BRETZ MINE ABANDONED MINE LAND PHYSICAL HAZARD REMEDIATION PHASE 1 Environmental Assessment OR-030-08-006 Prepared by: U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Land Management Jordan Resource Area 100 Oregon Street Vale, Oregon 97918 April, 2009 Bretz Mine AML Physical Hazard Remediation – Phase 1 EA 1 As the Nation’s principal conservation agency, the Department of the Interior has responsibility for most of our nationally owned public lands and natural resources. This includes fostering the wisest use of our land and water resources, protecting our fish and wildlife, preserving the environmental and cultural values of our national parks and historical places, and providing for the enjoyment of life through outdoor recreation. The Department assesses our energy and mineral resources and works to assure that their development is in the best interest of all our people. The Department also has a major responsibility for American Indian reservation communities and for people who live in Island Territories under U.S. administration. BLM/OR/WA/AE-009/035-1792 Bretz Mine AML Physical Hazard Remediation – Phase 1 EA 2 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT Bretz Mine Abandoned Mine Land Physical Hazard Remediation – Phase 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................... 5 1.A BACKGROUND INFORMATION ....................................................................................................................... 5 1.B LOCATION OF PROPOSED ACTION ................................................................................................................. 6 2 PURPOSE OF AND NEED FOR THE ACTION ............................................................................................. 7 3 CONFORMANCE WITH THE LAND USE PLAN ......................................................................................... 7 4 ALTERNATIVES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED ACTION ....................................................................... 8 4.A NO ACTION ................................................................................................................................................... 9 4.B BRETZ MINE, EAST PIT, PHYSICAL HAZARD MITIGATION (PROPOSED ACTION)............................................. 9 4.C ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED FROM DETAILED ANALYSIS .............................................. 12 5 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................................................ 12 5.A VEGETATION ............................................................................................................................................... 12 5.B NOXIOUS WEEDS ........................................................................................................................................ 13 5.C SPECIAL STATUS PLANTS ............................................................................................................................ 13 5.D WILDLIFE AND FISH .................................................................................................................................... 14 5.E LIVESTOCK GRAZING .................................................................................................................................. 15 5.F RECREATION AND VISUAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 15 5.G WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS ....................................................................................................................... 15 5.H NON-WILDERNESS STUDY AREA LANDS WITH WILDERNESS CHARACTERISTICS ....................................... 15 5.I CULTURAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................................... 15 5.J PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................... 16 5.K AIR AND ATMOSPHERIC QUALITY ............................................................................................................... 16 5.L GEOLOGY .................................................................................................................................................... 16 5.M SOILS AND WATERSHED RESOURCES .......................................................................................................... 17 5.N MANDATORY ELEMENTS ............................................................................................................................ 18 6 ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES ....................................................................................................... 19 6.A ALTERNATIVE 1 (NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE) ............................................................................................. 19 6.A.1 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................. 19 6.A.2 Noxious Weeds ...................................................................................................................................... 19 6.A.3 Special Status Plants ............................................................................................................................. 20 6.A.4 Wildlife and Fish ................................................................................................................................... 21 6.A.5 Livestock Grazing .................................................................................................................................. 21 6.A.6 Recreation and Visual Resources .......................................................................................................... 21 6.A.7 Non-Wilderness Study Area Lands with Wilderness Characteristics .................................................... 21 6.A.8 Cultural Resources ................................................................................................................................ 21 6.A.9 Soils and Watershed Resources ............................................................................................................. 21 6.B ALTERNATIVE 2: BRETZ MINE EAST PIT PHYSICAL HAZARD MITIGATION (PROPOSED ACTION)................ 21 6.B.1 Vegetation .............................................................................................................................................. 21 6.B.2 Noxious Weeds ...................................................................................................................................... 22 6.B.3 Special Status Plants ............................................................................................................................. 23 6.B.4 Wildlife and Fish ................................................................................................................................... 23 6.B.5 Livestock Grazing .................................................................................................................................. 24 6.B.6 Recreation and Visual Resources .......................................................................................................... 24 6.B.7 Non-Wilderness Study Area Lands with Wilderness Characteristics .................................................... 24 6.B.8 Cultural and Paleontological Resources ............................................................................................... 26 Bretz Mine AML Physical Hazard Remediation – Phase 1 EA 3 6.B.9 Air and Atmospheric Quality ................................................................................................................. 26 6.B.10 Soils and Watershed Resources ........................................................................................................ 26 7 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES (BMP’S) ............................................................................................ 27 8 CUMULATIVE EFFECTS ............................................................................................................................... 28 9 LIST OF PREPARERS ..................................................................................................................................... 30 10 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................................. 30 11 FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI) .................................................................................. 33 LIST OF TABLES TABLE 1: REHABILITATION SEED MIXTURE ............................................................................................................... 10 TABLE 2: GEOLOGIC ROCK UNITS WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA .................................................................................. 17 TABLE 3: MANDATORY ELEMENTS OF THE HUMAN ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................... 18 TABLE 4: NOXIOUS WEEDS WITHIN THE VICINITY OF THE PROJECT ........................................................................... 22 FIGURES Figure 1: Jordan Resource Area, Vicinity Map, Bretz Mine Rehabilitation Area.….…………………..……………...7 Figure 2: Photograph of the Bretz Mine East Pit looking east…………………………...……………..…...………….9 Figure 3: Photograph of the Bretz Mine