Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2011 / Notices 13429 

fail or refuse to sign their return receipt, 

and parties who receive a copy of the 

decision by regular mail which is not 

certified, return receipt requested, shall 

have until April 11, 2011 to file an 

appeal. 

2. Parties receiving service of the 

decision by certified mail shall have 30 

days from the date of receipt to file an 

appeal. 

3. Notices of appeal transmitted by 

electronic means, such as facsimile or email, will not be accepted as timely 

filed. 

Parties who do not file an appeal in 

accordance with the requirements of 43 

CFR part 4, subpart E, shall be deemed 

to have waived their rights. 

ADDRESSES: A copy of the decision may 

be obtained from: Bureau of Land 

Management, Alaska State Office, 222 

West Seventh Avenue, #13, Anchorage, 

Alaska 99513–7504. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: The 

Bureau of Land Management by phone 

at 907–271–5960, by e-mail at 

ak.blm.conveyance@blm.gov, or by 

telecommunication device (TTD) 

through the Federal Information Relay 

Service (FIRS) at 1–800–877–8339, 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Eileen Ford, 

Land Transfer Resolution Specialist, Land 

Transfer Adjudication II Branch. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5612 Filed 3–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–JA–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLIDI02000. 

L71220000.EO0000.LVTFD0980300] 

Notice of Availability of Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Blackfoot Bridge Mine, 

Caribou County, ID 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice of availability. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

National Environmental Policy Act of 

1969, the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) is announcing the availability of 

the Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (EIS) for the proposed 

Blackfoot Bridge Mine. 

DATES: The Final EIS is now available 

for public review. The BLM Record of 

Decision will be released no sooner than 

30 days after the Environmental 

Protection Agency publishes its Notice 

of Availability of the Final EIS in the 

Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Blackfoot 

Bridge Mine Final EIS are available in 

the BLM Pocatello Field Office at the 

following address: 4350 Cliffs Drive, 

Pocatello, Idaho 83204. In addition, an 

electronic copy of the Final EIS is 

available at the following Web site: 

http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/ 

0.html. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kyle 

Free, Bureau of Land Management, 

Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, 

Pocatello, Idaho 83204, phone (208) 

478–6368, fax (208) 478–6376. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final 

EIS was prepared to provide decisionmakers and the public with an 

evaluation of significant environmental 

impacts resulting from the proposed 

action and from all reasonable 

alternatives. P4 Production, LLC (P4), a 

subsidiary of Monsanto Company, holds 

mineral leases issued by the United 

States, granting them exclusive rights to 

develop phosphate minerals in the 

Blackfoot Bridge area. P4 submitted a 

Mine and Reclamation Plan (MRP) to 

the BLM for the development of a 

phosphate mine on existing Federal 

leases and an application to modify 

these leases to increase their size. Prior 

to mining under the proposed MRP P4 

must receive BLM approval and obtain 

additional Federal and state permits. 

The BLM has prepared a Final EIS to 

evaluate effects of the Blackfoot Bridge 

Mine upon the human environment, 

including the potential effects of 

selenium and other contaminants 

associated with other phosphate mines 

in the region. The Final EIS also 

considers appropriate mitigation 

measures. The National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) requires the 

BLM to evaluate the MRP, considering 

the no action alternative and other 

reasonable alternatives, before issuing 

decisions on the development of the 

phosphate leases and modification of 

the existing leases. 

The BLM is also required by the 

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as 

amended, and 43 CFR Part 3590, to 

evaluate the MRP from P4 to determine 

if the plan will achieve the ultimate 

maximum recovery of phosphate ore 

reserves contained within Federal 

Phosphate Leases I–05613 and I– 

013709. 

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

(USACE) is required to evaluate and 

respond to P4’s application for a permit 

under Section 404 of the Clean Water 

Act, which is needed to implement the 

MRP. The USACE is informing the 

public of this application through a 30- 

day Public Notice for Application for 

Permit that will run concurrently with 

this Notice of Availability. The Final 

EIS provides the analysis upon which 

the BLM and other involved agencies 

can base their decisions. 

The Proposed Action consists of P4’s 

Plan to develop the Blackfoot Bridge 

Mine using open pit mining methods to 

extract phosphate ore. The ore would be 

hauled about 8 miles to P4’s existing 

Soda Springs elemental phosphorus 

plant. The mine would consist of three 

separate mine pits, the North, Mid, and 

South Pits. Mining would begin in the 

Mid Pit, followed by the North Pit and 

then the South Pit. Mining of the North 

Pit and portions of the Mid Pit are 

predicted to extend below groundwater 

level and would require the mine to 

pump water during portions of the 17- 

year mine life. All overburden would 

either be used to backfill the mine pits 

or be placed in the external East 

Overburden Pile (EOP) or Northwest 

Overburden Pile (NWOP). Other minerelated facilities would include an ore 

stockpile, a truck loading facility, an 

equipment yard, a water management 

system, topsoil stockpiles, roads, and 

sediment control structures. 

Approximately 739 acres of surface are 

expected to be disturbed over the life of 

the project, with about 674 acres (91 

percent) planned to be re-vegetated. 

Nine percent of the mine site would 

involve residual highwalls that cannot 

be re-vegetated. About 90 percent of the 

disturbance would occur on privately 

owned surface controlled by P4 and 

about 10 percent would occur on BLM 

managed surface lands. 

As phosphate mining has developed 

in southeast Idaho, increasing concern 

for surface and groundwater 

contamination has led to the 

development of various best 

management practices to control 

potential selenium migration from the 

mines. Placing an impermeable or lowpermeability cover over external 

overburden piles and pit backfilled 

areas is a preferred way to reduce 

infiltration into the materials to reduce 

the potential leaching of selenium into 

the environment. 

As part of the Final EIS analysis, 

groundwater modeling has been used to 

estimate the potential effects of the 

proposed action on water resources in 

the project area. Model results indicate 

that the Proposed Action, as designed, 

has the potential to release selenium 

concentrations to groundwater and 

surface water in excess of applicable 

water quality standards. Alternative 

waste rock capping designs 

(Alternatives 1A and 1B) were 

developed to reduce the amount of 

water that would contact the backfilled 

pits and external overburden piles. This 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES
13430 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 48 / Friday, March 11, 2011 / Notices 

would reduce the volume of water 

containing constituents of concern that 

could potentially affect the quality of 

area groundwater and surface water and 

prevent the release of excessive 

selenium. Alternatives 1A and 1B 

would incorporate a layer of 

impermeable material called a 

laminated geosynthetic clay liner, or 

GCLL. The GCLL cover system would be 

comprised of the following materials 

(from surface to base): 

• 18 inches of topsoil; 

• 1 foot of weathered alluvium cover 

material; 

• 6 inches of drainage/protective 

layer material; 

• GCLL; 

• 6 inches of a protective sub-grade 

layer (weathered alluvium or other 

earthen material); and 

• Run of mine (ROM) overburden. 

The GCLL includes a thin layer of 

powdered clay sandwiched between 

two geotextile layers. A geotextile is a 

sheet of material that is resistant to 

penetration damage. The top geotextile 

layer is laminated with a polyethylene 

geomembrane layer, providing an 

additional layer of protection. 

Alternative 1A would cover all 

backfilled pits with the GCLL cover as 

well as 86 acres of the EOP and would 

cover the remaining areas with the 

Simple 1 cover, while Alternative 1B 

would cover all backfilled pits and the 

entire 141 acre EOP with the GCLL. 

While Alternatives 1A and 1B primarily 

address water quality issues, additional 

alternatives address other issues and are 

also considered in the Final EIS. 

The Proposed Action and Alternatives 

1A and 1B include a lease modification 

to Phosphate Lease I–05613. The 

amended lease modification areas occur 

in 4 separate parcels located on private 

and BLM surface. The lease 

modification allows for extending 

proposed mine facilities from the 

original lease areas into an additional 

300 acres. 

A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare 

this EIS was published in the Federal 

Register on February 3, 2006. 

Publication of the NOI in the Federal 

Register initiated a 56-day public 

scoping period for the Proposed Action 

that provided for acceptance of written 

comments. The scoping process 

identified concerns that included 

potential effects of the project on water 

resources; socioeconomic conditions; 

livestock grazing; reclamation and 

restoration; wildlife and vegetation; 

soils; threatened, endangered, and 

sensitive species; air quality; aesthetics; 

land use; visual resources; hazardous 

and solid wastes; tribal interests and 

cumulative effects. 

The Notice of Availability for the 

Draft EIS was published in the Federal 

Register on August 14, 2009. A 45-day 

comment period on the Draft EIS was 

extended by 30 days, extending the 

comment period to November 2, 2009. 

Agencies, organizations, and interested 

parties provided comments on the Draft 

EIS via mail, email, and public 

meetings. Comments also came in the 

form of postcards, form letters, and 

comment forms. A total of 6,994 

comments were received. The majority, 

approximately 80 percent of the 

comments, expressed support for the 

project. Comments expressing concerns 

about the Draft EIS largely focused on 

surface and groundwater quality issues 

and the proximity of the mine to the 

Blackfoot River. In developing 

responses to these comments, additional 

mitigation measures have been added to 

Alternatives 1A and 1B. Alternative 1A 

is the Agency Preferred Alternative. 

Primary mitigation features added to 

Alternatives 1A and 1B in the Final EIS 

include: 

• GCLL coverage over the East 

Overburden Pile (EOP) has been 

expanded from 21 acres to 86 acres for 

Alternative 1A and the northern portion 

of the EOP will be constructed of 

limestone instead of chert. GCLL 

coverage over the entire 141- acre EOP 

for Alternative 1B remains unchanged 

from the Draft EIS. 

• An Overburden Seepage 

Management System (OSMS) has been 

proposed as an addition protective 

measure for Alternatives 1A and 1B that 

would use a network of perforated pipes 

constructed underneath the external 

overburden piles for additional 

protection against unanticipated leakage 

events and during construction of the 

EOP. and 

• An Adaptive Management Plan for 

the water management system has been 

developed that would result in 

placement of dredged or fill material in 

areas currently containing wetlands and 

non-wetland waters of the U.S. only as 

necessary to manage runoff water. 

It is currently expected that P4’s 

existing South Rasmussen Mine will be 

depleted sometime in 2012. Because of 

operating requirements at the Soda 

Springs processing plant, it is necessary 

to bring Blackfoot Bridge Mine online in 

2011. In the initial years of Blackfoot 

Bridge mining, a blend of ores from both 

South Rasmussen Mine and Blackfoot 

Bridge Mine would be required. 

Authority: Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as 

amended and the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, as amended. 

Joe Kraayenbrink, 

BLM Idaho Falls District Manager. 

[FR Doc. 2011–5497 Filed 3–10–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–GG–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLCAD01000 L12200000.AL 0000] 

Meeting of the California Desert 

District Advisory Council 

SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given, in 

accordance with Public Laws 92–463 

and 94–579, that the California Desert 

District Advisory Council to the Bureau 

of Land Management, U.S. Department 

of the Interior, will meet in formal 

session on Saturday, March 26, 2011, 

from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hilton 

Garden Inn, 12603 Mariposa Road, 

Victorville, CA 92395. There will be no 

field trip on Friday, March 25. On that 

date, the Council will hold an internal 

business meeting on administrative 

matters. 

Agenda topics for the Saturday 

meeting will include updates by 

Council members and reports from the 

BLM District Manager and five field 

office managers. In addition, the agenda 

may include updates on California 

Independent System Operator, the 29 

Palms Marine Corps Air-to-Ground 

Combat Center proposed expansion, 

abandoned mine lands, special 

recreation permits, and renewable 

energy. Final agenda items will be 

posted on the BLM California state Web 

site at http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/ 

info/rac/dac.html. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: All Desert 

District Advisory Council meetings are 

open to the public. Public comment for 

items not on the agenda will be 

scheduled at the beginning of the 

meeting Saturday morning. Time for 

public comment may be made available 

by the Council Chairman during the 

presentation of various agenda items, 

and is scheduled at the end of the 

meeting for topics not on the agenda. 

While the Saturday meeting is 

tentatively scheduled from 8 a.m. to 5 

p.m., the meeting could conclude prior 

to 5 p.m. should the Council conclude 

its presentations and discussions. 

Therefore, members of the public 

interested in a particular agenda item or 

discussion should schedule their arrival 

accordingly. 

Written comments may be filed in 

advance of the meeting for the 


srobinson on DSKHWCL6B1PROD with NOTICES