Record of Decision, Phelps Dodge Little Rock Mine Project, Environmental Impact Statement, Grant County, New Mexico

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The BLM Las Cruces District Office has prepared a Record of Decision (ROD) for the Phelps Dodge Little Rock Mine Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The ROD was signed by the District Manager approving the proposed mine project and incorporating environmental protection measures in the EIS. The EIS analyzed the impacts of the re-establishment of the Little Rock Mine. The Little Rock Mine is an open-pit copper mine located approximately 7 miles south of Silver City, New Mexico. The Proposed Action includes the construction, operation, and reclamation of the proposed mine pit, including the diversion of stream water in California Gulch, and the creation of a pit lake after mining operations have ceased. Approximately 100 million tons of leachable ore could be removed from the proposed pit. Up to 160,000 tons of ore per day would be mined and processed over a 2- to 4-year period. The proposed project will also require the construction of a haul road that will allow transportation of ore from the mine site to the processing facilities located at the Tyrone Mine facility. Overburden or other inert, nonmineralized materials will be stockpiled for potential use in reclamation. P