Opinion ID: 3065224
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: 3.2.1 County of Riverside

Text: The proposed County action is based on the Coun- ty’s authority for reviewing land use applications (i.e., Specific Plans for the proposed landfill and the Townsite) for the proposed landfill and the Town- site. In making a decision on the pending land use NATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN 15147 applications, the County will consider the following County objectives. • Provide the County and jurisdictions within the County with environmentally sound, long-term disposal capacity for waste generated within the County. • Provide the County with income from the dis- posal fees for out-of-county waste disposed of at the site. Provide for the acquisition and preservation of valuable open space lands in environmen- tally sensitive areas, for the preservation and enhancement of biological, scenic, and cultural resources in the County, and research and educa- tion concerning conservation of natural resources. This activity will be funded through the contribution of one dollar per ton of waste deposited at the landfill into a mitigation moni- toring trust fund administered by the County. • Reclaim lands disturbed by previous mining activities. • Assist jurisdictions within the County that use the site for solid waste disposal to meet the long-term landfill capacity as set forth by state law (AB 939). • Provide a remote, regional municipal solid waste landfill that allows transportation of waste primarily by rail and uses existing transportation infrastructure. • Provide long-term disposal capacity to allow the County to continue closing existing unlined landfills within the County. 15148 NATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN In evaluating this project in terms of the its purpose and the public interest, BLM added this worthy consideration: Based on economic reports prepared by experts, the Project is projected to generate $210 to $280 million in revenue to the county in the first twenty years of operation. That additional revenue can be used to provide needed federal services to the residents of Riverside County. The Project will also support or save, on an annual basis, an average of 1,354 jobs in the county during the first 20 years. The overall economic impact during the next twenty years to the county is projected to be in excess of $3 billion. Also, The Project will be the only landfill in Riverside County which meets current groundwater protection and other current state and federal environmental protection requirements, thus providing sufficient waste disposal capacity to enable the county to close existing landfills that do not meet current state and federal regulations. (emphasis added). This is what BLM’s district manager had to say about the value of this project to the United States in his feasibility report dated February 8, 1993: Public Benefits and Relationship to Land Use Planning The public lands are identified for disposal and the private lands are recommended for acquisition under the California Desert Conservation Area (CDCA) Plan, as amended. The offered private lands are within and adjacent to the Chuckwalla Bench and NATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN 15149 Dos Palmas/Salt Creek Areas of Critical Environ- mental Concern and Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Study Area designated in the CDCA Plan. Respec- tively, these areas contain important habitat for the desert tortoise, a Federally listed threatened species, and riparian habitat supporting[ ] the desert pupfish, a Federally listed endangered species. The land exchange would secure important habitat for these species. He augmented his favorable opinion in 1997 in his Notice of Decision asking for public comment: The non-Federal lands to be acquired by the United States are located within and adjacent to the Chuckwalla Bench and Dos Palmas/Salt Creek Areas of Critical Environmental concern. Respectively, these areas contain important habitat for the Desert Tortoise, a federally listed threatened species, and habitat supporting two federally listed endangered species, the Yuma Clapper Rail and Desert Pupfish. The Federal lands being conveyed consist of highly disturbed lands in and around the Eagle Mountain Iron Ore Mine located north of Desert Center, California. The Federal lands will be used to facilitate the proposed development of the Eagle Mountain Landfill and Recycling Center Project, a Class III non-hazardous municipal solid waste landfill in Riverside County. Disposal of the Federal lands is consistent with the California Desert Conservation Area Plan of 1980, as amended. The public interest will be well served by making the exchange. In summary, my colleagues’ opinion suffers from a fundamental flaw in its quarantined analysis of two interrelated issues, the purpose and need for the project, on one hand, and whether the exchange of federal land serves the public interest 15150 NATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN on the other. They grudgingly conclude that the BLM adequately determined that the public interest is served by the landfill, but, in the same breath, they claim to have found a defect in BLM’s articulation of the project’s purpose and need. How can a project that satisfies the rigorous public interest demands of the exchange law fail because its purpose and need over represents primarily private goals and objectives? It is a mistake to approach these two statutory requirements as separate and independent from each other, especially in a case such as this where the exchange is between a private entity and a public interest. Of course Kaiser has its own goals it hopes to accomplish from this project, and of course it hopes to make a profit, but it seems blindingly apparent that its goals dovetail with the public’s need for a landfill, and especially a landfill such as this that not only meets and far exceeds our laudable environmental expectations, but greatly enhances, by the acquisition of 2,846 acres, contiguous federal land that protects endangered species living on it. The Record of Decision says this about value to BLM: 4.2 Acquisition of Important Wildlife Habi- tat: The proposed land exchange presents an opportunity for BLM to achieve better management of Federal lands by allowing BLM to consolidate Fed- eral ownership of land that contains habitat for listed species. In the land exchange, BLM would acquire approximately 2,846 acres of Kaiser lands, which contain important habitat for the desert tortoise, a Federally listed threatened species, and for the desert pupfish, a Federally listed endangered species, and for other environmentally sensitive species. In addition to the lands acquired as part of the land exchange, BLM also would acquire approximately 400 acres of desert tortoise habitat for mitigation of impacts caused by the Project. This land would be purchased by the applicant, and then would be con- veyed in fee to BLM as mitigation for the loss of 160 NATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN 15151 acres of tortoise habitat, which would be used for widening and extending the Eagle Mountain Road as part of the Proposed Action. Given the lands to be acquired, including the mitigation land, the land exchange would further BLM’s objective of securing additional protection of important habitat for sensitive species. The Kaiser lands to be acquired by BLM in the land exchange are located in four geographic areas (see Exhibit “B”). The location of these lands, and the environmental benefits associated with their acquisition, are summarized a follows: Group A: Salt Creek (Dos Palmas) ACEC T. 8 S., R. 11 E. Section 13: NE1/4 Section 21: E1/2E1/2SE1/4 Section 23: Described in metes and bounds. These three parcels are located in the vicinity of the Salt Creek (Dos Palmas) Area of Critical Envi- ronmental Concern (ACEC). The entire ACEC area of about 14,000 acres includes both Federal and private lands and is popularly referred to as Salt Creek (Dos Palmas) ACEC, even though the ACEC only includes the Federal lands. One of the management objectives in the Salt Creek (Dos Palmas) area is to acquire private lands for the management of various palm oases and seeps that provide habitat for the desert pupfish and Yuma clapper rail, both Federally listed endangered species. Over 3,200 acres have been acquired or are in the process of being acquired 15152 NATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN by BLM. All three of Kaiser’s parcels will contribute to consolidating Federal lands, thus enhancing management of the area. The parcel in Section 23 con- tains desert pupfish habitat along a tributary to Salt Creek. Group B: Orocopia Mountains Wilderness T. 7 S., R. 12 E. Section 35: Described by metes and bounds Section 36: N1/2SW1/4, SE1/ 4NW1/4, S1/2NE1/4 T. 7 S., R. 13 E. Section 31: Described by metes and bounds These three parcels are located on the southern boundary of the Orocopia Mountains Wilderness Area. They are not contiguous to the Wilderness Area. However, consolidation of Federal lands in this area would simplify land management and enhance recreational opportunities. These parcels are in an area designated by the USFWS as critical habitat for the desert tortoise under the Endangered Species Act. A population of approximately 50 Nelson’s bighorn sheep occurs in this area and another population of approximately 100-200 sheep occurs in the Chocolate Mountains to the south. These populations migrate between the mountain ranges in the vicinity of the parcels. Nelson’s bighorn sheep is a State of California fully protected species and a BLM sensitive species. Populations of Orocopia Sage, a Federal species of concern, occur on all three parcels. AcquiNATIONAL PARKS v. KAISER EAGLE MOUNTAIN 15153 sition of Kaiser’s parcels would block up a large area of BLM managed lands and enhance management of lands used by migrating bighorn sheep. In summary, my colleagues’ opinion’s claim that BLM “foreordained” the approval of this exchange is indefensible in terms of the record.