Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 103 / Friday, May 27, 2022 / Notices 32119 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Forest Service 

Custer Gallatin National Forest— 

Yellowstone Ranger District— 

Stillwater Mining Company, East 

Boulder Mine Amendment 004 

Expansion EIS 

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an 

environmental impact statement. 

SUMMARY: The United States Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Custer 

Gallatin National Forest has received a 

proposal from Stillwater Mining 

Company to amend the East Boulder 

Plan of Operations. Stillwater Mining 

Company proposes to expand the 

currently approved plan of operations 

boundary to provide their East Boulder 

Mine with additional storage for tailings 

and waste rock disposal and operational 

changes for continued operations. This 

notice informs the public that the Custer 

Gallatin National Forest intends to 

prepare an Environmental Impact 

Statement to assess the Plan of 

Operations Amendment and provides 

supporting information to the public on 

the purpose and need for Forest Service 

Action, a brief summary of the proposed 

action, preliminary impacts, and 

upcoming public scoping and comment 

opportunities. 

DATES: Comments concerning the scope 

of the analysis must be received by June 

27, 2022. The draft environmental 

impact statement is expected January 

2023 and the final environmental 

impact statement is expected October 

2023. 

ADDRESSES: Comments may also be sent 

electronically to https://

www.fs.usda.gov/project/ 

?project=61385. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Robert Grosvenor, CGNF Minerals 

Administrator, (406) 848–7375 ext. 28, 

or at: robert.grosvenor@usda.gov. 

Individuals who use 

telecommunication devices for the deaf 

(TDD) may call the Federal Relay 

Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339, 24 

hours a day, every day of the year, 

including holidays. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Purpose and Need for Action 

The Forest Service’s purpose for 

action is to consider approval of 

Stillwater Mining Company’s East 

Boulder Plan of Operations Amendment 

004 to expand operations on National 

Forest System lands in order to continue 

to develop and mine platinum and 

palladium deposits from the J–M Reef. 

The Forest Service purpose and need for 

action are established by the agency’s 

responsibilities under the Organic 

Administration Act of 1897 (16 United 

States Code 478, 482, and 551) and the 

locatable minerals regulations at 36 

Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 228, 

subpart A, which set forth rules and 

procedures through which use of the 

surface of NFS lands in connection with 

operations authorized by the United 

States Mining Laws (30 United States 

Code 21–54), which confer a statutory 

right to enter upon the public lands to 

search for minerals, shall be conducted 

so as to minimize adverse 

environmental impacts on National 

Forest System lands surface. 

Proposed Action 

The East Boulder Mine Amendment 

004 project proposes continuation of 

mining operations by constructing a 

new tailings storage facility, waste rock 

storage area, and constructing 

supporting infrastructure or relocating 

existing infrastructure to support the 

expansion activities in the vicinity of 

the existing East Boulder Mine on 

National Forest System and private 

lands. The Plan of Operations 

incorporates closure and reclamation, 

monitoring, and mitigation activities 

throughout the life of the mine. Under 

the plan of operations, construction, 

operation, closure, and reclamation 

phases of the Amendment 004 project 

would take place over a period of 

approximately 20 years. Environmental 

monitoring and maintenance would 

continue for as long as needed to 

demonstrate that the site has been fully 

reclaimed. 

Expected Impacts 

Preliminary impacts were identified 

based on regulatory requirements, input 

from Forest Service Interdisciplinary 

Team and previous public involvement 

and collaboration related to mineral 

development projects. Preliminary 

impacts include: 

Surface Water and Groundwater— 

Construction and operation of mine 

infrastructure may inpact water quality 

and quantity. 

Public Health and Safety—Public 

health and safety could potentially be 

impacted throughout the life of the 

mine. 

Wildlife—Construction activities and 

operations could affect wildlife species 

and habitats including fish such as 

Yellowstone cutthroat trout. 

Joint Lead Agencies 

USDA Forest Service—Custer Gallatin 

National Forest and Montana 

Department of Environmental Quality. 

Responsible Official 

Mary C. Erickson, Forest Supervisor, 

Custer Gallatin National Forest. 

Scoping Comments and the Objection 

Process 

This notice of intent initiates the 

scoping process, which guides the 

development of the environmental 

impact statement. In this process the 

Agency is requesting comments on 

potential alternatives and impacts, and 

identification of any relevant 

information, studies or analyses of any 

kind concerning impacts affecting the 

quality of the human environment. 

It is important that reviewers provide 

their comments at such times and in 

such manner that they are useful to the 

agency’s preparation of the 

environmental impact statement. 

Therefore, comments should be 

provided prior to the close of the 

comment period and should clearly 

articulate the reviewer’s concerns and 

contentions. Commenting during 

scoping and any other designated 

opportunity to comment provided by 

the Responsible Official will also 

establish standing to object once the 

final EIS and Draft Record of Decision 

has been published. Comments received 

in response to this solicitation, 

including names and addresses of those 

who comment, will be part of the public 

record for this proposed action. 

Comments submitted anonymously will 

be accepted and considered, however, 

they will not be used to establish 

standing for the objection process. 

Permits, Licenses or Other 

Authorizations Required 

Department of Environmental 

Quality—Mine Operations and 

Reclamations Permit Amendment. 

Dated: April 28, 2022. 

Barnie Gyant, 

Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest 

System. 

[FR Doc. 2022–11470 Filed 5–26–22; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3411–15–P 


jspears on DSK121TN23PROD with NOTICES1