South Dakota Field Office
| Contacts: | Mark Jacobsen 406-233-2831 |
BLM Seeks Comment on Bentonite Mine EA
The Bureau of Land Management South Dakota Field Office is seeking public comments regarding a proposed bentonite mine plan amendment for operations near Belle Fourche in Butte County.
The BLM will accept comments on the Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact for a 30-day period which will end on June 19, 2009.
American Colloid Company has submitted a proposal to amend its bentonite mine plan to add 844.8 acres to the permit; of which 118 acres are BLM-administered federal lands and 726.8 acres are private lands. According to the proposal, a total of 363.2 acres (68 acres of federal surface and 295 acres of private) would be disturbed.
To obtain a copy of the EA or to submit comments, contact Russ Pigors Physical Scientist at the South Dakota Field Office, 310 Roundup Street, Belle Fourche, SD 57717; or by email at rpigors@blm.gov. An electronic version of the EA is also available at http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/south_dakota_ field.html.
Interested parties can contact Russ Pigors or Marian Atkins at (605) 892-7000 for more information.
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. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.
South Dakota Field Office 310 Roundup Street Belle Fourche, SD 57717