Rasmussen Valley Mine

Map | Final Scoping Notice

The BLM Pocatello Field Office and the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, in cooperation with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, will jointly prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential impacts of a proposed mine and reclamation plan submitted for one Federal phosphate lease in the Rasmussen Valley area of Caribou County, Idaho. This announcement opens a 30-day period in which the agencies will gather public comments on the proposal to identify appropriate issues to be analyzed in the EIS.

The proposed Rasmussen Valley Mine would utilize open-pit mining methods to extract ore from an undeveloped phosphate lease located approximately 18 miles northeast of Soda Springs, Idaho. The total proposed disturbance from the mining activity would be approximately 420.4 acres. The Federal phosphate lease held by Nu-West Industries, Inc., doing business as Agrium Conda Phosphate Operations (Agrium), grants them exclusive rights to develop phosphate minerals in the Rasmussen Valley Mine area.

The BLM and the Forest Service hosted three meetings for the public to view and offer comments on the proposal on the following dates:

• Monday, March 21, 2011
  Soda Springs City Council Room
• Tuesday, March 22, 2011
  BLM Pocatello Field Office Conference Room 
• Wednesday, March 23, 2011
  Fort Hall Shoshone-Bannock Tribal Council Chambers

More Information

Bill Volk
Planning and Environmental Coordinator
BLM Pocatello Field Office
4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, Idaho 83204
Phone: (208) 236-7503.

Comments can be submitted via email to Rasmussen_Valley_EIS@blm.gov.