Proposed Expansion of the Santa Rita Pit and Land Exchange in Grant County, New Mexico

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NM-030-7122-03-821G]

Proposed Expansion of the Santa Rita Pit and Land Exchange in

Grant County, New Mexico

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) and notice of scoping meeting.

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

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental

Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM), Las Cruces District Office, will be directing the preparation of

an EIS to be prepared by a third party contractor. The EIS will

describe the potential impacts of the Phelps Dodge Corporation-Chino

Mines Company (CMC) proposed Santa Rita Pit Expansion and Land Exchange

Project, located approximately 7 miles north-northeast of the town of

Hurley, in Grant County, New Mexico. The proposed development would

occur partially on patented CMC land and partially on Federal land

administered by the BLM.

The public is invited to participate in the planning process. A

public scoping meeting will be held at the following time and location:

[[Page 43546]]

Time/Date Location

7:00 p.m. September 3, 1997............ Bayard Community Center, 300

Hurley Avenue, Bayard, New

Mexico.

DATES: Written comments on the scoping process will be accepted through

September 15, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be sent to Tom Custer, Bureau of Land

Management, 1800 Marquess, Las Cruces, New Mexico 88005.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Custer, BLM Las Cruces District

Office, at (505) 525-4328.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CMC is proposing to expand its current

copper mining operation at the Santa Rita Mine onto land administered

by the BLM. An economic ore deposit lies within the southeastern end of

the mine pit on patented land. Removing the overburden and extracting

the ore safely will require constructing access roads and laying the

pit walls back onto BLM land. It will also include expanding existing

stockpiles and locating new stockpiles.

In 1995, BLM required CMC to prepare an amendment to a 1981 Plan of

Operations (POO) for the Santa Rita Mine for certain proposed new

activities on public land. The amended POO described proposed mining

activities for 1995 through 1998 that would be necessary to meet ore

production schedules. The amendment was submitted to the BLM in

November 1995. The BLM determined that an Environmental Assessment (EA)

of the potential environmental impacts associated with activities

proposed in the amendment (the Proposed Action) was required. The EA

was completed, and the BLM provided a Finding of No Significant Impact

(FONSI) in November 1996. Additionally, as a prerequisite to allowing

the interim amendment, the BLM required development of a new long-term

POO and preparation of an EIS. The long-term POO describes future

expansion of the mine onto BLM land, from 1999 to 2018.

The Santa Rita Mine is an open pit copper mine owned by the CMC, a

partnership between Phelps Dodge Mining Company and Heisei Minerals

Company, a subsidiary of Mitsubishi Corporation. CMC also owns and

operates a copper concentrator, solution extraction and electrowinning

facility, copper smelter, and ancillary support facilities near the

Santa Rita Mine. Phelps Dodge owns a two-thirds interest and is the

operator of the property, and Heisei owns a one-third interest. In

1995, CMC produced a total of 168,700 tons of copper metal along with

by-products molybdenum, gold, and silver. Chino ranks fifth largest in

the United States and sixteenth largest in the world in terms of annual

copper production. In 1995, Chino mined a total of 116 million tons of

rock from the Santa Rita open pit.

The Proposed Action considered in the POO describes mining

activities related to continuing the advance of the open pit and rock

stockpiles to the south of existing operations onto Federal land

administered by the BLM.

The Santa Rita open pit mine presently covers an area of

approximately one square mile at the perimeter, with additional areas

on the perimeter used as rock stockpiles. The upper most level in the

pit is located on the east side at the 6,750 foot elevation and the

lowest level in the pit is currently at the 5,400 foot elevation.

Mining takes place on a 3-shift-per-day, 7-day-per-week basis at a rate

of about 290,000 tons per day. Up to 60,000 tons of ore per day are

delivered to the crusher.

Blasthole drilling is about 8,430 feet per day, approximately 130

holes per day. Drill hole cuttings are sampled and assayed for

determination of material type. Material is designated as sulfide ore,

leach ore, or low-grade leach ore. Blasting is done only during day-

shift on a 5-day-per-week basis. Blasting agents in use at Chino

include emulsions, ANFO (ammonium nitrate and fuel oil), and aluminized

ANFO. Loading of the materials in the Santa Rita Pit is accomplished

with electric shovels varying from 17 cubic yard to 56 cubic yard

dipper capacity. The size of dipper used is dependent on whether the

shovel is operating in high or low density material.

The existing haulage truck fleet moves approximately 60,000 tons

per day of ore, 151,000 tons per day of leach rock, and 228,000 tons

per day of waste rock. A fleet of 190- to 240-ton haul trucks is

utilized to move this material. Ore is delivered to the concentrator

primary crusher; leach ore and no-leach rock are delivered to

stockpiles on the perimeter of the pit. Haul distances are currently

averaging about 13,000 feet with 600 feet of lift.

The POO provides detailed descriptions of the CMC facility

including ancillary facilities, supporting structures, and proposed

action.

Reclamation bonding and analyses will be determined through the

development of a reclamation plan with the New Mexico Mining and

Minerals Division (MMD). The goal of reclamation of the Santa Rita Mine

will be to effectively mitigate impacts to the natural, human, and

cultural environment. Implementation of the Reclamation Plan will

require that CMC comply with all applicable rules and standards set

forth by the BLM and the New Mexico Mining Act. A Closeout Plan will be

submitted to the New Mexico MMD as part of the mine permitting process.

The Closeout Plan will include a description of the reclamation plan

and specific mitigation measures that CMC will commit to research and

development. These mitigation measures will serve to reduce short-term

and long-term environmental impacts associated with the implementation

of one of the action alternatives. The intent of the reclamation plan

and its implementation will be to satisfy both BLM and State of New

Mexico guidelines.

The proposed land exchange will involve approximately 5,390 acres

of Federal land in Grant County managed by the BLM (Selected Land) and

approximately 463 acres of land owned by CMC (Offered Land). In

exchange for the Federal land, CMC is offering land in the Organ

Mountains about 14 miles northeast of Las Cruces, New Mexico.

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

Township Range Section Acres

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

Selected Land

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

17 South........................... 12 West............... Portions of Sections 22, 7.66

26, 28, 34, 35.

18 South........................... 11 West............... Portions of Sections 7, 18, 722.68

19, 20.

18 South........................... 12 West............... Portions of Sections 1, 3, 2,579.24

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20,

21.

19 South........................... 11 West............... Section 7.................. 86.02

[[Page 43547]]

19 South........................... 12 West:.............. Section 12................. 160

21 South........................... 12 West:.............. Sections 13, 14, 23, 24.... 1,520

21 South........................... 11 West............... Section 19................. 314.44

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

Offered Land

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

22 South........................... 4 East................ Section 5.................. 463

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

The EIS will address water resources, geology and minerals, air

quality, soils, vegetation resources, wildlife resources, special-

status species, range resources, land use and access, recreation,

visual resources, social and economic values, cultural resources,

transportation, noise, climate and reclamation.

The BLM has identified the following resources as requiring

emphasis during analysis:

Mimbres Figwort

Although this plant is not protected by Federal or State endangered

species laws, it is sufficiently rare (State of New Mexico List 2, R-E-

D code 2-1-3) that impacts to the local population could decrease

genetic variability in the species.

Peregrine Falcon

Two peregrine falcons and a peregrine falcon eyrie were identified

near the Santa Rita pit in July 1996.

Visual Resources

Scenic resources near the Santa Rita pit include the Kneeling Nun

and Kneeling Nun ridge. The Kneeling Nun is a rock monolith which is a

well-known locallandmark. (The Kneeling Nun will be retained in Federal

ownership.)

Air Quality

Potential impacts to air quality will need to be emphasized during

analysis.

Water Resources

Potential impact to ground water and surface water quality and

quantity, including acid rock drainage, will need to be emphasized

during analysis.

Cumulative Impacts

Mining in the region has occurred since the late 1880's. Analysis

of cumulative impacts related to past mining activity, present

activity, and planned future expansions will need to be emphasized.

BLM's scoping process for the EIS will include: (1) Identification

of issues to be addressed; (2) identification of viable alternatives,

and (3) notifying interested groups, individuals, and agencies so that

additional information concerning these issues can be obtained. The

scoping will consist of a news release announcing the start of the EIS

process; letters of invitation to participate in the scoping process;

and a scoping packet which further clarifies the proposed action and

significant issues being considered to be distributed to those on the

mailing list and made available upon request.

Dated: August 6, 1997.

Richard T. Watts,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 97-21542 Filed 8-13-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-VC-P