BLM Takes Comments on Bishop Mill Environmental Assessment (Press Release)

The Bureau of Land Management’s Bishop Field Office is taking public comments on an environmental assessment of a proposed plan to re-activate the Bishop Mill in northern Inyo County.

Issues and alternatives identified through public scoping have been incorporated into this environmental review. The EA completed for this proposed project has been posted on the internet for a 30-day public review and comment period at http:/www.blm.gov/ca/bishop. To be considered in the environmental review, comments must be received by Friday, Oct. 19.

Written comments should be addressed to the Bureau of Land Management, Bishop Field Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop, CA 93514; Attn: Bishop Mill Project.  Comments may also be submitted via email to BLM_CA_Bishop_Public_Comment@blm.gov; Subject: Bishop Mill Project.

f you would like a hard copy of the EA, or have further questions regarding the proposed Plan of Operations for the Bishop Mill, please contact Collin Reinhardt, geologist with the BLM Bishop Field Office at (760) 872-5024.

BLM Seeks Public Comments on Proposal to Re-Activate the Bishop Mill in Inyo County

The Bureau of Land Management’s Bishop Field Office is requesting public scoping comments on a proposal to re-activate the Bishop Mill in northern Inyo County.

The BLM has received a Plan of Operations on the proposal to reactivate the mill and is taking public comments. In order to be included in the environmental analysis, written comments must be received by June 4.

The Bishop Mill is located on public approximately 9 miles northeast of Bishop, 2 miles west of Rudolph Ranch/White Mountain Estates, 4 miles northwest of Laws, and 4.5 miles south of Chalfant.

A copy of the proposed Plan of Operations for the Bishop Mill Project is available public for review at the BLM Bishop Field Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop.

The BLM will prepare an environmental assessment to identify and evaluate the project-related environmental impacts that would result from re-activation of the Bishop Mill under the proposed Plan of Operations.

The public is invited to provide written comments on issues and alternatives to be considered in this environmental review process. Written comments should be addressed to the Bureau of Land Management, Bishop Field Office, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 100, Bishop, CA, 93514.  Comments may also be submitted via email to [email protected]; Subject: Bishop Mill Project.

The proposed Plan of Operations, submitted by 0877887 BC Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of CMC Metals Ltd. (Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada), consists of re-activating the existing Bishop Mill as an independent mill processing ores transported from various off-site mining locations.

The operator intends to transport up to 75 tons of ore per day to stockpile on-site for processing.  The ore would be processed at an estimated throughput rate of four tons per hour.  The waste derived from processing (tailings) would be deposited into a proposed Waste Management Unit (WMU) for Group A mining waste that would be constructed on-site.  The proposed Group A WMU would be constructed within the footprint of an existing, but inoperative, tailings impoundment.

The existing 9.08 acres of surface disturbance associated with the Bishop Mill on public lands would be increased by 0.02 acres under the proposed Plan of Operations.  As proposed, the Bishop Mill would be operated for a period of up to five years, with a projected total of up to 32,000 tons of tailings being deposited into the Group A WMU.

The proposed Plan of Operations includes a mill site reclamation plan, a monitoring program, a spill contingency plan, a quality assurance plan and a reclamation bond cost estimate to guarantee site reclamation.

For more detailed information and maps regarding the proposed Plan of Operations for the Bishop Mill, contact Collin Reinhardt, geologist with the BLM Bishop Field Office at (760) 872-5024.

 


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