| Contacts: | Joanna Wilson (208) 524-7550 |
Blackfoot Bridge Mine Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) Public Review Period Extension
POCATELLO, ID: The Bureau of Land Management, Pocatello Field Office in cooperation with the US Army Corps of Engineers, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality and Idaho Department of Lands have completed the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for a Mine and Reclamation Plan submitted by P4 Production, LLC, a subsidiary of Monsanto Company.
The DEIS was made available for public review and comment on August 17, 2009. At that time the public comment period was announced to be a 45-day interval. However, to promote better public involvement in the process, the BLM has extended the comment period and comments will be accepted on the DEIS until the close of business October 31, 2009. CD-ROMs and limited quantities of print copies will also be available at the BLM Pocatello Field Office, 4350 Cliffs Drive, Pocatello, Idaho. Electronic copies of the DEIS are available via Internet at http://www.blm.gov/id/st/en/prog/0.html.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. In Fiscal Year 2012, activities on public lands generated $4.6 billion in revenue, much of which was shared with the States where the activities occurred. In addition, public lands contributed more than $112 billion to the U.S. economy and helped support more than 500,000 jobs.