[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 157 (Thursday, August 14, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43545-43547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-21542]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NM-030-7122-03-821G]


Proposed Expansion of the Santa Rita Pit and Land Exchange in 
Grant County, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and notice of scoping meeting.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM), Las Cruces District Office, will be directing the preparation of 
an EIS to be prepared by a third party contractor. The EIS will 
describe the potential impacts of the Phelps Dodge Corporation-Chino 
Mines Company (CMC) proposed Santa Rita Pit Expansion and Land Exchange 
Project, located approximately 7 miles north-northeast of the town of 
Hurley, in Grant County, New Mexico. The proposed development would 
occur partially on patented CMC land and partially on Federal land 
administered by the BLM.
    The public is invited to participate in the planning process. A 
public scoping meeting will be held at the following time and location:

[[Page 43546]]



                                                                        
               Time/Date                             Location           
                                                                        
7:00 p.m. September 3, 1997............  Bayard Community Center, 300   
                                          Hurley Avenue, Bayard, New    
                                          Mexico.                       
                                                                        

DATES: Written comments on the scoping process will be accepted through 
September 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Tom Custer, Bureau of Land 
Management, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Custer, BLM Las Cruces District 
Office, at (505) 525-4328.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CMC is proposing to expand its current 
copper mining operation at the Santa Rita Mine onto land administered 
by the BLM. An economic ore deposit lies within the southeastern end of 
the mine pit on patented land. Removing the overburden and extracting 
the ore safely will require constructing access roads and laying the 
pit walls back onto BLM land. It will also include expanding existing 
stockpiles and locating new stockpiles.
    In 1995, BLM required CMC to prepare an amendment to a 1981 Plan of 
Operations (POO) for the Santa Rita Mine for certain proposed new 
activities on public land. The amended POO described proposed mining 
activities for 1995 through 1998 that would be necessary to meet ore 
production schedules. The amendment was submitted to the BLM in 
November 1995. The BLM determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA) 
of the potential environmental impacts associated with activities 
proposed in the amendment (the Proposed Action) was required. The EA 
was completed, and the BLM provided a Finding of No Significant Impact 
(FONSI) in November 1996. Additionally, as a prerequisite to allowing 
the interim amendment, the BLM required development of a new long-term 
POO and preparation of an EIS. The long-term POO describes future 
expansion of the mine onto BLM land, from 1999 to 2018.
    The Santa Rita Mine is an open pit copper mine owned by the CMC, a 
partnership between Phelps Dodge Mining Company and Heisei Minerals 
Company, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation. CMC also owns and 
operates a copper concentrator, solution extraction and electrowinning 
facility, copper smelter, and ancillary support facilities near the 
Santa Rita Mine. Phelps Dodge owns a two-thirds interest and is the 
operator of the property, and Heisei owns a one-third interest. In 
1995, CMC produced a total of 168,700 tons of copper metal along with 
by-products molybdenum, gold, and silver. Chino ranks fifth largest in 
the United States and sixteenth largest in the world in terms of annual 
copper production. In 1995, Chino mined a total of 116 million tons of 
rock from the Santa Rita open pit.
    The Proposed Action considered in the POO describes mining 
activities related to continuing the advance of the open pit and rock 
stockpiles to the south of existing operations onto Federal land 
administered by the BLM.
    The Santa Rita open pit mine presently covers an area of 
approximately one square mile at the perimeter, with additional areas 
on the perimeter used as rock stockpiles. The upper most level in the 
pit is located on the east side at the 6,750 foot elevation and the 
lowest level in the pit is currently at the 5,400 foot elevation. 
Mining takes place on a 3-shift-per-day, 7-day-per-week basis at a rate 
of about 290,000 tons per day. Up to 60,000 tons of ore per day are 
delivered to the crusher.
    Blasthole drilling is about 8,430 feet per day, approximately 130 
holes per day. Drill hole cuttings are sampled and assayed for 
determination of material type. Material is designated as sulfide ore, 
leach ore, or low-grade leach ore. Blasting is done only during day-
shift on a 5-day-per-week basis. Blasting agents in use at Chino 
include emulsions, ANFO (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil), and aluminized 
ANFO. Loading of the materials in the Santa Rita Pit is accomplished 
with electric shovels varying from 17 cubic yard to 56 cubic yard 
dipper capacity. The size of dipper used is dependent on whether the 
shovel is operating in high or low density material.
    The existing haulage truck fleet moves approximately 60,000 tons 
per day of ore, 151,000 tons per day of leach rock, and 228,000 tons 
per day of waste rock. A fleet of 190- to 240-ton haul trucks is 
utilized to move this material. Ore is delivered to the concentrator 
primary crusher; leach ore and no-leach rock are delivered to 
stockpiles on the perimeter of the pit. Haul distances are currently 
averaging about 13,000 feet with 600 feet of lift.
    The POO provides detailed descriptions of the CMC facility 
including ancillary facilities, supporting structures, and proposed 
action.
    Reclamation bonding and analyses will be determined through the 
development of a reclamation plan with the New Mexico Mining and 
Minerals Division (MMD). The goal of reclamation of the Santa Rita Mine 
will be to effectively mitigate impacts to the natural, human, and 
cultural environment. Implementation of the Reclamation Plan will 
require that CMC comply with all applicable rules and standards set 
forth by the BLM and the New Mexico Mining Act. A Closeout Plan will be 
submitted to the New Mexico MMD as part of the mine permitting process. 
The Closeout Plan will include a description of the reclamation plan 
and specific mitigation measures that CMC will commit to research and 
development. These mitigation measures will serve to reduce short-term 
and long-term environmental impacts associated with the implementation 
of one of the action alternatives. The intent of the reclamation plan 
and its implementation will be to satisfy both BLM and State of New 
Mexico guidelines.
    The proposed land exchange will involve approximately 5,390 acres 
of Federal land in Grant County managed by the BLM (Selected Land) and 
approximately 463 acres of land owned by CMC (Offered Land). In 
exchange for the Federal land, CMC is offering land in the Organ 
Mountains about 14 miles northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

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              Township                        Range                    Section                     Acres        
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                                                  Selected Land                                                 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
17 South...........................  12 West...............  Portions of Sections 22,     7.66                  
                                                              26, 28, 34, 35.                                   
18 South...........................  11 West...............  Portions of Sections 7, 18,  722.68                
                                                              19, 20.                                           
18 South...........................  12 West...............  Portions of Sections 1, 3,   2,579.24              
                                                              4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20,                        
                                                              21.                                               
19 South...........................  11 West...............  Section 7..................  86.02                 

[[Page 43547]]

                                                                                                                
19 South...........................  12 West:..............  Section 12.................  160                   
21 South...........................  12 West:..............  Sections 13, 14, 23, 24....  1,520                 
21 South...........................  11 West...............  Section 19.................  314.44                
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                                                  Offered Land                                                  
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22 South...........................  4 East................  Section 5..................  463                   
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    The EIS will address water resources, geology and minerals, air 
quality, soils, vegetation resources, wildlife resources, special-
status species, range resources, land use and access, recreation, 
visual resources, social and economic values, cultural resources, 
transportation, noise, climate and reclamation.
    The BLM has identified the following resources as requiring 
emphasis during analysis:

Mimbres Figwort

    Although this plant is not protected by Federal or State endangered 
species laws, it is sufficiently rare (State of New Mexico List 2, R-E-
D code 2-1-3) that impacts to the local population could decrease 
genetic variability in the species.

Peregrine Falcon

    Two peregrine falcons and a peregrine falcon eyrie were identified 
near the Santa Rita pit in July 1996.

Visual Resources

    Scenic resources near the Santa Rita pit include the Kneeling Nun 
and Kneeling Nun ridge. The Kneeling Nun is a rock monolith which is a 
well-known locallandmark. (The Kneeling Nun will be retained in Federal 
ownership.)

Air Quality

    Potential impacts to air quality will need to be emphasized during 
analysis.

Water Resources

    Potential impact to ground water and surface water quality and 
quantity, including acid rock drainage, will need to be emphasized 
during analysis.

Cumulative Impacts

    Mining in the region has occurred since the late 1880's. Analysis 
of cumulative impacts related to past mining activity, present 
activity, and planned future expansions will need to be emphasized.
    BLM's scoping process for the EIS will include: (1) Identification 
of issues to be addressed; (2) identification of viable alternatives, 
and (3) notifying interested groups, individuals, and agencies so that 
additional information concerning these issues can be obtained. The 
scoping will consist of a news release announcing the start of the EIS 
process; letters of invitation to participate in the scoping process; 
and a scoping packet which further clarifies the proposed action and 
significant issues being considered to be distributed to those on the 
mailing list and made available upon request.

    Dated: August 6, 1997.
Richard T. Watts,
Acting District Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-21542 Filed 8-13-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P