[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 202 (Monday, October 20, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62665-62666]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-24922]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNV920000 L13300000 EP0000; MO 4500067809]
Call for Expressions of Competitive Interest; Possible Sale of
Federal Minerals, Esmeralda County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Nevada State Office is
seeking expressions of interest for a possible competitive mineral
materials sale of three stockpiles containing potassium and sodium
salts, constructed by the layering of salt mechanically scraped from
the evaporative ponds belonging to Rockwood Lithium (Rockwood),
formerly doing business as Chemetall Foote Corporation/Cyprus Foote
Mineral Company. The stockpiles are a byproduct of lithium carbonate
processing of Rockwood's lithium brine operations and are stockpiled on
approximately 340 acres of private land owned by Rockwood Lithium in
Clayton Valley, Esmeralda County, Nevada at Silver Peak.
DATES: Parties interested in participating in a competitive sale for
the materials described in this notice should notify BLM at the address
below by December 19, 2014.
ADDRESSES: Submissions expressing interest in participating in a
competitive sale for the Federal Mineral Salt Stockpiles should be sent
to the Bureau of Land Management, Nevada State Office, Attention: Gary
Johnson, Deputy State Director, Minerals Management, 1340 Financial
Blvd., Reno, NV 89502.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: T. Scott Murrellwright, by telephone
at 775-881-6581; or by email at [email protected]. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-775-861-6511 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. 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: The 3 stockpiles are located approximately
50 miles southwest of Tonopah, Nevada. The nearest major roads
accessing the Rockwood operations area are U.S. 95 S. and Silver Peak
Road. The stockpiles are located on the north and south side of Silver
Peak Road approximately 2 miles west of Silver Peak. The subject
stockpiles are located on Rockwood private lands and a portion of BLM
lands described approximately as:
Mount Diablo Meridian
45 Pond Pile Located on Rockwood Private Lands & BLM Land
T. 2 S., R. 39 E.,
Sec. 13, NE\1/4\SE\1/4\, SE\1/4\SE\1/4\.
Sec. 13, NE\1/4\SW\1/4\ (BLM land)
10 Pond Pile Located on Rockwood Private Lands
T. 2 S., R 40 E.,
Sec. 18, lots 10, 11 and 12, SE\1/4\SW\1/4\;
Sec. 19, lots 5 and 8, NE\1/4\NW\1/4\, SE\1/4\NW\1/4\.
R3 Pond Pile Located on Rockwood Private Lands
T. 2 S., R. 39 E.,
Sec. 24, NE\1/4\NE\1/4\.
T. 2 S., R. 40 E.,
Sec. 18, lot 12;
Sec, 19, lots 5 and 6.
The combined volume of the 3 stockpiles is approximately
5,500,000 metric tons.
Map Location Link: https://maps.google.com/maps?q=silver+peak+nevada&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x80be998255daf4bb:0xff5564b360df52de,Silver+Peak,+NV+89047&gl=us&ei=DOqNU6q_HMyIogTC7YDgCA&sqi=2&ved=0CI8BEPIBMA4.
Map Stockpiles Link: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/minerals/saleable_minerals.html.
The material in these stockpiles is composed of semi-crystalline
heterogeneous salt, composed of approximately 70 percent Sodium
Chloride (NaCl) and 19 percent Potassium Chloride (KCl). The NaCl and
KCl may be marketable, but in its present form, the salt(s) cannot be
used. The salts must first be processed to a higher percentage of
sodium and/or potassium in order to be marketable.
The stockpiles also contain lithium (Li) at approximately \1/2\
percent of the total volume. The lithium in the stockpiles is the
property of Rockwood (see 1991 Settlement Agreement below).
Rockwood or its predecessor-in-interest has been operating a
lithium brine solution mining operation on lands in Clayton Valley,
Esmeralda County, Nevada near the town of Silver Peak since the 1970's,
first on Federal public domain lands, and then on private lands after
the Federal lands were patented to Rockwood's predecessor, Chemetall
Foote Corporation, subject to a reservation of Mineral Leasing Act
minerals within the patented lands. The lithium solution mine pumps
lithium-containing brine from ancient aquifers into large solar
evaporative ponds for the purpose of precipitating and concentrating
salts before they are processed into lithium carbonate for use in
lithium ion batteries and other industrial applications. As part of
this process, Rockwood has created stockpiles over the years when
harvesting lithium that contain lithium, potassium and sodium salts.
These salts are being stockpiled on Rockwood's patented land within the
operational boundary of the solution mine.
A 1991 Settlement Agreement to resolve litigation between the
United States and Rockwood's predecessor allows for shared rights to
the minerals in these stockpiles. The settlement agreement provides
that Rockwood maintains first rights to any remaining lithium in the
salt stockpiles. It further provides that the United States maintains
the rights to the potassium and sodium in the stockpiles, but may not
dispose of those minerals until the stockpiles no longer contain
lithium in economic quantities. A copy of the June 1991 Settlement
Agreement between the Cyprus Foote Mineral Company and the United
States of America/Department of Justice can be accessed at, http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/prog/minerals/saleable_minerals.html.
The settlement agreement provides that special terms would need to
be negotiated with Rockwood before any third party could gain access to
the stockpiles. Any negotiated access agreement would need to ensure
that the activities of such third party would
[[Page 62666]]
have no adverse effect on Rockwood's current or reasonably anticipated
operations and would need to resolve the issue of Rockwood's ownership
of any economic quantities of lithium remaining in the stockpiles. We
encourage potentially interested parties to carefully review the terms
of the settlement agreement before initiating a notice of interest to
the BLM.
If the BLM determines there is competitive interest in the
stockpiles, and that a competitive sale is warranted, Rockwood would
first need to waive a provision in the settlement agreement that
currently prevents BLM from disposing of the potassium and sodium salts
in the stockpiles so long as the stockpiles contain marketable lithium.
Subsequently, the BLM and Rockwood would need to agree on stipulations
to ensure that Rockwood's operations would not be adversely impacted by
a third party sale. The BLM would include notice of these stipulations
in any sale notice for these materials. In addition, these stipulations
would be attached to any contract with a third party.
Parties expressing interest in participating in a competitive sale
of the stockpiles must be authorized to transact business in Nevada.
Interested parties should submit a letter of interest to the addressee
in the ADDRESSES section.
The BLM will review submissions from interested parties in response
to this notice seeking expressions of competitive interest and
determine whether competitive interest exists in the Federal Mineral
Salt Stockpiles described above. If the BLM determines sufficient
competitive interest exists, and issues related to the settlement
agreement are resolved, the BLM may use a competitive-bidding process,
consistent with the regulations, to conduct the competitive sale.
This notice is a request for expressions of interest only. Even if
competitive interest is expressed, it is possible that no competitive
sale will take place due to the need for a waiver and for negotiated
stipulations, discussed above.
If a competitive sale takes place, it will be conducted in
accordance with the Materials Act of 1947 (30 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) and
the regulations at 43 CFR part 3600, in accordance with the nature of
the stockpiled materials, which were removed from the ground and
stockpiled on the surface for future use.
Authority: 43 CFR 3602.40.
Marci L. Todd,
Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2014-24922 Filed 10-17-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P