Public comment period extended for Skull Valley mining operation
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PHOENIX – The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Hassayampa Field Office, has extended the public comment period an additional 15 days for the Kirkland Mining Company Pozzolan Mine environmental analysis in Skull Valley, Ariz. The new deadline for public comments will be Sept. 11, however, it is only the first of two formal comment periods during the process.
“The process we are following is designed to give the public a voice in the management of the public lands. At the end of the scoping period, a scoping report will be published. This report and the comment period for the draft Environmental Assessment are additional ways the public will be a part of the process,” said Leon Thomas, BLM Phoenix District Manager.
Currently, the BLM has received more than 490 email or comment letters. Public comments will be considered in the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) that is expected to be complete in Spring 2018. The second formal comment period will begin when the draft EA has been prepared.
This is the initial stage for environmental analysis of the draft Mining and Reclamation Plan of Operations submitted by the Kirkland Mining Company. The company proposes to develop a pozzolan mine on approximately 76 acres of its unpatented 160-acre Capital association placer mining claim in Section 28, Township 13 North, Range 4 west, Gila and Salt River Meridian, Yavapai County, Ariz. The high quality pozzolan is regulated under the General Mining Act of 1872.
For a copy of the map of the project area, the frequently asked questions, the public open house presentation materials, the proposed Kirkland Mining Company Mining and Reclamation Plan, and the biological resources baseline report, please visit the BLM environmental assessment project website at: http://bit.ly/2rRYTII.
The BLM will analyze this plan of operations in accordance with its multiple-use mission which supports working landscapes that promote economic growth and create jobs while managing for sustainable lands.
Before including any personal identifying information in comments, be aware that this information may be made publicly available at any time. Requests to withhold personal identifying information from public review can be submitted, but the BLM cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to leave a message or question with the above individual. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Replies are provided during normal business hours.
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.