Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed HB Potash, LLC-“In-Situ” Solution Mine Project, Eddy County, NM, 1650-1651 [2010-306]
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Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices
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Dated: January 5, 2010
William S. Hauser,
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[FR Doc. 2010–354 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–MR–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
Bureau of Land Management
[LLES930000.L14300000.PN0000]
Notice of Application for Recordable
Disclaimer of Interest, Florida
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:14 Jan 11, 2010
Jkt 220001
SUMMARY: Farmland Reserve, Inc. filed
an application for a Recordable
Disclaimer of Interest pursuant to
Section 315 of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act of 1976, as
amended (43 U.S.C. 1745), and the
regulations in 43 CFR subpart 1864. A
Recordable Disclaimer of Interest, if
issued, will confirm the United States
has no valid interest in the subject land.
This notice is intended to inform the
public of the pending application.
DATES: The Bureau of Land Management
(BLM), Eastern States, will accept
comments on this application at the
address below until April 12, 2010.
During this 90-day comment period,
interested parties may submit comments
on this Recordable Disclaimer of Interest
application. Please reference case file
FLES–55708 in your comment.
ADDRESSES: Mail comments to: Steven
R. Wells, Deputy State Director,
Division of Natural Resources, BLMEastern States, 7450 Boston Boulevard,
Springfield, Virginia 22153.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: A.
Nate Felton, Supervisory Land Law
Examiner, Branch of Lands and Realty,
at the above address or by phone at
(703) 440–1511.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June
15, 2009, Farmland Reserve, Inc. filed
an application for a Recordable
Disclaimer of Interest for the land
described as follows:
Tallahassee Meridian
T. 25 S., R. 31 E.,
Fractional sec. 12, W1⁄2, NE1⁄4, and
unsurveyed part of the SE1⁄4;
Fractional sec. 13, unsurveyed;
Fractional sec. 24, W1⁄2, and unsurveyed
part of the E1⁄2;
Fractional sec. 25, W1⁄4, SE1⁄4, and
unsurveyed part of the NE1⁄4.
T. 25 S., R. 32 E.,
Fractional secs. 7, and 8, secs. 17 to 20,
inclusive, and sec. 30.
The areas described aggregate
approximately 4,747.73 acres in Osceola
County, Florida.
This land has been patented into
private ownership. It is the opinion of
this office that the Federal government
no longer has an interest in this
4,747.73-acre parcel.
Comments will be available for public
review at the BLM-Eastern States Office
(see address above) during regular
business hours, Monday through Friday,
except holidays.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail 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.
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
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.
If no valid objection is received, a
Disclaimer of Interest may be approved
stating the United States does not have
a valid interest in this tract of land.
Juan Palma,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010–309 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–GJ–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMP02000 L71220000.EX0000
LVTFGX9G4200]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed HB Potash, LLC—‘‘InSitu’’ Solution Mine Project, Eddy
County, NM
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
SUMMARY: In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, (NEPA) and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Carlsbad Field
Office, Carlsbad, New Mexico, intends
to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) and by this notice is
announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public
comments and to identify issues.
DATES: This notice initiates the public
scoping process for the EIS. Comments
on issues may be submitted in writing
until February 11, 2010. The date(s) and
location(s) of any scoping meetings will
be announced at least 15 days in
advance through the local media,
including newspapers and the BLM
Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/
en/fo/Carlsbad_Field_Office.html. In
order to be included in the Draft EIS, all
comments must be received prior to the
close of the scoping period or 15 days
after the last public meeting, whichever
is later. We will provide additional
opportunities for public participation
upon publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the HB Potash, LLC—‘‘In-Situ’’
Solution Mine Project by any of the
following methods:
• E-mail: Rebecca_Hunt@blm.gov.
• Fax: (575) 885–9264.
• Mail: Bureau of Land Management,
Carlsbad Field Office, Attention:
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
12JAN1
WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 7 / Tuesday, January 12, 2010 / Notices
Rebecca Hunt, 620 E. Greene St.,
Carlsbad, NM 88220.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Carlsbad Field
Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For
further information and/or to have your
name added to our mailing list, contact
Rebecca Hunt, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, telephone
(575) 234–5995; address: Carlsbad Field
Office, Attention: Rebecca Hunt, 620 E.
Greene St., Carlsbad, NM 88220; e-mail
Rebecca_Hunt@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HB
Potash, LLC, (Intrepid) is proposing to
construct and operate an ‘‘in-situ’’
solution mining project that would
involve injecting saline water into
previously mined, existing potash mine
workings, dissolving the potash and
creating a mineral-rich solution, and
pumping that solution back to the
surface. This solution, called ‘‘pregnant’’
solution, would be routed to a solar
evaporation pond system where the
potassium-bearing salts would be
separated out. The solid potassiumbearing salts would be harvested from
the ponds and routed to a flotation plant
for ore refinement. This solution mining
operation would occur on or within
Federal, State, and private surface lands
and mineral leases. The proposed action
consists of the following:
• Extracting and conditioning
groundwater from four wells that draw
from the Rustler Formation to create the
saline water injectate;
• Injecting this saline water via six
injection wells and a surface piping
system into the topographically lower
portion of the former underground
workings;
• Extracting the pregnant brine from
five extraction wells;
• Pumping the brine via a surface
piping system to solar evaporation
ponds;
• Harvesting precipitated potash at
the solar evaporation ponds and
transporting it to a new flotation mill;
• Refining the ore into a marketable
product;
• Recycling the leftover sodium
chloride to condition the injection
source groundwater; and
• Reclaiming all project components
when the ore is depleted and the
infrastructure and equipment are no
longer needed.
The expected lifespan of the proposed
HB ‘‘In-Situ’’ Solution Mine Project is
approximately 28 years. HB Potash,
LLC, estimates the project will consume
approximately 1,774 acre-feet of saline,
non-potable water each year. The
proposed HB ‘‘In-Situ’’ Solution Mine
VerDate Nov<24>2008
15:14 Jan 11, 2010
Jkt 220001
Project is located in Eddy County, New
Mexico. The area includes portions of
Township 19 South, Range 30 and 31
East, Township 20 South, Ranges 29, 30
and 31 East and Township 21 South,
Ranges 29 and 30 East, New Mexico
Principal Meridian. The project area is
located within the Carlsbad Potash
Mining District and is part of the
Secretary’s Potash Area, designated
under the 1986 Secretarial Order. The
Secretarial Order was issued by the
Secretary of the Interior and is titled Oil,
Gas, and Potash Leasing and
Development Within the Designated
Potash Area of Eddy and Lea Counties,
New Mexico, 51 FR 39425 (October 28,
1986), as corrected at 52 FR 32171
(August 26, 1987).
The proposed HB ‘‘In-Situ’’ Solution
Mine Project area encompasses
approximately 38,453 acres (60.08
square miles). The surface ownership of
these lands is approximately as follows:
• Federal Lands: 31,439 acres.
• State Lands: 4,954 acres.
• Private Lands: 2,060 acres.
Of the 38,453-acre proposed project
area, the actual extent of the open mine
workings and proposed flood zone is
only a small portion of the project area
as follows:
• Project Area: 38,453 acres.
• Targeted Open Mine Workings:
11,100 acres.
• Flood Zone within the Open Mine
Workings: 4,330 acres.
A number of alternatives in addition to
the proposed action, including the no
action alternative, will be evaluated in
the EIS in accordance with NEPA.
Alternatives may include consideration
of conventional underground mining of
remaining reserves; more extensive insitu mining; smaller in-situ flood extent;
and alternatives of the project
components (e.g., pipeline burial,
alternative pipeline routes, alternative
water supplies, using existing facilities
for ore processing, and alternative solar
pond locations). The purpose of the
public scoping process is to determine
relevant issues that will influence the
scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the
process for developing the EIS. At
present, the BLM has identified the
following preliminary issues: Oil and
gas resources, land subsidence,
hydrology, air quality, water quality and
quantity, underground mine workings,
socioeconomics, migratory birds,
rangeland resources, recreation and
cultural resources.
You may submit comments on issues,
the project as proposed, other feasible
alternatives, possible mitigation
measures, and any other information
PO 00000
Frm 00069
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
1651
relevant to the proposed action by
writing to the BLM, or attending a
public scoping meeting, or you may
submit them to the BLM using one of
the methods listed in the ADDRESSES
section above. Comments, including the
names and addresses of the commenter,
will be available for public inspection at
the BLM’s Carlsbad Field Office during
business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.),
Monday through Friday, except Federal
holidays. The minutes and list of
attendees for each scoping meeting will
also be available to the public after each
meeting and to any participant who
wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed. The BLM will utilize and
coordinate the NEPA commenting
process to satisfy the public
involvement process required for
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C.
470f) as provided for in 36 CFR
§ 800.2(d)(3). Native American Tribal
consultations also will be conducted
and Tribal concerns will be given due
consideration, including impacts on
Indian trust assets. Federal, State, and
local agencies, along with other
stakeholders that may be interested in or
affected by the BLM’s decision on this
project, are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may
request or be requested by the BLM to
participate as a cooperating agency.
Before including your address, phone
number, e-mail 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 1501.7.
Jesse Juen,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010–306 Filed 1–11–10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–OX–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Fish and Wildlife Service
[FWS–R1–ES–2009–N232; 91400–5110–
0000–7B; 91400–9410–0000–7B]
Multistate Conservation Grant
Program; Priority List for Conservation
Projects
AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service,
Department of the Interior.
ACTION: Notice of receipt of priority list.
E:\FR\FM\12JAN1.SGM
12JAN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 7 (Tuesday, January 12, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1650-1651]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-306]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNMP02000 L71220000.EX0000 LVTFGX9G4200]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed HB Potash, LLC--``In-Situ'' Solution Mine Project, Eddy
County, NM
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Carlsbad Field
Office, Carlsbad, New Mexico, intends to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing the beginning
of the scoping process to solicit public comments and to identify
issues.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS.
Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until February 11, 2010.
The date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced
at least 15 days in advance through the local media, including
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: https://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/fo/Carlsbad_Field_Office.html. In order to be included in the Draft EIS,
all comments must be received prior to the close of the scoping period
or 15 days after the last public meeting, whichever is later. We will
provide additional opportunities for public participation upon
publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the HB Potash, LLC--``In-
Situ'' Solution Mine Project by any of the following methods:
E-mail: Rebecca_Hunt@blm.gov.
Fax: (575) 885-9264.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Carlsbad Field Office,
Attention:
[[Page 1651]]
Rebecca Hunt, 620 E. Greene St., Carlsbad, NM 88220.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Carlsbad
Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have
your name added to our mailing list, contact Rebecca Hunt, Planning and
Environmental Coordinator, telephone (575) 234-5995; address: Carlsbad
Field Office, Attention: Rebecca Hunt, 620 E. Greene St., Carlsbad, NM
88220; e-mail Rebecca_Hunt@blm.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: HB Potash, LLC, (Intrepid) is proposing to
construct and operate an ``in-situ'' solution mining project that would
involve injecting saline water into previously mined, existing potash
mine workings, dissolving the potash and creating a mineral-rich
solution, and pumping that solution back to the surface. This solution,
called ``pregnant'' solution, would be routed to a solar evaporation
pond system where the potassium-bearing salts would be separated out.
The solid potassium-bearing salts would be harvested from the ponds and
routed to a flotation plant for ore refinement. This solution mining
operation would occur on or within Federal, State, and private surface
lands and mineral leases. The proposed action consists of the
following:
Extracting and conditioning groundwater from four wells
that draw from the Rustler Formation to create the saline water
injectate;
Injecting this saline water via six injection wells and a
surface piping system into the topographically lower portion of the
former underground workings;
Extracting the pregnant brine from five extraction wells;
Pumping the brine via a surface piping system to solar
evaporation ponds;
Harvesting precipitated potash at the solar evaporation
ponds and transporting it to a new flotation mill;
Refining the ore into a marketable product;
Recycling the leftover sodium chloride to condition the
injection source groundwater; and
Reclaiming all project components when the ore is depleted
and the infrastructure and equipment are no longer needed.
The expected lifespan of the proposed HB ``In-Situ'' Solution Mine
Project is approximately 28 years. HB Potash, LLC, estimates the
project will consume approximately 1,774 acre-feet of saline, non-
potable water each year. The proposed HB ``In-Situ'' Solution Mine
Project is located in Eddy County, New Mexico. The area includes
portions of Township 19 South, Range 30 and 31 East, Township 20 South,
Ranges 29, 30 and 31 East and Township 21 South, Ranges 29 and 30 East,
New Mexico Principal Meridian. The project area is located within the
Carlsbad Potash Mining District and is part of the Secretary's Potash
Area, designated under the 1986 Secretarial Order. The Secretarial
Order was issued by the Secretary of the Interior and is titled Oil,
Gas, and Potash Leasing and Development Within the Designated Potash
Area of Eddy and Lea Counties, New Mexico, 51 FR 39425 (October 28,
1986), as corrected at 52 FR 32171 (August 26, 1987).
The proposed HB ``In-Situ'' Solution Mine Project area encompasses
approximately 38,453 acres (60.08 square miles). The surface ownership
of these lands is approximately as follows:
Federal Lands: 31,439 acres.
State Lands: 4,954 acres.
Private Lands: 2,060 acres.
Of the 38,453-acre proposed project area, the actual extent of the open
mine workings and proposed flood zone is only a small portion of the
project area as follows:
Project Area: 38,453 acres.
Targeted Open Mine Workings: 11,100 acres.
Flood Zone within the Open Mine Workings: 4,330 acres.
A number of alternatives in addition to the proposed action, including
the no action alternative, will be evaluated in the EIS in accordance
with NEPA. Alternatives may include consideration of conventional
underground mining of remaining reserves; more extensive in-situ
mining; smaller in-situ flood extent; and alternatives of the project
components (e.g., pipeline burial, alternative pipeline routes,
alternative water supplies, using existing facilities for ore
processing, and alternative solar pond locations). The purpose of the
public scoping process is to determine relevant issues that will
influence the scope of the environmental analysis, including
alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS. At present,
the BLM has identified the following preliminary issues: Oil and gas
resources, land subsidence, hydrology, air quality, water quality and
quantity, underground mine workings, socioeconomics, migratory birds,
rangeland resources, recreation and cultural resources.
You may submit comments on issues, the project as proposed, other
feasible alternatives, possible mitigation measures, and any other
information relevant to the proposed action by writing to the BLM, or
attending a public scoping meeting, or you may submit them to the BLM
using one of the methods listed in the ADDRESSES section above.
Comments, including the names and addresses of the commenter, will be
available for public inspection at the BLM's Carlsbad Field Office
during business hours (7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), Monday through Friday,
except Federal holidays. The minutes and list of attendees for each
scoping meeting will also be available to the public after each meeting
and to any participant who wishes to clarify the views he or she
expressed. The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA commenting
process to satisfy the public involvement process required for Section
106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 470f)
as provided for in 36 CFR Sec. 800.2(d)(3). Native American Tribal
consultations also will be conducted and Tribal concerns will be given
due consideration, including impacts on Indian trust assets. Federal,
State, and local agencies, along with other stakeholders that may be
interested in or affected by the BLM's decision on this project, are
invited to participate in the scoping process and, if eligible, may
request or be requested by the BLM to participate as a cooperating
agency. Before including your address, phone number, e-mail 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 1501.7.
Jesse Juen,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2010-306 Filed 1-11-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-OX-P
