83 FR 61670 - Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Caldwell Canyon Mine Project, Caribou County, Idaho

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 231 (November 30, 2018)

In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Caldwell Canyon Mine Project, and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 231 (Friday, November 30, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61670-61671]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-26093]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[18XL LLIDI00000.L71220000.EO0000.LVTFDX402300 241A 4500129252]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Caldwell Canyon Mine Project, Caribou 
County, Idaho

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Caldwell 
Canyon Mine Project, and by this notice is announcing the opening of 
the comment period.

DATES: To ensure the BLM considers all comments, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS for the proposed Caldwell Canyon Mine 
Project within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes this Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. 
The BLM will announce public comment meetings at least 15 days in 
advance through public notices, media release, and/or mailings. To 
assist the BLM in identifying issues and concerns related to this 
project and the Draft EIS, comments should be as specific as possible.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Caldwell Canyon Mine 
Project Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
     Website: https://bit.ly/2SaxWcO.
     Email: [email protected].
     Mail: Caldwell Canyon Mine EIS, c/o Tetra Tech, 2525 
Palmer Street, Suite 2, Missoula, MT 59808.
    Please reference ``Caldwell Canyon Mine Draft EIS'' on all 
correspondence. The BLM has made CD-ROM and print copies of the 
Caldwell Canyon Mine Draft EIS available in the BLM Pocatello Field 
Office at the following address: 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 
83204. In addition, the BLM has made an electronic copy of the Draft 
EIS available online at the BLM Land Use Planning and NEPA Register 
website: http://bit.ly/2zuZ8Mn.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Bill 
Volk, Planning and NEPA Specialist, phone (208) 236-7503; address, BLM 
Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, ID 83204; email, 
[email protected]; and fax, (208) 478-6376. Persons who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FRS) at (800) 877-8339 to contact Mr. Volk. 
The FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message 
or question for Mr. Volk. You will receive a reply during normal 
business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM, as the Federal lease administrator, 
is the lead agency. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, 
Idaho Department of Lands, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the 
Idaho Governor's Office of Energy and Mineral Resources are cooperating 
agencies.
    P4 Production, LLC (P4), a subsidiary of Bayer AG, developed and 
submitted a Mine and Reclamation Plan (M&RP), the Proposed Action, for 
the Caldwell Canyon Mine. The Proposed Action consists of mining 
Federal Phosphate Leases IDI-02, IDI-014080, and IDI-13738 and State of 
Idaho Mineral Lease E07959. Portions of the mine's waste rock would be 
placed into the nearby inactive Dry Valley Mine on Federal Phosphate 
Lease IDI-014184. P4 will request modifications to enlarge the 
phosphate lease boundaries for the Caldwell Canyon leases, and obtain 
authorization for a haul road across BLM public land as outlined in the 
Draft EIS. The BLM has fully evaluated alternatives to the Proposed 
Action, including a No Action Alternative, in the Draft EIS and 
addressed issues identified during scoping and analysis.
    The BLM will make decisions to either approve, approve with 
modifications, or deny the Caldwell Canyon Mine M&RP and modification 
of the Dry Valley Mine M&RP. In addition, the BLM will determine 
whether to modify the lease boundaries, and whether to issue a right-
of-way or phosphate use permit for a haul road on BLM lands. These 
decisions will consider public and agency input received on the Draft 
and Final EISs.
    The BLM published a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare this EIS in 
the Federal Register on March 22, 2017, initiating a 30-day public 
scoping period for the Proposed Action during which the BLM accepted 
written comments. Public scoping identified concerns related to the 
following topics: The potential impacts to water quantity from 
dewatering; potential impacts to water quality from elevated levels of 
selenium and other constituents of concern; potential effects of 
increased noise on wildlife, safety, and socioeconomics; effects to 
tribal interests; cultural resources; wildlife; vegetation, visual 
quality; reclamation and financial assurance; and mitigation and 
monitoring of mine operations.
    Before including your 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.


[[Page 61671]]


    Authorities: 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 40 CFR 1500 through 1508; 
43 CFR 46; 43 U.S.C. 1701; 43 CFR 3590.

Peter J. Ditton,
BLM Idaho State Director, Acting.
[FR Doc. 2018-26093 Filed 11-29-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-GG-P