632-037-0085 Environmental Evaluation (1) The purpose of an environmental evaluation shall be to address specific impacts of a mining operation in order to allow affected agencies to make decisions on whether to issue or deny a permit and develop permit conditions. It shall provide full and fair discussion of significant environmental impacts and shall inform decision makers and the public of reasonable alternatives that would avoid or minimize adverse impacts and/or enhance the quality of the human and natural environment. An environmental evaluation shall focus on significant environmental issues and alternatives. (2) For the purposes of this rule, "impacts" include both direct and indirect impacts: (a) "Direct impacts" are those impacts that are caused by the action and occur at the same time and place as the action; (b) "Indirect impacts" are those impacts that are caused by the action and are later in time or farther removed in distance, but are still reasonably foreseeable. (3) The Department shall direct staff or hire a third party contractor to prepare an environmental evaluation. The applicant shall pay costs of hiring a third party contractor. The scope of the environmental evaluation shall be determined by the technical review team following consultation with the project coordinating committee. (4) An environmental evaluation shall be completed by Department staff or a third party contractor at least 60 days before the issuance of any draft permits. Upon receipt of a complete environmental evaluation, the Department shall provide public notice in accordance with OAR 632-037-0030 stating that the environmental evaluation is complete and receive written comments for a period of 14 calendar days after the notice is given. (5) A complete environmental evaluation shall include the following sections: (a) Impact Analysis; (b) Cumulative Impact Analysis; (c) Alternatives Analyses. (6) Impact Analysis. An impact analysis shall include but not be limited to the following: (a) An analysis of the reasonably foreseeable causes and impacts of the proposed mine on the environment, including but not limited to air, water, soil, vegetation, wildlife and wildlife habitat, geology, cultural resources and visual resources; and (b) An analysis of the causes and impacts of the following types of credible accidents, including the catastrophic consequences of such accidents even if the probability of occurrence is low, provided that the analysis is supported by credible scientific evidence and is not based on pure conjecture: (A) Releases of contaminants into the environment as a result of the mine operation or closure; (B) Precipitation events and other natural events such as earthquakes that exceed the design standards of the mine facilities; (C) Human error; (D) Fire; (E) Unplanned detonation of explosives; and (F) Equipment failures. (7) Cumulative Impact Analysis. A cumulative impact analysis shall include an assessment of the total cumulative impact on the environment that results from the incremental impact of an action when added with other past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions, regardless of the agency or persons that undertake the other action, or whether the actions are on private, state or federal land: (a) A cumulative impact analysis shall include but is not limited to the following: (A) An identification of those resources for which an impact could occur from the proposed mining operation that could potentially combine with the impacts of other past, present or reasonably foreseeable future actions to produce a cumulative impact; (B) An identification of past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions that may occur in the study area, including each of the following types of actions: (i) Similar actions. Actions that, when viewed with other reasonably foreseeable or proposed actions, have similarities that provide a basis for evaluating their environmental consequences together, such as common timing or geography; (ii) Connected actions. Actions that cannot or will not proceed unless other actions are taken previously or simultaneously, or that are interdependent parts of a larger action and rely on the larger action for their justification; (iii) Separate actions. Actions that affect the same environmental resources, including air, vegetation, wildlife and wildlife habitat, soil, and water resources. (C) An analysis, by resource category identified in paragraph (A) of this subsection, of the cumulative impacts of the proposed mining operation and each of the actions identified in paragraph (B) of this subsection. (b) The extent of a cumulative impact analysis shall be determined by a technical review team. In making such a determination, the technical review team shall consider the following: (A) The alternatives considered for the proposed mining operation; (B) The type of environmental impacts that are evaluated in the environmental evaluation; and (C) The physical dimension of the proposed mining operation. (8) Alternatives Analysis: (a) An alternatives analysis shall include a review and analysis of the following: (A) All alternatives analyzed by the applicant or applicant's contractor in accordance with OAR 632-037-0045(6); and (B) Any reasonable alternatives identified by the technical review team to ensure that all alternatives within the authority of each permitting or cooperating agency are reviewed and analyzed. The alternatives identified by the technical review team may include, but not be limited to, the following: (i) Alternative locations for mine facilities, including heap leach pads, roads, impoundments, ponds, ore storage areas and waste disposal areas; (ii) Alternative designs, processes (including chemical processes), operations and scheduling for mine facilities and operations, including heap leach pads, roads, impoundments, ponds, ore storage areas and waste disposal areas; (iii) Alternative water supply; (iv) Alternative power supply; and (v) Alternative reclamation procedures. (b) The review and analysis required under subsection (a) of this section shall: (A) Explore and evaluate the environmental impacts of all reasonable alternatives, and include a brief discussion of reasons a particular alternative was eliminated by the applicant; (B) Include sufficient detail in the description of each alternative so that affected agencies and the public may evaluate the comparative merits of each alternative; and (C) Discuss the systematic procedure used to arrive at the preferred alternative, including the decision criteria used and the information considered. Statutory/Other Authority: ORS 517.750 - 517.995 Statutes/Other Implemented: ORS 517.978 History: DGMI 1-2014, f. & cert. ef. 4-2-14 GMI 2-1991, f. & cert. ef. 10-11-91