Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project, Fremont County, Wyoming, 58962-58963 [2016-20449]

Download as PDF 58962 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2016 / Notices mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES One position in Category Three— Representatives of state, county, or local elected office; representatives and employees of a state agency responsible for the management of natural resources; representatives of Indian Tribes within or adjacent to the area for which the RAC is organized; representatives and employees of academic institutions who are involved in natural sciences; and the public-atlarge. Individuals may nominate themselves or others to serve on an advisory council. Nominees, who must be residents of the state or states where the RAC has jurisdiction, will be judged on the basis of their training, education, and knowledge of the council’s geographical area. Nominees should also demonstrate a commitment to consensus building and collaborative decision-making. Individuals who are Federally-registered lobbyists are ineligible to serve on all FACA and nonFACA boards, committees, or councils in an individual capacity. The term ‘‘individual capacity’’ refers to individuals who are appointed to exercise their own individual best judgment on behalf of the government, such as when they are designated Special Government Employees, rather than being appointed to represent a particular interest. All nominations must be accompanied by letters of reference from any represented interests or organizations, a completed RAC application, and any other information that speaks to the nominee’s qualifications. Those who have already submitted a nomination in response to the first call for nominations (published in the Federal Register, 81 FR 14879, March 18, 2016) do not need to resubmit. All nominations from the first and second calls will be considered together during the review process. The BLM-Utah will consult with the Governor’s office before forwarding its recommendations to the Secretary of the Interior for a final decision. Simultaneous with this notice, BLMUtah will issue a press release providing additional information for submitting nominations. Authority: 43 CFR 1784.4–1. Jenna Whitlock, Acting State Director. [FR Doc. 2016–20551 Filed 8–25–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:17 Aug 25, 2016 Jkt 238001 DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLWYR05000.L51100000.GN0000. LVEMK11CW630–WYW–168184] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project, Fremont County, Wyoming Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project and by this notice is announcing its availability. DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project Final EIS are available for public inspection in the BLM Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, Wyoming; and in the BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 Yellowstone, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Interested persons may also review the Final EIS on the Internet at the project Web site at https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/ en/info/NEPA/documents/lfo/ sheepmtn.html. SUMMARY: FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Krassin, Project Manager, telephone 307–332–8400; address Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520; email blm_ wy_sheep_mountain_eis@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 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: Titan Uranium USA Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Titan Uranium Inc., submitted a 43 CFR 3809 plan of operations to the BLM Lander Field Office (LFO) for the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project (Project) in Fremont County, Wyoming on June 16, 2011. On February 29, 2012, Energy Fuels Inc. PO 00000 Frm 00061 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 acquired Titan Uranium Inc. and all of its subsidiaries are now wholly-owned subsidiaries of Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. (Energy Fuels). Energy Fuels will continue as the owner and operator of the Project. Energy Fuels submitted a revised Plan of Operations to the BLM on July 9, 2012 and August 27, 2013. The Project is located 8 miles south of Jeffrey City, Wyoming, in south-central Fremont County, in the Crooks GapGreen Mountain Mining District, which was extensively mined starting in the 1950s. This area lies 62 miles southeast of Riverton, 67 miles north of Rawlins, and 105 miles southwest of Casper. The Project is within the active State of Wyoming Permit to Mine 381C administered by the Wyoming Department of Environmental QualityLand Quality Division (WDEQ–LQD). Energy Fuels’ revised application to Permit to Mine 381C was approved in July 2015. Energy Fuels is currently considering applying for a U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Source Materials License. Energy Fuels proposes to explore for and develop uranium reserves to produce approximately 1.0 million to 2.0 million pounds of U3O8, or yellowcake, from the uranium ore per year over an anticipated project life of 20 years. Mining would be completed using conventional methods including open pit and underground methods. Ore processing into yellowcake would occur either on site using a heap leach and solvent extraction/ion exchange or off site using the existing conventional Sweetwater Uranium Mill approximately 30 miles to the south. The boundary of the Sheep Mountain Project Area is within the active WDEQ– LQD Permit to Mine 381C Permit Area, encompassing approximately 3,611 acres (approximately 5.6 square miles), of which approximately 929 acres would be disturbed under the Proposed Action Alternative. Approximately 62 percent (572.5 acres) of the surface within the proposed action disturbance area historically was disturbed by previous mining and exploration activities. The Final EIS addresses the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts of the proposed action, the No Action Alternative and the BLM Mitigation Alternative. The No Action Alternative, as required by NEPA, describes conditions that would occur if the proposed Project were denied. The No Action Alternative includes reclamation by Energy Fuels of approximately 144 acres as required by the WDEQ–LQD Permit to Mine 381C, and the reclamation of the existing McIntosh Pit by the WDEQ-Abandoned E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM 26AUN1 mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 166 / Friday, August 26, 2016 / Notices Mine Lands Program which began in 2014 and is scheduled to conclude in 2020. The Proposed Action Alternative is the Project as proposed by Energy Fuels in its plan of operations and the WDEQ–LQD Permit to Mine 381C as approved in July 2015. The BLM Mitigation Alternative would utilize the same conventional mining techniques over the same period as under the Proposed Action Alternative, but modifications to the proposed reclamation plan would be required. In addition, the BLM Mitigation Alternative would identify opportunities to apply hierarchical mitigation strategies for on-site and regional mitigation strategies and identify areas appropriate to apply landscape-level conservation and management actions to achieve resource objectives. The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on August 23, 2011 (76 FR 52688). The scoping comments received in response to this notice were used while preparing the Draft EIS to inform during alternative development and to identify issues to be analyzed in the impact analysis. A 45-day public comment period for the Draft EIS was held from January 16–March 2, 2015. The BLM hosted a public meeting in Lander at the Fremont County Library on January 28, 2015. Notable changes to the Draft EIS based on comments received include the following: • Clarified the description of specific aspects of the Proposed Action, including revisions to the WDEQ–LQD Mine Permit 381C, storm-water management, disposal of dewatered waste water under the Wyoming Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WYPDES), and roles and responsibilities of permitting agencies in allowing off-site versus on-site processing. • Reviewed and revised the analysis of impacts to water resources as a result of the WYPDES permit and storm-water management plans under the Proposed Action Alternative for consistency with Mine Permit 381C. • Added details to the analysis of impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse, particularly in regards to hauling material off site which included analyzing alternative haul routes to the potential off-site processing facility. • Added details to the analysis of other resources such as public health and safety, wetlands, vegetation, soils, water, climate and air quality. Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, a Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued. The VerDate Sep<11>2014 21:17 Aug 25, 2016 Jkt 238001 decision reached in the ROD is subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The 30-day appeal period begins with the issuance of the ROD. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10 Mary Jo Rugwell, BLM Wyoming State Director. [FR Doc. 2016–20449 Filed 8–25–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–22–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLCOS06000–L12320000–DA0000–14X– LVRDCO050000] Notice of Intent To Establish a Campground Fee on Public Land in Gunnison County, Colorado Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Intent. AGENCY: The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Gunnison Field Office, Gunnison, Colorado, intends to establish an overnight camping fee at the Oh Be Joyful Campground. DATES: Comments on the proposed fee changes must be received or postmarked by November 25, 2016 and include a legible full name and address. Effective February 26, 2017, the BLM will initiate fee collection at the Oh Be Joyful Campground, unless the BLM publishes a Federal Register notice to the contrary. Comments received after the close of the comment period or delivered to an address other than the one listed in this notice may not be considered or included in the administrative record for the proposed fee. SUMMARY: Documents concerning this fee change may be reviewed at the Gunnison Field Office, 210 W. Spencer Avenue, Suite A, Gunnison, CO 81230. Written comments may be mailed or delivered to the same address; faxed to 970–642–4990; or emailed to blm_co_ gfo_nepa_comments@blm.gov with ‘‘Oh Be Joyful Fee Proposal’’ referenced in the subject line. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stuart Schneider, Project Manager, at the address above, or phone (970) 642– 4964. The Business Plan and information concerning the proposed fee schedule are available at https:// www.blm.gov/co/st/en/fo/gfo.html. 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 Stuart Schneider during normal ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00062 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 58963 business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, seven 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 Oh Be Joyful Campground is a destination campground for people visiting in the Gunnison Basin near Crested Butte, Colorado. The BLM’s overall goal is to maintain the area’s recreational experiences, quality social setting and overnight camping that require substantial Federal investment, while protecting natural resources. The BLM is committed to finding the proper balance between public use and the protection of public lands and resources. The campground qualifies as a site wherein visitors can be charged an expanded amenity fee for overnight use, authorized under Section 803(g)(2)(h) of the Recreation Enhancement Act (REA), 16 U.S.C. 6801 et seq. In accordance with the REA and implementing regulations at 43 CFR 2930, visitors would obtain an individual Recreation Use Permit to camp within the Oh Be Joyful Campground. Campers would be required to display a permit stub at each campsite. Permits would expire at the beginning of the subsequent calendar day. The suggested fees for campsites are $10 per night for sites with picnic tables and campfire containment devices (a limit of eight people and up to two tents); $5 per night for overflow sites with campfire containment devices (a limit of eight people and up to two tents); and $30 per night for proposed group campsites (site designed for 9–25 people). A vault toilet is available for all designated campsites and portable toilets are set up for use by the overflow camping areas during the high-use summer months. If potable drinking water is provided, all site fees would increase by $5 per night. As infrastructure improvements are made at the Oh Be Joyful Campground, overnight fees will be charged accordingly for campsites. Free dispersed camping would no longer be available at the Oh Be Joyful Campground and the surrounding area (approximately 100 acres). The BLM’s goals for the Oh Be Joyful Campground fee program are to provide additional facilities through capital improvements; ensure that funding is available to maintain the campground; manage visitor use and provide a quality recreation experience under existing rules and regulations; provide for law enforcement presence; develop additional services (such as expanding interpretive and educational information); and protect resources. The E:\FR\FM\26AUN1.SGM 26AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 166 (Friday, August 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58962-58963]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20449]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLWYR05000.L51100000.GN0000.LVEMK11CW630-WYW-168184]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project, Fremont County, 
Wyoming

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability

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

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy Act of 1976 
(FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Sheep Mountain 
Uranium Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Sheep Mountain Uranium Project Final EIS are 
available for public inspection in the BLM Lander Field Office, 1335 
Main Street, Lander, Wyoming; and in the BLM Wyoming State Office, 5353 
Yellowstone, Cheyenne, Wyoming. Interested persons may also review the 
Final EIS on the Internet at the project Web site at https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/lfo/sheepmtn.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Krassin, Project Manager, 
telephone 307-332-8400; address Lander Field Office, 1335 Main Street, 
Lander, Wyoming 82520; email blm_wy_sheep_mountain_eis@blm.gov. Persons 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf 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: Titan Uranium USA Inc., a wholly owned 
subsidiary of Titan Uranium Inc., submitted a 43 CFR 3809 plan of 
operations to the BLM Lander Field Office (LFO) for the Sheep Mountain 
Uranium Project (Project) in Fremont County, Wyoming on June 16, 2011. 
On February 29, 2012, Energy Fuels Inc. acquired Titan Uranium Inc. and 
all of its subsidiaries are now wholly-owned subsidiaries of Energy 
Fuels Resources (USA) Inc. (Energy Fuels). Energy Fuels will continue 
as the owner and operator of the Project. Energy Fuels submitted a 
revised Plan of Operations to the BLM on July 9, 2012 and August 27, 
2013.
    The Project is located 8 miles south of Jeffrey City, Wyoming, in 
south-central Fremont County, in the Crooks Gap-Green Mountain Mining 
District, which was extensively mined starting in the 1950s. This area 
lies 62 miles southeast of Riverton, 67 miles north of Rawlins, and 105 
miles southwest of Casper. The Project is within the active State of 
Wyoming Permit to Mine 381C administered by the Wyoming Department of 
Environmental Quality-Land Quality Division (WDEQ-LQD). Energy Fuels' 
revised application to Permit to Mine 381C was approved in July 2015. 
Energy Fuels is currently considering applying for a U.S. Nuclear 
Regulatory Commission (NRC) Source Materials License.
    Energy Fuels proposes to explore for and develop uranium reserves 
to produce approximately 1.0 million to 2.0 million pounds of 
U3O8, or yellowcake, from the uranium ore per 
year over an anticipated project life of 20 years. Mining would be 
completed using conventional methods including open pit and underground 
methods. Ore processing into yellowcake would occur either on site 
using a heap leach and solvent extraction/ion exchange or off site 
using the existing conventional Sweetwater Uranium Mill approximately 
30 miles to the south. The boundary of the Sheep Mountain Project Area 
is within the active WDEQ-LQD Permit to Mine 381C Permit Area, 
encompassing approximately 3,611 acres (approximately 5.6 square 
miles), of which approximately 929 acres would be disturbed under the 
Proposed Action Alternative. Approximately 62 percent (572.5 acres) of 
the surface within the proposed action disturbance area historically 
was disturbed by previous mining and exploration activities.
    The Final EIS addresses the direct, indirect and cumulative impacts 
of the proposed action, the No Action Alternative and the BLM 
Mitigation Alternative.
    The No Action Alternative, as required by NEPA, describes 
conditions that would occur if the proposed Project were denied. The No 
Action Alternative includes reclamation by Energy Fuels of 
approximately 144 acres as required by the WDEQ-LQD Permit to Mine 
381C, and the reclamation of the existing McIntosh Pit by the WDEQ-
Abandoned

[[Page 58963]]

Mine Lands Program which began in 2014 and is scheduled to conclude in 
2020. The Proposed Action Alternative is the Project as proposed by 
Energy Fuels in its plan of operations and the WDEQ-LQD Permit to Mine 
381C as approved in July 2015.
    The BLM Mitigation Alternative would utilize the same conventional 
mining techniques over the same period as under the Proposed Action 
Alternative, but modifications to the proposed reclamation plan would 
be required. In addition, the BLM Mitigation Alternative would identify 
opportunities to apply hierarchical mitigation strategies for on-site 
and regional mitigation strategies and identify areas appropriate to 
apply landscape-level conservation and management actions to achieve 
resource objectives.
    The Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on August 23, 2011 (76 FR 52688). The scoping comments 
received in response to this notice were used while preparing the Draft 
EIS to inform during alternative development and to identify issues to 
be analyzed in the impact analysis. A 45-day public comment period for 
the Draft EIS was held from January 16-March 2, 2015. The BLM hosted a 
public meeting in Lander at the Fremont County Library on January 28, 
2015.
    Notable changes to the Draft EIS based on comments received include 
the following:
     Clarified the description of specific aspects of the 
Proposed Action, including revisions to the WDEQ-LQD Mine Permit 381C, 
storm-water management, disposal of dewatered waste water under the 
Wyoming Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WYPDES), and roles and 
responsibilities of permitting agencies in allowing off-site versus on-
site processing.
     Reviewed and revised the analysis of impacts to water 
resources as a result of the WYPDES permit and storm-water management 
plans under the Proposed Action Alternative for consistency with Mine 
Permit 381C.
     Added details to the analysis of impacts to Greater Sage-
Grouse, particularly in regards to hauling material off site which 
included analyzing alternative haul routes to the potential off-site 
processing facility.
     Added details to the analysis of other resources such as 
public health and safety, wetlands, vegetation, soils, water, climate 
and air quality.
    Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, a 
Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued. The decision reached in the 
ROD is subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The 30-
day appeal period begins with the issuance of the ROD.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10

Mary Jo Rugwell,
BLM Wyoming State Director.
[FR Doc. 2016-20449 Filed 8-25-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-22-P
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