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r U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management ® Safford District Office Giia Resource Area December 1992 Final Environmental Impact Statement Sanchez Copper Project The Bureau ofLand Management is responsible for the balanced management of the public lands and resources and their various valuessothat theyareconsidered inacombinationthatwill bestservetheneedsoftheAmericanpeople.Management is based on the principlesofmultipleuseandsustainedyield,acombinationofuses that will take intoaccount thelong-termneedsoffuturegenerationsfor renewable and nonrenewable resources. December 1992 BLM-AZ-PT-93-001-3000 IN REPLY REFTR TO: United States Department of the Interior BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT SAFFORD DISTRICT OFFICE 425 E. 4th Street , Safford, Arizona 85546 ' ; * N/ (602) 428-4040 3809 AZA 25564 (044) December 1992 Dear Public Land User: Enclosed is the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for AZCO Mining Company's proposed Sanchez Copper Mine. This document describes their proposed plan of operations and reviews potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the proposal. The mine would encompass approximately 1,400 acres of public lands 10 miles northeast of Safford, Arizona. Publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement is the result of a 17-month review process which included public meetings and opportunities for public input. Numerous additions were made in the environmental documentation and analysis of the project as a result of the public review process which accompanied release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement in March 1992. For several years prior to the preparation of this Draft Environmental Impact Statement, extensive investigations were conducted by AZCO to determine potential impacts on various environmental and socio-economic factors. Various alternatives for reclaiming the lands after mining were also evaluated by AZCO. The release of this Final Environmental Impact Statement begins a 30-day comment period. During this period, we encourage you to review the document and provide us with your comments about the proposal and the alternatives. Written comments on the project will be accepted until JanuSiy 19^ 1993 Please send your comments to Larry Thrasher, BLM Project Manager, Safford District Office, 711 14th Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546. Please note that this is a new address for our office. We would like to thank all of you who have participated to date in the public participation for this project, and encourage your continued involvement through review of the Final Environmental Impact Statement. After the comment period closes, input will be reviewed for incorporation into the Record of Decision. We anticipate the Record of Decision will be released in January. 2 Within 30 days of receipt of the Record of Decision, you have the right of appeal to the Arizona State Director, Bureau of Land Management, in accordance with the regulations at 43 Code of Regulations 3809.4. If you exercise this right, your appeal, accompanied by a statement of reasons and any arguments you wish to present, which would justify reversal or modification of the decision, must be filed in writing with the BLM Safford District, 711 14th Avenue, Safford, Arizona 85546, within 30 days of receipt of the Record of Decision. Do not send the appeal directly to the Arizona State Office. The appeal and the case file will be sent to the Arizona State Office from the Safford District Office. You have the burden of showing that the Record of Decision appealed from is in error. The Record of Decision will remain in effect during the appeal unless a written request for a stay is granted. Sincerely, Margaret L. Jensen Gila Area Manager V * fp%: m Final Environmental Impact Statement Sanchez Copper Project Prepared for Bureau of Land Management Safford District Office Giia Resource Area Safford, Arizona Lester K. Rosenkrance Arizona State Director 6 Final Environmental Impact Statement Sanchez Copper Project Lead Agency: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Safford District Office Gila Resource Area Safford, Arizona Third Party Contractor: Fletcher Associates 17740 East Hinsdale Avenue Aurora, Colorado 8001 (303) 693-2516 Project Location: Graham County, Arizona Comments on this EIS should be directed to: Larry Thrasher Project Manager Safford District Office Bureau of Land Management 425 East 4th Street Safford, Arizona 85546 V (602) 428-4040 Abstract: AZCO Mining Inc. proposes to develop the Sanchez Copper Project on mining claims administered by the BLM in Graham County, Arizona. The proposed action includes an open pit copper mine, with a heap leach and solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX-EW) processing, and a large waste rockdisposal area. Approximately 200 million tons of ore will be processed, and approximately 200 million tons of waste rock will be placed in a disposal area. The project will affect approximately 1,400 acres. The proposed operation will last for 17 years and will process about 12 million tons of copperore each year, for an annual copper production rate of 25,000 tons. At full production, the project will employ approximately 210 people, with an annual payroll of $8.15 million. The mine and process facility will use 2,600 acre-feet of water per year from groundwater wells and pit dewatering. This environmental impact statement (EIS) describes the proposed action, reasonable alternatives, the existing environment, and the environmental consequences of implementing the proposed Sanchez Copper Project orthe alternatives. The alternatives analysis includes locations for access, heap leach pad configurations, alternative groundwater disposal techniques, reclamation techniques, partial backfilling of the pit, and the No Action alternative.