Regulacje i polityka gospodarcza · 11/09/1995

Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed McDonald Gold Project, Lincoln, MT

The proposed action is an open-pit mining operation with ore processed by heap leaching, and gold and silver recovered by carbon adsorption. The project would be located in Lewis and Clark County, approximately 8 miles east of Lincoln, Montana. The project area covers 5,400 acres above the confluence of the Landers Fork with the Blackfoot River. The majority of the gold deposit lies on state land in Section 6, T14N, R7W. Major facilities would include rock piles, heap leach pads, solution ponds, processing equipment, and auxiliary buildings. Two miles of Montana Highway 200 would relocated 1,200 feet to the south. A project life of 25 years, from construction to reclamation, is anticipated. The applicant has determined that 205 million tons of ore can be mined and processed economically at a gold price of $375/ounce. This will require the removal of 440 million tons of barren rock to uncover the ore, for a total of over 600 million tons of rock to be removed from the open pit. Phelps Dodge Mining Company, the majority partner in the Seven-Up Pete Joint Venture, will be the operator of the proposed mine. Phelps Dodge advocates a commitment to mining in an environmentally responsible