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Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation's Proposed North Expansion Tailings Modernization Project in Salt Lake County, UT

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

 

Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 



[Federal Register: April 19, 1995]







DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

Department of the Army

Corps of Engineers

 


Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for 
Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation's Proposed North Expansion Tailings 
Modernization Project in Salt Lake County, UT



AGENCY: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD.



ACTION: Notice of availability.






SUMMARY: The Sacramento District, Utah Field Office of the U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers (Corps) has prepared a Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement (DEIS) for the Kennecott Utah Copper Corporation (Kennecott) 
proposed North Expansion Tailings Modernization Project (Project) in 
Salt Lake County, Utah. The proposed Project provides tailings storage 
capacity required for the next 25 to 30 years of Kennecott's operation. 
The DEIS is available for public review and comment at the Salt Lake 
City Library, Main Branch, 209 East 500 South and the Salt Lake County 
Library System, Magna Branch, 8339 West 3500 South. Copies for 
distribution are available from Mr. Michael A. Schwinn, Project 
Manager, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Utah Field 
Office, 1403 South 600 West, Suite A, Bountiful, Utah 84010.



DATES: A public hearing will be held at 6:00 p.m. on May 31, 1995 at 
the Main Auditorium, Utah Department of Natural Resources, 1636 West 
North Temple Street, Salt Lake City, Utah for all interested parties to 
comment on the DEIS. The 60-day comment period ends June 27, 1995.



ADDRESSES: To obtain a copy of the DEIS or to submit written comments 
on the DEIS, contact Mr. Michael A. Schwinn, Project Manager, U.S. Army 
Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District, Utah Field Office, 1403 South 
600 West, Suite A, Bountiful, Utah 84010.



FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Direct requests for a copy of the DEIS or questions to Mr. Michael A. 
Schwinn, Project Manager, (801) 295-8380.



SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Kennecott is proposing to expand its 
existing tailings impoundment by approximately 3500 acres. The proposed 
Project site of 4325 acres is directly to the north and northwest of 
the existing tailings impoundment. Kennecott has identified two primary 
needs for the proposed Project. First, as the existing tailings 
impoundment is nearing its operational capacity, Kennecott requires 
approximately 1.9 billion tons of storage capacity to support mining 
and concentrating operations for the next 25 to 30 years. Since only 
approximately 0.3 to 0.4 billion tons of this material will be stored 
in the existing impoundment, additional capacity is required. The 
second need is for a seismic upgrade to the existing tailings 
impoundment. As more information has recently become available 
regarding the seismic nature of the Salt Lake Valley, Kennecott has 
identified a need to upgrade the existing facility. Accordingly, the 
proposed action includes various engineering measures to upgrade the 
existing facility in the event of a large earthquake.
    The proposed Project would provide approximately 3500 acres of 
additional tailings storage area. Approximately 1.6 billion tons of 
tailings would be stored in the proposed impoundment with an ultimate 
height of approximately 250 feet. Site preparation activities would 
include relocation of the Union Pacific Railroad mainline tracks, 
relocation of the C-7 Ditch, relocation of utility lines, the 
construction of a new bridge on Highway 202 over the relocated railroad 
lines, and modification of the Interstate 80 on and off ramps at the 
intersection with Highway 202.

    Since the proposed action affects jurisdictional waters of the 
United States, Kennecott submitted a Clean Water Act Section 404 Permit 
Application to the Corps on June 10, 1994. The Corps determined that an 
EIS was required prior to making a permit decision.
    The Corps published a notice of intent to prepare a DEIS for the 
proposed action on August 19, 1994 in the Federal Register. A public 
scoping meeting was held on September 19, 1994 and the written comment 
period remained open until November 7, 1994. Issues raised by 
interested agencies and parties are addressed in the DEIS. The Corps is 
coordinating the DEIS with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and other Federal, state, and local 
agencies, as well as other interested parties.
    Twelve alternatives are identified and analyzed in accordance with 
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency section 404(b)(1) guidelines 
for their technical, logistic, and economic practicability in the DEIS. 
The North Expansion West, the North Expansion East, and the No Action 
alternatives are carried forward for complete analysis in the DEIS.
    The DEIS has been prepared in compliance with the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Corps implementing procedures in 
33 CFR 230, the Council for Environmental Quality regulations for 
implementing [[Page 19574]] NEPA in 40 CFR 1500, and U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) 404(b)(1) guidelines in 40 CFR 230.
    The DEIS was filed with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 
for publication of its availability for public review and comment. 
Comments received on the DEIS will be considered in developing the 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). The FEIS is anticipated to 
be available in August, 1995.

Gregory D. Showalter,

Army Federal Register Liaison Officer.

[FR Doc. 95-9582 Filed 4-18-95; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3710-GH-M

 
 

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