Environmental assessment for Continental Lime, Inc. application for life-of-mine expansion amendment to Department of State Lands operating permit 00105

70 Pages·1993·2.3 MB·English

by  Montana. Hard Rock Bureau

622.3516
L3eacL
1993
DEPARTMENTOFSTATELANDS
MARCRACICOT,GOVERNOR P.O.BOX201601
STATE OF MONTANA'
[phone] HELENA1,62M5OENLTEVAENNAT5H9A62V0E-1N6U0E1
October 7, 1993
Dear Reader:
Enclosed for your review is an Environmental Assessment (EA)
perveaplauraetedsbya tphreopoDseaplartbmyenCtontofineSnttaatle LLiamned,s I(nDcS.L)f.orTheexpaEnAsion of
mining south into the Limestone Hills.
Public comment on this EA will be received by DSL until 5:00
p.m. October 29, 1993. Comments should be about the adequacy of
the EA in assessing issues, new information not considered that
may influence the analysis, and clarification. Comments should
be specific. The DSL will use these comments and agency
responses, the EA, and the application to make a final decision
on the permit. The decision may be to approve the proposal, deny
the proposal, or approve the proposal with modifications.
Comments will be accepted by calling Bob Winegar (444-
2074), or written comments directed to:
Bob Winegar
Department of State Lands
PO Box 201601
Helena, MT 59601-1601
Thank you for your time and consideration. Please call
Dept. of State Lands (444-2074) if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
5Pr?o5gr™a™mcSiu»pSerJ5v?i!snorr- ^mDocumentscollection
Hard Rock Bureau
Reclamation Division !4 I'M
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30864000871841
DATEDUE
DEMCO38-301
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
for
CONTINENTALLIME,INC.
APPLICATIONFORLIFE-OF-MINE-EXPANSIONAMENDMENTTO
DEPARTMENTOFSTATELANDSOPERATINGPERMIT00105
PREPAREDBY:
DEPARTMENTOFSTATELANDS
HARDROCKBUREAU
HELENA,MONTANA
PURSUANTTOTHE
MONTANAENVIRONMENTALPOLICYACTS
OCTOBER8, 1993
I
TABLEOFCONTENTS
CHAPTERI-INTRODUCTION 1
A. ProposedAction 1
B. PurposeandNeedforAction 1
C. BackgroundandProjectLocation 1
D. LandStatus 2
E. PublicInvolvement 2
1. Va.egetatiRoanrePlantsandCommunities 22
b. MountainMahoganyCommunity 4
2. Wildlife 4
a. RareAnimals 4
b. BigGame 4
3. SurfaceWaterHydrology 4
a. StormwaterRunoffControl 4
b. WaterQuality 4
4. Socioeconomics 5
5. Safety 5
6. CulturalResources 5
F. AgencyResponsibilities 6
21.. DBuerpeaarutmoefntLaonfdSMtaatneagLeanmdesnt . 67
3. OtherStateAgencies 7
a. DepartmentofFish,WildlifeandParks(FWP) 7
b. StateHistoricPreservationOffice(SHPO) 7
c. DepartmentofHealthandEnvironmentalSciences(DHES) .... 8
(1) AirQualityBureau(AQB) 8
(2) WaterQualityBureau(WQB) 8
4. OtherFederalAgencies 8
a. U.S.FishandWildlifeService 8
CHAPTERII-PROPOSEDPLANANDALTERNATIVES 9
A. Company'sProposedPlan 9
1. MinePlan 9
2. ReclamationPlan 11
a. MineArea 12
b. WasteRockDumps 12
c. RejectsPile 12
d. HaulandAccessRoads 12
e. SurfaceWaterManagement 14
B. AlternativestotheProposedPlan 14
C. R1e.latedAAlctteironnastive1-NoAction 1144
CHAPTERIII-AFFECTEDENVIRONMENT 15
A. Vegetation 15
21.. RPlaanngteDeosfctrhieptPiloannt 1155
3. MountainMahoganyintheLimestoneHills 16
B. Wildlife 16
C. S1o.cioecMounloemiDceser 1188
October8,1993 ii

CHAPTERIV-ENVIRONMENTALCONSEQUENCESANDCUMULATIVEEFFECTS 21
A. ProposedAction 21
1. Vegetation 21
a. Curl-leafMountainMahogany 21
2. Wildlife 22
a. MuleDeer 22
3. Socioeconomics 23
B. No-ActionAlternative 24
1. VegetationandWildlife 24
2. Socioeconomics 24
C. CumulativeEffects 24
1. No-actionAlternative 24
2. ProposedAction 24
a. Vegetation 24
b. Wildlife 25
c. Socioeconomics 26
CHAPTERV-CONCLUSIONS 27
GLOSSARY 28
REFERENCES 29
October8,1993 iii

LISTOFFIGURES
Figure1: SiteLocation 3
Figure2: ProposedExpansionArea 10
Figure3: ProposedRejectsDump(NottoScale) 13
Figure4: GeneralDistributionofCurl-leafMountainMahoganyinMontana 17
Figure5: MuleDeerWinterRangeinVicinityofMine 19
October8,1993