2014-09-15_REVISION - M2007044 (3)

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PLAN CONFORMANCE AND CONSISTENCY The Proposed Action and alternatives have been reviewed and found to be in conformance with the Grand Junction Resource Area (now referred to as the Grand Junction Field Office) Resource Management Plan (RMP) and Record of Decision (ROD) dated January 1987 and the BLM Moab Field Office Grand Resource Area RMP and ROD, dated June 1985. The Grand Junction Field Office RMP states (page 2-5) that existing withdrawals from mineral locations on 124,443 acres would continue, and recognizes the development of minerals as important to local economies and national interests. An objective of the RMP for minerals management (page 2-5) calls for"making public lands available to exploration and development under the general mining laws" unless the lands are otherwise withdrawn to protect other resources. No lands in the proposed project area are classified as withdrawn from minerals management. The Moab Field Office RMP, under its Goals and Objectives section (page 15), calls for land managers "to keep public lands open for exploration and development of mineral resources while protecting areas with sensitive resource values". In part, the Minerals section states (page 22): "leave the entire Grand Resource Area (1.8 million acres) open to mining claims for locatable minerals under the General Mining Laws, with exception of 1,850 acres of widely scattered campgrounds and scenic sights under existing mineral withdrawals". The proposed project area is not within the 1,850 acres under existing mineral withdrawals. FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT Based upon review of the EA, I have determined that the Proposed Action will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment, individually or cumulatively with other actions in the area. There are no effects described in the EA that meet the definition of significance in context or intensity as defined in 40 CR 1508.27. Therefore, an environmental impact statement is not needed. This finding is based on the context and intensity of the project as described in the Finding of No Significant Impact(FONSI)for the project. DECISION It is my decision to authorize Energy Fuels' Plan of Operations for the Whirlwind Mine. This decision is contingent upon meeting all protective mitigation measures described in Attachment A and meeting all the sampling, monitoring, and reporting requirements described in Attachment B. Conditions of Approval Several protective/mitigation measures were described in Chapter 4 of the EA. Many of the measures are requirements, stipulations, and conditions included in other permits and/or approvals issued by the Colorado Division of Mine Reclamation and Safety, Mesa County Department of Planning and Economic Development, and the Colorado Department of Health and Environment.A list of authorizing actions is provided in Chapter 1 of the EA. All stipulations and conditions included in other permits and approvals are not necessarily repeated here in this Decision. The Conditions of Approval that BLM has chosen to include in this Decision are included as Attachment A. Whirlwind Mine Decision Record 2