Laserfiche WebLink
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT <br /> FOR <br /> WHIRLWIND MINE URANIUM MINING PROJECT <br /> CO-130-2008-024-EA <br /> BLM Grand Junction Field Office <br /> BLM Moab Field Office <br /> The Environmental Assessment and analysis of the direct, indirect, and cumulative effects <br /> of the Proposed Action have been reviewed. BLM believes that implementation of the <br /> mitigation/protective measures described in the EA result in a Finding of No Significant <br /> Impact on the human environment. Therefore, an environmental impact statement is not <br /> necessary to further analyze the environmental effects of the Proposed Action. <br /> Context <br /> The Whirlwind Uranium Mine is a site-specific action directly involving disturbance of <br /> approximately 24 acres of BLM administered public land that does not in and of itself have <br /> international, nation, regional, or state-wide importance. Energy Fuels has submitted a Plan <br /> of Operations for construction and operation of the Uranium Mine. <br /> Intensity <br /> For some resources, the impact is zero or no impact. In other cases, there is some impact <br /> and it is necessary to consider the intensity (how much) of the impact when determining <br /> significance. The BLM NEPA Handbook H-1790-1 (revised January 2008) states that CEQ <br /> regulations include the following Ten Significance Criteria described in 40 CFR 1508.27 for <br /> evaluating intensity: <br /> 1. Impacts that may be both beneficial and adverse. The proposed action would <br /> impact resources as described in the EA. Protective/mitigation measures to reduce <br /> impacts to these resources were also provided in the EA. None of the environmental <br /> effects described in the EA are considered significant. There would be no <br /> environmental effect for the following resources as discussed in the EA: <br /> Environmental Justice, Wild and Scenic Rivers, Wilderness Areas, Native American <br /> Religious Concerns, Farmlands— Prime/Unique, and Areas of Critical Environmental <br /> Concern. Potential adverse impacts were identified for the following resources: Air <br /> Quality, Noise, Land Use and Residential Areas, Transportation, Recreation, Visual <br /> Resources, Cultural and Historic Properties, Geologic Resources, Paleontogical <br /> Resources, Surface Water, Groundwater, Wetlands, Riparian Areas, and <br /> Floodplains, Soil Resources, Vegetation Resources, Invasive Species and Noxious <br /> Weeds, Grazing Resources, Threatened, Endangered and Special Status Species, <br /> Wildlife and Aquatic Resources, and Human Health. The potential effects to these <br /> resources are either considered minimal, short-term, or temporary resulting in no <br /> significant impact or have been mitigated to a non-significance level. <br /> Whirlwind Mine FONSI 1 <br />