seed mix with native species to provide
allowing concurrent backfilling and P4 Production, LLC’s (P4), nearby South more vegetation diversity for wildlife
reclamation of previously mined panels; Rasmussen Mine. Eliminating the three forage.
construct permanent and temporary external overburden piles would also The residual impacts to wildlife
external overburden and ore piles, alleviate concerns for the stability of habitat for the proposed Rasmussen
topsoil and growth media stockpiles; these piles. Water management needs Valley Mine were quantified using a
construct haul roads and realign would be greatly reduced by not Habitat Equivalency Analysis (HEA)
portions of nearby county roads; and excavating the pit below the water table. methodology. The HEA quantifies the
construct power lines, a staging and fuel Impacts to regional groundwater from baseline wildlife habitat and predicts
storage area, water supply wells, and COPCs would be reduced by proposing the permanent and interim losses and
runoff sediment control structures. In a more protective earthen cover over the gains of wildlife habitat that would
addition, Agrium would shape pit backfill and overburden than the cover result from the mining activity and
backfill and external overburden piles to system proposed in the Proposed reclamation. Agrium has proposed to
reduce the risk of ponded water on or Action. The RCA cover system would use the quantitative results of the HEA
in the pit; place a cover system over the use select alluvium and soil, available in the determination of a monetary fee
backfill and select overburden to reduce from a nearby borrow area, to reduce the that they will contribute to a third party,
the risk of deep percolation of water; amount of precipitation that percolates such as a State natural resource
leave high wall exposures in portions of through the backfill and overburden. management agency, foundation, or
the backfilled pit; and extend the pit The RCA would also extend the pit other appropriate organization, to
and associated backfill beyond the Lease toward the north to maximize implement wildlife habitat mitigation
boundary in several locations, requiring phosphate resource recovery. projects in the regional watershed, to
enlargement of the Lease by lease Under the RCA, the proposed lease achieve, at a minimum, no net loss to
modification. Phosphate ore would be modifications would be revised to the services, functions, and values of the
hauled to Agrium’s existing Wooley accommodate backfill and external original habitat.
Valley Tipple, where it would be placed overburden piles on NFS land outside of A Draft EIS was prepared and a notice
on rail cars and shipped by existing rail the current Lease boundaries. Off-lease of availability published in the Federal
to Agrium’s Conda Phosphate Operation borrow areas on NFS lands would Register on September 18, 2015,
(CPO) Fertilizer Plant approximately 12 require a mineral materials permit from initiating a 45-day public comment
miles to the southwest. the USFS. Other off-lease activities on period. The Draft EIS considered several
A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare NFS land would require USFS Special alternative components. Besides the
this EIS was published in the Federal Use Authorizations. RCA activities on Proposed Action, the RCA and the No
Register on March 1, 2011, which State land, including pit backfill and Action Alternative were carried forward
initiated a 30-day public scoping period haul roads on P4’s South Rasmussen for full analysis in the Final EIS.
for the Proposed Action. During public Mine, would require a modification to Agencies, organizations, and interested
and internal scoping, issues and the currently approved mine plan for parties provided comments on the Draft
concerns were expressed that included P4’s State lease. A modification to the EIS via mail, email, and public
asabaliauskas on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

impacts to wetlands; impacts to surface currently approved mine plan for P4’s meetings.
water and groundwater potentially South Rasmussen Mine Federal fringe In developing responses to these
resulting from releases of selenium and lease (IDI–023868) would also be comments, revisions were made to the
other contaminants of potential concern required for RCA activities that would RCA in the Final EIS to minimize
(COPCs) from waste rock; physical backfill a portion of that mine pit. impacts to non-Federal lands and
stability of proposed external The RCA proposes various mitigation groundwater impacts at P4’s South
overburden piles; management of pit measures to avoid, minimize and/or Rasmussen Mine. These revisions
water; impacts to wildlife and compensate for mine impacts to all include the addition of off-lease borrow

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Document Created: 2018-02-09 13:15:08
Document Modified: 2018-02-09 13:15:08

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Notice of availability.
Dates		The BLM and USFS will issue coordinated RODs for this project. The Final EIS is now available for public review, as is the Draft USFS ROD. The BLM ROD will be released and announced separately, no sooner than the end of the Final EIS availability period on October 11, 2016. A legal notice published in the newspaper of record of the Final USFS ROD will be released no sooner than five business days following the end of the 45 day objection period after the Draft USFS ROD has been announced and made available.
Contact		William (Bill) Volk, Bureau of Land Management, Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204, telephone 208-236-7503, fax 208-478-6376. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
FR Citation		81 FR 62531

81 FR 62531 - Notice of Availability of Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Rasmussen Valley Phosphate Mine, Caribou County, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIORBureau of Land ManagementDEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTUREForest Service

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 175 (September 9, 2016)

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service