REP14760

• Permit No: M1977310
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 3/19/1998
• From: BLM
• To: COTTER CORP
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS U-97-B
43 CFR 3809
Plan of Operations, COC-60321
Cotter Corporation
Mineral Joe and C-JD-6 Mine
Purpose and Need
In October, 1996, an inspection was made on lands in T.46N., R.17W., Section 22:NE%<, NMPM
(see Map 1). The inspection found that there were two permitted mining operations located on
public lands. The operations were not totally authorized by the BLM. They have been in
operation since the 1970's by several different operators; currently the mine and claims are
owned and operated by the same operator, Cotter Corporation. The purpose of this EA is to
analyze the impacts of the existing operations and to bring the mine and disturbed areas into
compliance with the 43 CFR 3809 and 43 CFR 3715 regulations. The total disturbance existing
on BLM lands is 15.74 acres.
This environmental assessment will ident'rfy the impacts of the existing operations on the land to
determine'rf an environmental impact statement (EIS) is necessary, identiTy mtigating measures
and reclamation procedures addressed in the plan of operations, and determine if they are
adequate. If mitigating measures and reclamation procedures are deemed inadequate, any
changes and/or adddions will be included as conditions for approval of the plan.
II. Proposed Action and Alternatives
A. Proposed Action
The proposed action evaluates the existing two CDMG mine plans and BLM R/W C-
23834. This is a BLM initiative because the mining operations are presently inactive
probably due to the price of the uranium market. Uranium ore was removed from
patented and unpatented mining claims as well as from lands leased from the
Department of Energy (DOE). This EA does not address the facildies on patented lands
or the DOE Lease Tracts which are withdrawn from mineral entry (see Map 2). It does
address the Duggan Adit and the dump area which are located on open public lands but
are used in conjunction with the Lease Tract C-JD-6.
The total disturbance that has occurred is approximately 15 acres of which 13 acres are
on the unpatented claims and lands managed by the Montrose District, BLM; the
remaining two acres are on (ands managed by the DOE. The unpatented claims are the
Mineral Joe lode mining claims. The claims within the DOE withdrawal, Mineral Joe No.
1 to 14, were located in 1945 prior to the effective date of the DOE withdrawal (see
Figure 1 far the mining claim microfiche). The lode claims on open public lands are the
Mineral Joe No. 15 to 19 located in 1948. This plan of operations covers the surface
disturbance on the public lands covered by the Mineral Joe No. 1-19 lode mining claims
and BLM R/W C-23834.
The area covered by the DOE uranium lease tract C-JD-6 and the Mineral Joe lode
mining claims overlap. The Duggan Adit is on the Mineral Joe No. 16 lode mining claim.
An agreement was made with the claimant of the Mineral Joe claims and the lessee of
DOE lease trail C.1D-6 to use the Duggan Adit for entry to the C-JD-6 ore deposit.
This allowed the lessee and the claimant to share a common portal and surface
facilities. Cotter Corporation presently owns and operates both the Mineral Joe Project
area and the C-JD-6 lease tract properties. In addition, the C.1D-6 waste dump is
located on a portion of the Mineral Joe 15-19 claims. The lessee and claimant are
responsible for reclamation of the waste dump under the DOE and CDMG lease tract