[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 208 (Friday, October 28, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page ]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-26710]
[Federal Register: October 28, 1994]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[AZ-020-05-7122-00-5499-24-1A]
Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
AGENCIES: Bureau of Land Management, Phoenix District, United States
Department of the Interior, and Forest Service, Tonto National Forest,
United States Department of Agriculture.
ACTION: Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS; Cyprus Miami Mining
Corporation, Claypool, AZ; Proposed Leach Facilities Expansion Project.
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SUMMARY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Phoenix District Office,
and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Tonto National Forest, are
preparing a joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed
expansion of mine facilities of Cyprus Miami Mining Corporation (CMMC).
The mine is located near the Towns of Globe and Miami, in Gila County,
Arizona. CMMC has submitted a proposed Operating Plan (to be processed
by BLM as a Mining Plan of Operations (MPO) and by USFS as a Plan of
Operations (POO). The plan proposes to expand the facilities at the
existing mine and has been filed with the BLM and the USFS, as required
under the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) and Title V of the Federal
Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA) of 1976. The BLM and USFS have
responsibility for analysis, review, and approval of the mining plan.
Preparation of the EIS will follow the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) and Code of Federal Regulations, title 40, subpart 1500.
The new MPO/POO proposes construction of three new leach facility
areas referred to as: (1) The Oxhide leach facility, (2) the BL leach
facility, and (3) the GMC leach facility, together with the required
ancillary facilities. The leach facility areas will be used for the
purpose of placement and subsequent leaching of copper-bearing ore
mined from reserves located entirely on lands owned by CMMC. The leach
facilities will be constructed partially on federal lands managed by
the USFS and the BLM, and partially on lands solely owned by CMMC (see
acreages in ``Supplementary Information Section'' below). Ore placed on
the leach pads will be treated with sulfuric acid leach solution.
Copper bearing leach solutions captured from leach pads will be
processed into high quality cathode copper in existing solvent
extraction and electrowinning plants. In addition, an overburden
deposition area (called Barney Overburden Site, or Barney OB) is
planned. The overburden deposition area will be constructed to
accommodate uneconomic material removed from the active mining
operation. With the proposed expansion it is anticipated that the
Oxhide, BL and GMC leach facilities and Barney OB will operate for the
life of the mining operations, which is estimated to be 16 to 20 years.
DATES: The public is invited to participate in the NEPA process
beginning with scoping and the identification of issues in November,
1994. Public Scoping Meetings to identify issues will be held as
follows:
Wednesday, November 16, 1994--7:00-9:00 pm
Miami Arizona High School Cafeteria, Highway 60 & Ragus Road, Claypool,
AZ 85532.
Thursday, November 17, 1994--7:00-9:00 pm
Mesa Community & Conference Center, 201 Center St., Pomeroy Room, Mesa,
AZ 85211.
Written comments relating to the identification of issues should be
received by December 17, 1994.
ADDRESSES/FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Send written comments to one
of the following addresses:
BLM: Mary Johnson, Joint Project Manager, Bureau of Land
Management, Phoenix District Office, 2015 West Deer Valley Road,
Phoenix, Arizona 85027 (Phone: (602)780-8090).
Forest Service: Paul Stewart, Joint Project Manager, Tonto National
Forest, 2324 E. McDowell Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85006 (Phone: (602) 225-
5200).
RESPONSIBLE OFFICIALS: The responsible officials for the agencies are
Mr. Charles R. Bazan, Forest Supervisor, Tonto National Forest, and Mr.
Gordon Cheniae, District Manager, BLM Phoenix District. They may be
reached at the above addresses and phone numbers. A separate record of
decision will be signed by the responsible official from each agency.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CMMC owns and operates a large open-pit mine
and leach operation in the Globe-Miami mining district. The CMMC
complex in Miami also includes a smelter and a rod plant. Approximately
950 people are employed at the Cyprus Miami facility. Additional
surface area is needed for leach pads and associated facilities to
ensure the continued and uninterrupted production of high quality
copper cathodes. The mine is located near the Towns of Globe and Miami,
Arizona about 65 miles east of Phoenix on State Highway 60.
Planned activities would take place on a combination of public and
private surface and mineral lands. The public lands include lands
managed both by the Tonto National Forest and BLM Phoenix District.
Total new disturbance for the Oxhide pad would be 386 acres (with 329
acres managed by USFS and 5 acres managed by BLM). Total new
disturbance for the BL pad would be 470 acres (with 184 acres managed
by BLM and 203 acres managed by USFS). Total new disturbance for the
GMC pad would be 236 acres (114 acres managed by BLM). Total new
disturbance for the Barney OB site would be 216 acres (52 acres managed
by BLM and 32 acres managed by USFS). Two stormwater impoundments would
be created upstream of the BL pad site in Little Pinto Canyon and
Webster Gulch. Total acres of private and public disturbance for all
facilities would be 1,308 acres. Total acres of public land disturbed
by all sites would be 919 acres (564 acres managed by USFS and 355
acres managed by BLM).
Potential issues may include but may not be limited to surface and
groundwater quality, socioeconomics, air quality, cultural resources,
biological resources, visual resources, riparian areas, and mine
reclamation. The following permits or licenses may be required to
implement the proposed action:
Arizona Aquifer Protection Permit (APP) from Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality (ADEQ).
Section 404 of the Clean Water Act permit from the U.S. Army Corps
of Engineers (COE) and Section 401 certification from ADEQ.
Modifications to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System (NPDES) Permit under Section 402 of the Clean Water Act from
ADEQ and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Dam Safety Permit from Arizona Department of Water Resources.
Well installation permits from Arizona Department of Water
Resources.
Approval of modifications to the Air Quality Permit to Operate from
ADEQ.
Approved modifications to the Stormwater Discharge Permit from EPA.
The Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) will be developed by a
third party contractor who has been approved by the BLM and USFS. The
contractor will use an interdisciplinary team to develop the document.
The BLM and USFS will have the joint responsibility for the content of
the EIS. The comment period for the draft EIS is anticipated to be in
the summer of 1995. The comment period for the final EIS is anticipated
to be the winter of 1995.
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 EIS must
structure their participation in their review of the proposal so that
it is meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDS, 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 (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 comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the agencies
at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in
the EIS.
To assist the USFS and BLM in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the proposed project
should be as specific as possible. Comments may address issues and
concerns or the potential alternatives to be considered in the
statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental
Quality regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of NEPA
at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Complete records of all phases of the environmental documentation
process will be available for public review at the BLM, Phoenix
District Office, and at the Tonto National Forest Supervisor's Office
(same as addresses noted above).
Dated: October 24, 1994.
Paul J. Buff,
Acting District Manager.
Dated: October 24, 1994.
Gordon L. Cates,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-26710 Filed 10-27-94; 8:45 am]
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