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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 249 (Monday, December 30, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 106561]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-31215]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[PO #4820000251]

Notice of Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Twin Metals Project in the Superior National Forest, Lake and St. 
Louis Counties, Minnesota

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of termination.

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SUMMARY: By this notice, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), 
Northeastern States District, located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is 
announcing the termination of the Twin Metals Project Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS).

DATES: This termination takes effect immediately.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kurt Wadzinski, NSDO Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, at 414-297-4408 or by email to 
[email protected]. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
to contact during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive 
a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) 
NEPA regulations, the BLM published its Notice of Intent (NOI) to 
prepare an EIS for the Twin Metals Project in the Federal Register on 
June 30, 2020 (85 FR 39206). The EIS would have analyzed the potential 
impacts of issuing a proposed new preference right lease (MNES 57965) 
and approving a mine plan of operations for that lease and an existing 
lease (MNES 1352) held by Twin Metals Minnesota (Twin Metals) in the 
Superior National Forest in Lake and St. Louis counties, Minnesota.
    In October 2021, the USDA Forest Service submitted an application 
to withdraw the lands in question from disposition under the United 
States mineral and geothermal leasing laws. The BLM published a notice 
of its receipt of that application in the Federal Register (86 FR 
58299), which segregated the lands from the operation of the mineral 
and geothermal leasing laws, and the BLM subsequently rejected the 
preference right lease application submitted by Twin Metals in 
accordance with 43 CFR 2310.2(d).
    In January 2022, the Department of the Interior cancelled two 
hardrock mineral leases held by Twin Metals, including lease MNES 1352, 
because the leases were improperly renewed. Because Twin Metals did not 
have an underlying land use authorization, the BLM subsequently 
rejected the mine plan of operations. On January 31, 2023, the 
Secretary of the Interior issued Public Land Order 7917 (88 FR 6308), 
which withdrew approximately 225,504 acres of National Forest System 
lands in Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis counties, Minnesota, from 
disposition under the United States mineral and geothermal leasing laws 
for a period of 20 years, subject to valid existing rights. As a 
result, new mineral leasing is prohibited for 20 years from the date of 
the withdrawal.
    Based on BLM environmental policy, the bureau must announce in the 
Federal Register when it does not complete previously initiated NEPA 
actions.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9)

Mitchell Leverette,
Eastern States State Director.
[FR Doc. 2024-31215 Filed 12-27-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-18-P
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