Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Lower Gas Hills Conventional Uranium Project, Fremont County, WY, 41949-41950 [2013-16631]
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Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 134 / Friday, July 12, 2013 / Notices
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 1506.10, and 43
CFR 1610.2, 1610.7–2.
Mary Jo Rugwell,
Associate State Director, Wyoming.
[FR Doc. 2013–16630 Filed 7–11–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
[LLWYR05000
L51100000.GN0000.LVEMK13CY200]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Lower Gas Hills Conventional
Uranium Project, Fremont County, WY
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Pursuant to the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA) and the Federal Land
Policy and Management Act of 1976, as
amended (FLPMA), and in response to
a proposal filed by Strathmore
Resources (US), LTD (Strathmore), the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Lander Field Office, Wyoming, intends
to prepare an Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS). By this notice, the BLM
is announcing the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public
comments regarding issues and resource
information for the proposed Lower Gas
Hills Conventional Uranium Project
(Project) in Fremont County, Wyoming.
The Project is a proposed uranium
exploration and development project
employing open pit mining methods
and using heap leach methods for
uranium recovery.
DATES: This notice initiates the public
scoping process. The BLM can best
consider public input if comments and
resource information are submitted
within 60 days of publication of this
notice. To provide the public with an
opportunity to review the proposal and
project information, the BLM will host
public meetings in Lander and Riverton,
Wyoming; and will announce the dates,
times, and locations for these meetings
at least 15 days prior to each event.
Announcements will be made by news
release to the news media and
individual mailings, and posted on the
project Web site listed below. Project
information and documents including
the submitted Plan of Operations will be
available on the Project Web site
address given below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written
comments by any of the following
methods:
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
SUMMARY:
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:46 Jul 11, 2013
Jkt 229001
• Email: BLM_WY_Lower_Gas_Hills_
Conventional_Mine@blm.gov.
• Mail: Lander Field Office, Attn:
Kristin Yannone, 1335 Main Street,
Lander, WY 82520.
• Project Web site: https://www.blm.
gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/
lfo/LowerGasHillsConvMine.html.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Lander Field
Office.
Kristin Yannone, Project Manager, at:
• Telephone: 307–332–8400;
• Address: 1335 Main Street, Lander,
Wyoming 82520;
• Email: kyannone@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
Lander Field Office intends to prepare
an EIS to inform decision-making
regarding the proposed Lower Gas Hills
Conventional Uranium Project and to
begin the public scoping period. The
BLM seeks public input on the
preliminary issues identified below
regarding this Project, as well as other
Project issues of public concern. The
Project area is located in central
Wyoming; 45 miles east of Riverton, 35
miles southwest of Casper, and 70 miles
northeast of Lander, Wyoming, in the
Gas Hills Mining District of Fremont
County, Wyoming. The Project area
encompasses approximately 12,400
acres of land, 11,040 acres of which is
public land administered by the BLM
Lander Field Office. Uranium mining
activities have been active in the Gas
Hills area since the early 1950s; as a
result the proposed project area contains
land surface disturbance and variably
effective mine land reclamation efforts.
In November 2012, Strathmore
submitted a Preliminary Plan of
Operations in accordance with the
BLM’s surface management regulations
at 43 CFR part 3809 to develop a
conventional uranium mining and heap
leach recovery operation. The purpose
of the proposed Project is to explore for
and identify mining reserves and extract
and process uranium ore from 4
separate mine units over an anticipated
project life of 12 or more years.
Strathmore proposes to construct four
different mine units in a phased manner
utilizing open pit mining methods.
PO 00000
Frm 00042
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
41949
Several mine units will require
dewatering of existing open pits prior to
and during mining of new open pits.
Waste rock and ore material will be
stored at the surface during mining, and
mine facilities will be constructed at
each mine unit. Haul roads will be
constructed or re-occupied for ore
material to be transported to the central
processing facility. Uranium recovery
will be performed on-site using heap
leach methods and a processing facility
to produce yellowcake (uranium oxideU3O8). Strathmore proposes to construct
a centrally located uranium recovery
facility consisting of a heap leach pad,
solution exchange building, and drying
facility with ancillary collection and
drainage ponds.
Anticipated new surface disturbance
associated with the Lower Gas Hills
Conventional Uranium Project proposal
will include approximately 2,000 total
acres; including surface disturbance for
the construction of open pits, haul
roads, spoils piles and associated
facilities. Surface disturbance will be
phased over several years, depending on
the uranium production rate and the
availability of mine construction
equipment and personnel. Final surface
reclamation is required by regulatory
agencies and assured through
procurement of a financial guarantee.
The BLM’s analysis of any potential
impacts from granting surface use
authorization for the milling facility and
water disposal operations are in
addition to the environmental analysis
conducted by the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission as part of its permitting
process.
Final reclamation will commence at
the end of surface mining, including
placing all mine overburden and spoil
back in the mine pits, removing all
ponds and buried piping, and re-grading
and re-vegetating the disturbed surface
with approved native plant species.
After vegetation has been reestablished,
the mine surface will be returned to its
pre-mining use of livestock grazing and
wildlife habitat or any other use
consistent with the applicable land use
plan.
Depending on the residual
radiological hazards found to be present
within the mill site or processing part of
the Project area, ownership of the
reclaimed surface may be required to be
transferred to the Department of Energy
for long-term custodian care until
contamination is deemed to no longer
be a threat to public health and safety.
Strathmore estimates that the Project
will employ a mix of full-time personnel
and temporary contractors throughout
the life of the mine. It is likely that the
majority of employees will live in
E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM
12JYN1
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
41950
Federal Register / Vol. 78, No. 134 / Friday, July 12, 2013 / Notices
Riverton and Lander and, to a lesser
extent, Casper, Wyoming. The Project is
expected to provide an economic benefit
through a variety of taxes paid to
Federal, State, and local governments
including employee income taxes,
severance taxes, property taxes, and
sales taxes.
The Project is in conformance with
the 1987 Lander Resource Management
Plan and Final Environmental Impact
Statement (RMP/Final EIS) and with all
of the alternatives in the Final EIS
(2013) revising the Lander RMP. During
the preparation of the Project EIS,
interim exploration and development
will be subject to development
guidelines and decisions made in
applicable NEPA documents, including
the Lander RMP and subsequent
revisions. The Project EIS will analyze
the environmental consequences of
approving the Project as proposed,
while considering other alternatives
including a No Action Alternative.
The purpose of public scoping is to
determine relevant issues that will
influence the scope of the
environmental analysis and range of
reasonable alternatives in the Project
EIS. At present, the BLM has identified
the following preliminary issues:
Potential effects to air and water quality;
potential effects on existing land uses
and previous mine reclamation
activities; potential effects of uranium
mining and production on surface
resources including vegetation, soil,
wildlife habitat and livestock grazing;
concerns about risks from radioactive or
other hazardous elements; and concerns
about post-mining management of the
project area.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate
the NEPA scoping process to help fulfill
the public involvement process under
Section 106 of the National Historic
Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as
provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native
American tribal consultations will be
conducted in accordance with policy,
and tribal concerns will be given due
consideration, including impacts on
Indian trust assets. Federal, State, and
local agencies, along with other
stakeholders who 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, 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 may request in your
VerDate Mar<15>2010
18:46 Jul 11, 2013
Jkt 229001
comment to withhold your personal
identifying information from public
review, it cannot be guaranteed that
personal information will be withheld.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Dated: May 20, 2013.
Donald A. Simpson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013–16631 Filed 7–11–13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–22–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
[Investigation No. 337–TA–770]
Certain Video Game Systems and
Wireless Controllers and Components
Thereof; Commission Determination
To Review-In-Part a Remand Initial
Determination; Schedule for Filing
Written Submissions on Review for
Remand Initial Determination and Final
Inital Determination
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. International Trade
Commission has determined to review
certain portions of the remand initial
determination (‘‘ID’’) issued by the
presiding administrative law judge
(‘‘ALJ’’) on May 7, 2013 in the abovecaptioned investigation.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jia
Chen, Office of the General Counsel,
U.S. International Trade Commission,
500 E Street SW., Washington, DC
20436, telephone (202) 708–4737.
Copies of non-confidential documents
filed in connection with this
investigation are or will be available for
inspection during official business
hours (8:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m.) in the
Office of the Secretary, U.S.
International Trade Commission, 500 E
Street SW., Washington, DC 20436,
telephone (202) 205–2000. General
information concerning the Commission
may also be obtained by accessing its
Internet server at https://www.usitc.gov.
The public record for this investigation
may be viewed on the Commission’s
electronic docket (EDIS) at https://
edis.usitc.gov. Hearing-impaired
persons are advised that information on
this matter can be obtained by
contacting the Commission’s TDD
terminal on (202) 205–1810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On April
27, 2011, the Commission instituted the
subject investigation based on a
complaint filed by Creative Kingdoms,
LLC of Wakefield, Rhode Island and
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00043
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
New Kingdoms, LLC of Nehalem,
Oregon (collectively, ‘‘CK’’). 76 FR
23624 (Apr. 27, 2011). The complaint
alleged violations of Section 337 of the
Tariff Act of 1930, 19 U.S.C. 1337
(‘‘Section 337’’) by reason of
infringement of certain claims of United
States Patent Nos. 7,896,742 (‘‘the ’742
patent’’); 7,500,917 (‘‘the ’917 patent’’);
and 7,850,527 (‘‘the ’527 patent’’). The
named respondents are Nintendo Co.,
Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan and Nintendo
America, Inc. of Redmond, Washington
(collectively, ‘‘Nintendo’’).
The products accused of infringing
the asserted patents are gaming systems
and related components and software,
including the Wii Remote, Wii
MotionPlus, Wii Remote Plus, Nunchuk,
Wii console (versions RVL and RVK),
and Wii U console (collectively, the
‘‘accused products’’).
On August 31, 2012, the ALJ issued a
final ID finding no violation of section
337 by Nintendo. The ALJ found that
the accused products infringe sole
asserted claim 24 of the ’742 patent, but
that the claim is invalid for failing to
satisfy the enablement requirement and
the written description requirement
under 35 U.S.C. 112. The ALJ found that
no accused products infringe the
asserted claims of the ’917 patent and
’527 patents. The ALJ also found that
the asserted claims of the ’917 and ’527
patents are invalid for failing to satisfy
the enablement requirement and the
written description requirement. The
ALJ concluded that complainant has
failed to show that a domestic industry
exists in the United States that exploits
the asserted patents as required by 19
U.S.C. 1337(a)(2). The ALJ did not make
a finding regarding the technical prong
of the domestic industry requirement
with respect to the asserted patents. The
ALJ also did not make a finding with
respect to anticipation and obviousness
of the asserted patents.
On September 17, 2012, CK filed a
petition for review challenging the ALJ’s
findings with respect to claim
construction, infringement, enablement
and written description for the ’917
patent, the ALJ’s findings with respect
to enablement and written description
of the ’742 patent, as well as the ALJ’s
findings with respect to the domestic
industry requirement for the ’917 and
’742 patents. On the same day, Nintendo
filed a petition for review challenging
the ALJ’s finding with respect to claim
construction and infringement for the
’742 patent. Nintendo also challenged
the ALJ’s failure to address anticipation
and obviousness with respect to the ’917
and ’742 patents. The IA filed a petition
for review challenging the ALJ’s finding
with respect to the domestic industry
E:\FR\FM\12JYN1.SGM
12JYN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 134 (Friday, July 12, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41949-41950]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-16631]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLWYR05000 L51100000.GN0000.LVEMK13CY200]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
the Lower Gas Hills Conventional Uranium Project, Fremont County, WY
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
amended (NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976,
as amended (FLPMA), and in response to a proposal filed by Strathmore
Resources (US), LTD (Strathmore), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),
Lander Field Office, Wyoming, intends to prepare an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS). By this notice, the BLM is announcing the
beginning of the scoping process to solicit public comments regarding
issues and resource information for the proposed Lower Gas Hills
Conventional Uranium Project (Project) in Fremont County, Wyoming. The
Project is a proposed uranium exploration and development project
employing open pit mining methods and using heap leach methods for
uranium recovery.
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process. The BLM can
best consider public input if comments and resource information are
submitted within 60 days of publication of this notice. To provide the
public with an opportunity to review the proposal and project
information, the BLM will host public meetings in Lander and Riverton,
Wyoming; and will announce the dates, times, and locations for these
meetings at least 15 days prior to each event. Announcements will be
made by news release to the news media and individual mailings, and
posted on the project Web site listed below. Project information and
documents including the submitted Plan of Operations will be available
on the Project Web site address given below.
ADDRESSES: You may submit written comments by any of the following
methods:
Email: BLM_WY_Lower_Gas_Hills_Conventional_Mine@blm.gov.
Mail: Lander Field Office, Attn: Kristin Yannone, 1335
Main Street, Lander, WY 82520.
Project Web site: https://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/info/NEPA/documents/lfo/LowerGasHillsConvMine.html.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Lander
Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristin Yannone, Project Manager, at:
Telephone: 307-332-8400;
Address: 1335 Main Street, Lander, Wyoming 82520;
Email: kyannone@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 Lander Field Office intends to prepare
an EIS to inform decision-making regarding the proposed Lower Gas Hills
Conventional Uranium Project and to begin the public scoping period.
The BLM seeks public input on the preliminary issues identified below
regarding this Project, as well as other Project issues of public
concern. The Project area is located in central Wyoming; 45 miles east
of Riverton, 35 miles southwest of Casper, and 70 miles northeast of
Lander, Wyoming, in the Gas Hills Mining District of Fremont County,
Wyoming. The Project area encompasses approximately 12,400 acres of
land, 11,040 acres of which is public land administered by the BLM
Lander Field Office. Uranium mining activities have been active in the
Gas Hills area since the early 1950s; as a result the proposed project
area contains land surface disturbance and variably effective mine land
reclamation efforts. In November 2012, Strathmore submitted a
Preliminary Plan of Operations in accordance with the BLM's surface
management regulations at 43 CFR part 3809 to develop a conventional
uranium mining and heap leach recovery operation. The purpose of the
proposed Project is to explore for and identify mining reserves and
extract and process uranium ore from 4 separate mine units over an
anticipated project life of 12 or more years. Strathmore proposes to
construct four different mine units in a phased manner utilizing open
pit mining methods.
Several mine units will require dewatering of existing open pits
prior to and during mining of new open pits. Waste rock and ore
material will be stored at the surface during mining, and mine
facilities will be constructed at each mine unit. Haul roads will be
constructed or re-occupied for ore material to be transported to the
central processing facility. Uranium recovery will be performed on-site
using heap leach methods and a processing facility to produce
yellowcake (uranium oxide-U3O8). Strathmore
proposes to construct a centrally located uranium recovery facility
consisting of a heap leach pad, solution exchange building, and drying
facility with ancillary collection and drainage ponds.
Anticipated new surface disturbance associated with the Lower Gas
Hills Conventional Uranium Project proposal will include approximately
2,000 total acres; including surface disturbance for the construction
of open pits, haul roads, spoils piles and associated facilities.
Surface disturbance will be phased over several years, depending on the
uranium production rate and the availability of mine construction
equipment and personnel. Final surface reclamation is required by
regulatory agencies and assured through procurement of a financial
guarantee.
The BLM's analysis of any potential impacts from granting surface
use authorization for the milling facility and water disposal
operations are in addition to the environmental analysis conducted by
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as part of its permitting process.
Final reclamation will commence at the end of surface mining,
including placing all mine overburden and spoil back in the mine pits,
removing all ponds and buried piping, and re-grading and re-vegetating
the disturbed surface with approved native plant species. After
vegetation has been reestablished, the mine surface will be returned to
its pre-mining use of livestock grazing and wildlife habitat or any
other use consistent with the applicable land use plan.
Depending on the residual radiological hazards found to be present
within the mill site or processing part of the Project area, ownership
of the reclaimed surface may be required to be transferred to the
Department of Energy for long-term custodian care until contamination
is deemed to no longer be a threat to public health and safety.
Strathmore estimates that the Project will employ a mix of full-time
personnel and temporary contractors throughout the life of the mine. It
is likely that the majority of employees will live in
[[Page 41950]]
Riverton and Lander and, to a lesser extent, Casper, Wyoming. The
Project is expected to provide an economic benefit through a variety of
taxes paid to Federal, State, and local governments including employee
income taxes, severance taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes.
The Project is in conformance with the 1987 Lander Resource
Management Plan and Final Environmental Impact Statement (RMP/Final
EIS) and with all of the alternatives in the Final EIS (2013) revising
the Lander RMP. During the preparation of the Project EIS, interim
exploration and development will be subject to development guidelines
and decisions made in applicable NEPA documents, including the Lander
RMP and subsequent revisions. The Project EIS will analyze the
environmental consequences of approving the Project as proposed, while
considering other alternatives including a No Action Alternative.
The purpose of public scoping is to determine relevant issues that
will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and range of
reasonable alternatives in the Project EIS. At present, the BLM has
identified the following preliminary issues: Potential effects to air
and water quality; potential effects on existing land uses and previous
mine reclamation activities; potential effects of uranium mining and
production on surface resources including vegetation, soil, wildlife
habitat and livestock grazing; concerns about risks from radioactive or
other hazardous elements; and concerns about post-mining management of
the project area.
The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to
help fulfill the public involvement process under Section 106 of the
National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) as provided in 36
CFR 800.2(d)(3). Native American tribal consultations will be conducted
in accordance with policy, and tribal concerns will be given due
consideration, including impacts on Indian trust assets. Federal,
State, and local agencies, along with other stakeholders who 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, 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 may
request in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, it cannot be guaranteed that personal
information will be withheld.
Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.
Dated: May 20, 2013.
Donald A. Simpson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2013-16631 Filed 7-11-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-22-P