[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 21 (Friday, January 31, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5693-5694]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01669]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLCAD07000.51010000.ER0000.LVRWB09B1670 18X; CACA-44014, CACA-56477;
MO#4500141327]
Notice of Availability of the Record of Decision for the United
States Gypsum Company Mine Expansion/Modernization Project, Imperial
County, CA
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976,
as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Record
of Decision (ROD) to approve a Mining Plan of Operations and authorize
Rights-of-Way (ROW) for the United States Gypsum Company Mine
Expansion/Modernization Project, and by this Notice is announcing its
availability.
DATES: The Acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management
signed the ROD on January 24, 2020.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the ROD are available for public inspection at the
BLM El Centro Field Office at 1661 S 4th St, El Centro, CA 92243, and
at the BLM California Desert District Office, 22835 Calle San Juan de
Los Lagos, Moreno Valley, CA 92553. Interested persons may also review
the ROD on the internet at: https://bit.ly/2QiGK0m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miriam Liberatore, BLM Project
Manager, by telephone at 541-618-2412; by mail at Bureau of Land
Management, Medford District Office, 3040 Biddle Road, Medford, OR
97504; or by email at [email protected].
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms.
Liberatore during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive
a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Project is located in southwestern
Imperial County, California, and involves both the Plaster City
Wallboard Plant (processing plant) and Plaster City Quarry (quarry).
The processing plant is located on Evan Hewes Highway approximately 18
miles west of the city of El Centro. The quarry is located on Split
Mountain Road, approximately 26 miles northwest of Plaster City. Both
sites are located within the BLM's California Desert Conservation Area.
The BLM and Imperial County published a joint Draft Environmental
Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) in 2006, and a
Final EIR/EIS in 2008. The BLM did not issue a ROD and the United
States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which will determine whether to
issue a permit for the project under Section 404 of the Clean Water
Act, was not a party to the Final EIR/EIS. This Supplemental EIS
revises and supplements the 2008 Final EIR/EIS, updating conditions and
effects that have changed since 2008, and includes the USACE and the
United States Environmental Protection Agency, which has an advisory
role regarding the Section 404 permit, as Cooperating Agencies.
Certain aspects of the Project originally analyzed in the 2006
Draft EIR/EIS and 2008 Final EIR/EIS have already been implemented
under the conditions and approvals provided by Imperial County and were
not subject to the jurisdiction of the BLM or the USACE.
The BLM published a Notice of Intent to prepare the Supplemental
EIS on November 27, 2017 (82 FR 56046), initiating a 30-day public
scoping period. The BLM held a public scoping meeting on December 13,
2017, in El Centro, California. Twelve individuals attended that
meeting. Thirteen comments were received during the scoping period.
The BLM published a Notice of Availability of the Draft
Supplemental EIS on July 19, 2019 (84 FR 34924), announcing a 45-day
public comment period. The BLM held a public comment meeting on August
5, 2019. Seven individuals attended that meeting. The BLM received 13
comment letters during the comment period. Following the public comment
period, comments were used to inform the Final Supplemental EIS. The
BLM responded to substantive comments and made appropriate revisions to
the document or explained why a comment did not warrant a change. These
comments did not result in changes in the design, location, or timing
of the Project in a way that would cause significant effects to the
human environment outside of the range of effects analyzed in the EIS/
EIR. Similarly, none of the letters identified new significant
circumstances or information relevant to environmental concerns that
bear on the Project and its effects. A response to substantive comments
is included in the Final Supplemental EIS, released on December 6,
2019.
[[Page 5694]]
The Supplemental EIS considered the Proposed Action, a No-Action
Alternative, and six action alternatives. Alternative 1, Proposed
Action, would expand the quarry as described in the Mining Plan of
Operations, replace the existing waterline, and install a new waterline
between the quarry and the new well. Alternative 2, No Action
Alternative, would continue operations as they currently are permitted
without expanding the quarry or replacing the existing waterline.
Alternative 3, Partial Imperial Irrigation District (IID) Water Supply,
would provide for a new waterline between the processing plant and the
IID Westside Main Canal to partially replace processing water from a
groundwater source with a surface water source. Alternative 4, Full IID
Water Supply, would fully replace the processing water with surface
water. Alternatives 5 through 8 are variations on the mining plan
proposed in the Mining Plan of Operations. The BLM identified
Alternative 3, Partial IID Water Supply, as the Agency-Preferred
Alternative in the Final Supplemental EIS.
With this ROD, the BLM adopts the Agency Preferred Alternative. The
Acting Assistant Secretary for Lands and Minerals Management approval
of this decision is not subject to administrative appeal under
Departmental regulations at 43 CFR part 4 pursuant to 43 CFR
4.410(a)(3). Any challenge to this decision must be brought in Federal
District Court and is subject to 42 U.S.C. 4370m-6(a)(1).
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6; 40 CFR 1506.10; 43 CFR 1610.2, 42
U.S.C. 4370m-6(a)(1)
Joe Stout,
Acting State Director.
[FR Doc. 2020-01669 Filed 1-30-20; 8:45 am]
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