Notice of Availability of the Copper Flat Copper Mine Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Sierra County, NM, 74794-74795 [2015-30293]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 229 (Monday, November 30, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74794-74795]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-30293]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNML03010 L51100000.GN0000 LVEMG11CG230 XXXL5017AR]


Notice of Availability of the Copper Flat Copper Mine Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement, Sierra County, NM

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) for the Copper Flat 
Copper Mine and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment 
period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Copper Flat Copper Mine Draft EIS within 45 
days following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will 
announce future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement 
activities at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media 
releases, and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Copper Flat Copper 
Mine by any of the following methods:
     Email: BLM_NM_LCDO_Comments@blm.gov.
     Fax: (575) 525-4412.
     Mail: BLM Las Cruces District Office, Attention: Doug 
Haywood, 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005.
    Copies of the Copper Flat Copper Mine Draft EIS are available at 
the Las Cruces District Office at the above address and public 
libraries in Hillsboro, New Mexico, at 158 Elenora Street, and Truth or 
Consequences, New Mexico, at 325 Library Lane. The Draft EIS and 
supporting documents are also available electronically on the Copper 
Flat Project (Project) Web site at: www.blm.gov/nm/copperflateis.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Doug Haywood, telephone (575) 525-
4498; address 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005; email 
dhaywood@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-
800-877-8339 to contact the above individual during normal business 
hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a 
message or question with the above individual. You will receive a reply 
during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Copper Flat Copper Mine is the proposed 
reestablishment of a poly-metallic mine and processing facility located 
near Hillsboro, New Mexico, that would produces copper, gold, silver, 
and molybdenum. The Proposed Action is to approve the Project as 
proposed, consisting of an open pit mine, flotation mill, tailings 
impoundment, waste rock disposal areas, a low-grade ore stockpile, and 
ancillary facilities. In most respects, the facilities, disturbance, 
and operations would be similar to the former operation. The Project is 
owned and operated by the New Mexico Copper Corporation (Copper 
Corporation), a wholly owned subsidiary of THEMAC Resources Group 
Limited. The Project is comprised of 963 acres (841 acres of proposed 
disturbance and 122 acres undisturbed) of private land and 1,227 acres 
(745 acres of proposed disturbance and 482 acres undisturbed) of public 
land, for a total of 2,190 acres. The proposed mining plan of 
operations was submitted by the Copper Corporation to the BLM in June 
2011and is based upon the plan of development that Quintana Mineral 
Corporation used in the previous operation of Copper Flat mining 
activities in 1982. The Project includes upgrades and modifications 
based on current engineering designs and regulations and was 
intentionally developed to re-use the existing foundations, production 
wells, and water pipeline that were employed by the previous Quintana 
operation. Four Alternatives are analyzed: No Action, Proposed Action, 
Alternative A, and Alternative B. The Preferred Alternative 
(Alternative B) is different than the Proposed Action in that ore would 
be processed at a faster rate, therefore shortening the mine life of 
the Project.
    Under the Proposed Action, the BLM would approve the Copper 
Corporation's plan to process 17,500 tons per day of copper ore over a 
mine operations period of 16 years, resulting in 100 million tons of 
ore processed over the mine life. Alternative A would process 25,000 
tons per day of copper ore over a mine operations period of 11 years, 
resulting in 103 million tons of ore processed over the mine life. 
Alternative B would process 30,000 tons per day of copper ore over a 
mine operations period of 12 years, resulting in 125 million tons of 
ore processed over the mine life.
    Mitigation of impacts are proposed in the mining plan of operations 
for reducing water quality effects; reducing the effects of the spread 
of nonnative vegetation and noxious weeds; providing protection to 
special-status bird species; pre-development surveying for bat species; 
developing measures to avoid, minimize, or mitigate the adverse effects 
to historic properties; reducing adverse impacts on historic 
properties; informational signing for mining as a resource to reduce 
visual impacts; fencing to prevent injury or loss of livestock from 
mining operations; reducing ``boom and bust'' socioeconomic impacts; 
reducing public concerns about potential company bankruptcy; and 
reducing effects to environmental justice populations.
    The scoping period began on January 9, 2012, and ended on March 9, 
2012. Scoping meetings were held in Hillsboro and Truth or 
Consequences, New Mexico, on February 22 and 23,

[[Page 74795]]

2012, respectively. During the open house portion of the meeting, the 
public had opportunities to speak with representatives of the BLM, the 
State of New Mexico, and the Copper Corporation. Several display 
stations were featured with exhibits, maps, fact sheets, and other 
informational materials. The key issues identified from public scoping 
focused on water, biological resources, traffic, and social and 
economic concerns.
    The BLM has prepared the Draft EIS in conjunction with its four 
Cooperating Agencies: The New Mexico Department of Game and Fish, New 
Mexico Environment Department, New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural 
Resources Department, and New Mexico Office of the State Engineer.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.

Aden L. Seidlitz,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2015-30293 Filed 11-27-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-FB-P