Tongass National Forest; Alaska; Greens Creek Mine North Extension Project, 64108-64110 [2020-22440]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 197 (Friday, October 9, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 64108-64110]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-22440]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Tongass National Forest; Alaska; Greens Creek Mine North 
Extension Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact 
statement.

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SUMMARY: In June 2020, the United States Department of Agriculture 
Forest Service (Forest Service), Tongass National Forest, received a 
proposal from Hecla Greens Creek Mining Company (HGCMC), the owner/
operator of the Greens Creek Mine (Mine), to amend the 2013 General 
Plan of Operations. This proposed plan amendment as described in 
HGCMC's proposed North Extension Project (NEP) would expand the 
disturbance area currently approved by the Forest Service under the 
2013 Greens Creek Mine Tailings Disposal Facility Expansion FEIS. To 
assess HGCMC's proposed NEP, the Forest Service will prepare a 
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). This notice advises 
the public that the Tongass National Forest is gathering information 
necessary to prepare an SEIS to evaluate the effects of changing the 
Plan of Operations via HGCMC's proposed NEP.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 23, 2020. The draft SEIS is expected October 2021, and the 
final SEIS is expected October 2022.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Tongass National Forest, Greens 
Creek NEP SEIS, 8510 Mendenhall Loop Rd., Juneau, Alaska 99801. 
Comments may also be sent via email to [email protected], or 
via facsimile to 907-586-8808.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Basia Trout, Admiralty Island National 
Monument Ranger or Matthew Reece, Minerals Program Manager, Tongass 
National Forest at the Juneau Ranger

[[Page 64109]]

District, 8510 Mendenhall Loop Rd., Juneau, Alaska 99801 or by 
telephone at 907-586-8800, between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Alaska 
Standard Time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This SEIS will supplement the 2013 Greens 
Creek Mine Tailings Disposal Facility Expansion FEIS and the 1983 
Greens Creek Mine FEIS and 2003 Greens Creek Tailings Disposal FEIS. 
Information from the previous documents will be brought forward into 
this SEIS as necessary. The previous FEIS' along with other supporting 
documents are available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=57306.
    Project Location: The mine property is located on Admiralty Island 
in the Tongass National Forest adjacent to the south side of Hawk 
Inlet. The mine is approximately 18 air miles southwest of Juneau and 
43 air miles north of Angoon, Alaska. The site is currently accessible 
by floatplane, helicopter, or boat and is within the administrative 
boundary of the City and Borough of Juneau. The mine covers both 
private lands and National Forest System lands.
    Tongass Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan): The 
primary land use designation in the Forest Plan for the project area of 
this proposal is Semi-remote Recreation, with the southern portion of 
the project area located in the Nonwilderness National Monument land 
use designation.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of this SEIS is for the Forest Service to consider 
certain changes to the approved General Plan of Operations regarding 
tailings and waste rock disposal and related infrastructure. The 
proposed action is to extend the Tailings Disposal Facility footprint 
to provide for an additional four to five million tons of tailings and 
waste rock disposal capacity, in a manner that minimizes disturbance. 
To the extent practical, the extended footprint and new associated 
supporting infrastructure would be located on areas already disturbed 
and/or on areas immediately adjacent to existing disturbance. With 
continued positive exploration results, improved metal prices, and 
ongoing operational efficiencies, there is a need for additional 
tailings and waste rock disposal and related infrastructure at the 
Greens Creek Mine to allow for continuous site operations in a safe, 
environmentally sound, technically feasible, and economically viable 
manner, while being in compliance with regulatory requirements.

Proposed Action

    HGCMC has proposed the North Extension Project to provide an 
additional estimated four to five million cubic yards of tailings and 
waste rock storage at the Greens Creek Tailings Disposal Facility, 
allowing the planned mineral production at the mine site to continue 
pursuant to applicable law and pre-existing rights beyond the year 
2031, when the current disposal capacity is expected to be exhausted. 
The proposal to expand the disturbance area authorized under the 
approved 2013 General Plan of Operations includes the following main 
elements:
     Avoid new Monument disturbance outside the existing Forest 
Service-approved HGCMC Lease Boundary (``Lease Boundary'') and 
minimizing disturbance to the portion of the Monument within the Lease 
Boundary;
     Avoid direct disturbance to fish-bearing reaches of 
Tributary Creek;
     Avoid construction of a new ``remote'' Tailings Disposal 
Facility;
     Continue the same or similar dry-stack tailings disposal 
method, which has been previously reviewed and approved by the Forest 
Service;
     Extend the existing Tailings Stack in a manner that 
minimize disturbance. To the extent practical, locate the extended 
Tailings Stack and new associated supporting infrastructure on areas 
already disturbed and/or on areas immediately adjacent to existing 
disturbance. Where possible, use in-place infrastructure (roads, water 
treatment facilities, drainage control, etc.);
     Minimize direct new disturbance to environmental resources 
and sensitive habitats, such as jurisdictional waters of the United 
States;
     Consider closure and reclamation as part of design and 
operations;
     Design and construct the TDF to be technically feasible 
and environmentally sound;
     Comply with applicable federal, state and local legal and 
regulatory standards.
    In general, the NEP focuses on expansions of mine facilities 
presented in the 2013 General Plan of Operations. If approved, the NEP 
would be incorporated into the existing General Plan of Operations 
where changes are proposed; however, any items not discussed in the NEP 
would refer back to the approved Plan of Operations for resolution.

Possible Alternatives

    A no-action alternative, which represents no changes to the 
approved 2013 General Plan of Operations and serves as the baseline for 
the comparison among the action alternatives, will be analyzed in 
addition to the proposed action. An alternative to place additional 
tailings and waste rock in another location, outside the Monument, will 
also be considered. Comments received in response to this Notice of 
Intent may identify additional reasonable alternatives.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The USDA Forest Service is the lead agency for the proposed action 
and compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The 
Tongass National Forest has identified multiple agencies with special 
expertise with respect to the proposed action that could serve as 
cooperating agencies. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has special 
expertise with assessing impacts to waters of the United States, 
including wetlands; additionally, a Section 404 of the Clean Water Act 
permit will be needed from this agency. From the State of Alaska, at 
least three departments could be cooperating agencies due to their 
expertise and involvement in evaluations for this type of permit 
application. These departments include the Alaska Departments of Fish 
and Game, Environmental Conservation, and Natural Resources. Locally, 
the City and Borough of Juneau could be a cooperating agency as the 
Mine is within its boundaries and it issues permits for certain 
facilities at the Mine. The Tongass National Forest will conduct an 
effort to formally identify cooperating agencies.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for the decision on this project is the 
Forest Supervisor, Tongass National Forest, Federal Building, 648 
Mission Street, Ketchikan, Alaska 99901.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor is the Responsible Official for this action 
and will decide whether or not to amend the approved Plan of 
Operations. The decision will be based on information that is disclosed 
in the Final SEIS. The Responsible Official will consider the comments, 
responses, disclosure of environmental consequences, and applicable 
laws, regulations, and policies in making the decision and state the 
rationale in the Record of Decision. Based on the information in the 
Final SEIS and ROD, the U.S. Army

[[Page 64110]]

Corps of Engineers (USACE) will decide whether to issue a Clean Water 
Act, Section 404 individual Department of Army permit for placement of 
fill or dredge material in waters of the United States based on USACE's 
determination of compliance with the Environmental Protection Agency's 
404(b)(1) Guidelines (40 CFR 230), including selection of the least 
environmentally damaging practicable alternative and the public 
interest review finding at 33 CFR 320.4(a).

Scoping Process

    This Notice of Intent initiates the scoping process, which guides 
the development of the SEIS through internal and external input on the 
issues, impacts, and alternatives to consider. The Forest Service will 
invite the public to participate in virtual scoping meetings in Angoon, 
Hoonah, and Juneau, Alaska. These meetings will be posted on the 
Forest's website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=57306 and 
will be advertised in the Juneau Empire and in the Ketchikan Daily 
News, the newspaper of record, to announce the date, time, place and 
purpose of the public scoping meetings.
    Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 218, subparts A and B, 
regarding the project-level predecisional administrative review 
process, apply to projects and activities implementing land management 
plans that are not authorized under the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. 
Only individuals or entities who submit timely and specific written 
comments concerning the project during this or another designated 
public comment period established by the Responsible Offical will be 
eligible to file on objection. It is important that reviewers provide 
their comments at such times and in such manner that they are useful to 
the agency's preparation of the SEIS. Therefore, comments should be 
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly 
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however, anonymous commenters will not gain 
standing to object as defined in 36 CFR 218.2.

Allen Rowley,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2020-22440 Filed 10-8-20; 8:45 am]
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