[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 141 (Monday, July 22, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37880-37881]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18460]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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Federal Register / Vol. 61, No. 141 / Monday, July 22, 1996 /
Notices
[[Page 37880]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Kensington Gold Mine Project, AK, Tongass National Forest-Chatham
Area, Juneau Ranger District; Intent To Prepare a Supplemental
Environmental Impact Statement
Pursuant to section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy
Act of 1969, the USDA Forest Service, Chatham Area, under the direction
of the Juneau Ranger District, will be preparing a supplemental
environmental impact statement to analyze and display the effects of
proposed changes to the Kensington Gold Project, located on public and
private lands in southeastern Alaska. The proposed mine is operated by
Coeur Alaska and is located approximately 45 miles north of downtown
Juneau. The Record of Decision for the original Final Environmental
Impact Statement was signed on January 29, 1992.
The proposed operations are subject to approval of a Plan of
Operations under 36 CFR, Part 228, which is intended to ensure that
adverse environmental effects on National Forest System lands and
resources are minimized. The proposed changes to the project's Plan of
Operations include the following:
1. Construction of a dry tailings (dewatered) storage facility
2. Relocation of the permanent camp facilities
3. Off-site processing of the flotation concentrate
4. Selective underground backfilling of tailings in the mine
5. Location of the concentrate storage area at Comet Beach
6. Use of diesel fuel for power generation rather than LPG (liquified
petroleum gas)
7. Redesign and alignment of the haul road
8. Relocation of diesel storage tank, laydown area, and explosive
storage
9. Separate treatment of mine drainage
10. Mine waste rock storage facility
11. New facilities for mine operations
12. Construction of additional settling ponds
The purpose and need for the proposed amendments to the Plan of
Operations analyzed in the 1992 EIS, is to reduce potential impacts
from a mixing zone in saltwater; increase the assurance of meeting
water quality standards; minimize potential impacts to Ophir/Ivanhoe
and Sherman Creeks; reduce operational and maintenance requirements;
minimize reclamation and long term closure liabilities; and increase
the economic efficiency of the mine.
In addition to the Forest Service, the Environmental Protection
Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have jurisdiction and will
participate as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the SEIS. The
Forest Service has agreed to be the lead agency. EPA will be
responsible for assuring that the analysis provides sufficient
information for issuance of a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination
System permit under authority of the Clean Water Act. The Corps will be
responsible for ensuring that the analysis provides sufficient
information for issuance of a Section 404 of the Clean Water Act
permit, Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899 permit, and
for compliance with Executive Orders 11990 and 11900 for wetlands and
floodplains. Memorandums of Understanding have been completed with both
of the cooperating agencies.
The decision to be made is whether or not to approve the Plan of
Operations as amended or require the operator to revise its proposal.
The original FEIS analyzed the effects of developing the Kensington
Gold Project. The SEIS will analyze only the effects of the proposed
changes to the Plan of Operations.
The SEIS will be prepared by a third party contractor, SAIC, for
the cooperating agencies under the direction of the Forest Service.
Key resources to be analyzed include stability of the dry tailings
storage area; impacts to wetlands; impacts to fisheries from the
discharge; visual and water quality effects and stability of disturbed
areas such as the dry tailings storage area, laydown area, new fuel
tank sites, and avalanche control areas; air quality effects from
diesel power generation; spill potential and effects of hauling and
handling additional diesel fuel.
Gary A. Morrison, Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest,
Chatham Area, is the responsible official.
The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from
Federal, State, and local agencies as well as individuals and
organizations who may be interested in, or affected by the proposed
action. Public scoping meetings are planned for Juneau at Centennial
Hall from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, August 7 and in
Haines at the Council Chambers in City Hall from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00
p.m. on Thursday, August 8.
Comments will be accepted throughout the EIS process but, to be
most useful during the analysis they should be received in writing by
August 15, 1996.
The draft supplemental environmental impact statement should be
available for public review by October 1, 1996. The comment period on
the draft supplemental environmental impact statement will be 45 days
from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice
of availability in the Federal Register. The final supplemental
environmental impact statement is scheduled to be completed by December
15, 1996.
The Forest Service believes, 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 environmental impact statements must structure their
participation in the environmental 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. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised
until after the completion of the final environmental impact statement
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
[[Page 37881]]
that those interested in this proposed action participate by the close
of the 45 day comment period so that substantive comments and
objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it
can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the final
environmental impact statement. To assist the Forest Service in
identifying and considering issues and concerns on the proposed action,
comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be as
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific
pages or chapters of the draft statement. Comments may also address the
adequacy of the draft environmental impact statement or the merits of
the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers
may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations
for implementing the procedural provisions of the National
Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Written comments and suggestions concerning the analysis should be
sent to Roger Birk, Minerals Management Specialist, Juneau Ranger
District, 8465 Old Dairy Road, Juneau, Alaska, 99801. The telephone
number is 907-586-8800 and the fax is 586-8808.
Dated: July 10, 1996.
Gary A. Morrison,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-18460 Filed 7-19-96; 8:45 am]
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