BLM issues draft environmental assessment and schedules public meeting for proposed dolomite mine in Luna County, New Mexico
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LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Today, the Bureau of Land Management issued the draft environmental assessment for a proposed magnesium/dolomite quarry mine in Luna County. The BLM will host a virtual public meeting on May 28 from 5 to 7 p.m., which will provide the public with the opportunity to learn more about the EA, discuss it with specialists, ask questions, and submit comments on the document.
In March 2019, American Magnesium, LLC submitted a plan of operation to the BLM Las Cruces District for its proposed Foothill Dolomite Mine Project. The company proposes to develop a 40-acre site as a dolomite quarry mine on BLM-managed public land located 12 miles south of Deming and estimates the mine would be operational for 20 years and employ 10 workers throughout its life.
Dolomite is a form of the mineral magnesium, which has been identified as a critical mineral by Executive Order 13817, Federal Strategy to Ensure Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals and is listed on the Department of the Interior’s Final List of Critical Minerals. “Critical minerals” are defined as minerals essential to the economic and national security of the United States, the supply chain of which is vulnerable to disruption, and that serve essential functions in the manufacturing of products. Dolomite is used for multiple applications, including in the construction, metal processing and chemical industries, and as an ingredient in the production of glass, bricks and ceramics.
The proposed action for the project consists of improvements to an existing BLM road, construction of a new mine site access road, laydown yard and temporary structures, as well as resource verification drilling, excavation and removal of dolomite resources. The meeting will provide detailed information on the total surface disturbance; phases of the mine development; dolomite blasting and removal; and site reclamation once mining is completed.
The virtual public meeting will be held using Zoom video conferencing technology. Prior to the meeting, the public can log onto the project website https://www.swcavirtualpublicinvolvement.com/american-magnesium-ea to view the PowerPoint presentation. There will also be a link on this website for the public to review the EA.
To register for Virtual Meeting:
Online: Visit: https://www.swcavirtualpublicinvolvement.com/american-magnesium-ea. Once you have registered for the virtual meeting, you will receive an email containing instructions on how to join the meeting.
By phone: Call 575-525-4303. An operator will register you and provide you with details on how to join the conference by phone.
For those interested in watching the meeting without participating or providing comments, the meeting will be livestreamed on BLM New Mexico’s Facebook page (@BLMNewMexico), which can be viewed by anyone who has access to Facebook.
The BLM will be available to assist the public with any additional questions participants have regarding the EA process and how to have involvement in this process.
Public comments on the EA will be accepted until June 17, 2020. Comments can be submitted by one of the following methods:
Email: Please include “Foothill Dolomite Mine Draft EA” in the subject line and send to BLM_NM_LCDO_Comments@blm.gov.
Mail: BLM Las Cruces District Office, ATTN: Foothill Dolomite Mine Draft EA, 1800 Marquess Street, Las Cruces, NM 88005
Public Meeting: BLM will accept oral comments during the virtual meetings; however, all written comments should be submitted through the ePlanning website at: https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/eplanning/projectSummary.do?methodName=renderDefaultProjectSummary&projectId=1505404. If you plan on making comments during the meeting, please indicate that when you register. If you are using the phone-only option, you will be able to listen to the public meeting, but you will not see the presentation or be able to comment during the meeting. However, if you would like to make a comment, a phone number will be provided during the meeting where you can call and leave a comment via voicemail.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised your entire comment may be made publicly available at any time. While you can request for your comment to be withheld from public review, the BLM cannot guarantee it will be able to do so.
For more information on the project and draft EA, how to comment, or to request to be added or removed from the mailing list, contact BLM project lead Leighandra Keeven at 575-525-4337 or via email at lkeeven@blm.gov.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land located primarily in 12 western states, including Alaska, on behalf of the American people. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. Our mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of America’s public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.