Book Description

The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Stillwater Mining Company's (SMC) Revised Water Management Plans and Boe Ranch LAD describes the land, people, and resources potentially affected by the proposed revisions. The purpose of SMC's proposed revisions are twofold: 1) to develop and implement closure and post-closure water management plans for adit water, tailings impoundments, and storm water for the Stillwater and East Boulder mines; and 2) to construct and operate a pipeline and land application disposal system at SMC's Boe Ranch property, if needed, to dispose of treated adit and tailings waters from the East Boulder Mine during operations and at closure. This Draft EIS analyzes SMC's proposed revisions as well as agency-proposed modifications to the revised water management plan (e.g., reclamation cover requirements, reclamation cap design, use of biological treatment systems for treatment of undiluted tailings water at closure, relocation of tailings slimes as necessary to facilitate capping the tailings impoundments, and post-closure water routing and channel design). The major federal and state actions include the approval of all necessary permits to implement the revised water management plans, including construction and operation. The No Action Alternatives, Proposed Action Alternatives, and Agency-Mitigated Alternatives are analyzed in detail. The Preferred Alternatives are 3A, 3B, and 3C.