Soda Springs, Idaho, USA
August 10, 2009
The
U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has begun distribution
of a draft Environmental Impact Statement regarding a proposal
by P4 Production LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of
Monsanto Company (NYSE:
MON), to open one of North America's most environmentally
advanced phosphate mines. It will provide elemental phosphorus
used in making the world's leading agricultural herbicide and
other important products.
"The environmental safeguards will protect the nearby Blackfoot
River from any detectable increases in selenium, a mineral that
is of concern in phosphate mining," said David W. Farnsworth,
Business Unit Lead, Mineral Activities.
The BLM, which must approve the project, is distributing the
draft Environmental Impact Statement to public repositories and
interested parties. General public notice of the report's
availability is expected to be published August 14 in the
Federal Register. The agency will be seeking public comment over
a 45-day time period.
"We welcome this public review and look forward to working with
the BLM and other agencies to answer all questions
forthrightly," Farnsworth said.
He said the Environmental Impact Statement includes discussion
of several engineering alternatives to minimize the release of
selenium from the mining operations. Monsanto favors a more
stringent and expensive alternative, including covering
selenium-bearing waste rock at the proposed mine with a
laminated geosynthetic clay liner (GCL) that is essentially
impervious to water. The agencies involved with preparing the
Draft EIS, which includes BLM and Idaho Department of
Environmental Quality, identify this option as their preferred
alternative.
"Complex, detailed modeling conducted by BLM shows this is the
best alternative to manage the selenium issue," Farnsworth said,
adding that there would also be a overlying layer of three feet
of soil and other materials in addition to the geosynthetic
liner.
Only a tiny volume of water from rain and snow could pass
through the waste rock and it would be insufficient to wash out
the selenium, he explained, adding that the water management
systems are designed to provide further protection. Water that
could run off from the mine site will be captured, analyzed and
pumped to large lined ponds for testing. If the levels of
selenium are too high, the water can be evaporated or treated.
Only water meeting all appropriate water quality standards will
be allowed to leave the mine site, Farnsworth said.
Selenium is a trace mineral that is essential for good health.
Too much selenium, however, can be harmful to animals, fish and
other wildlife. Farnsworth said: "The cover design is intended
to prevent any such harmful impacts from this project." The
proposed mine will be restored with a diverse ecosystem of some
20 species of introduced and native grasses, wildflowers and
other vegetation.
"We also construct special habitat on reclaimed mine sites to
give protective cover to small insects and animals that, in
turn, are food for hawks, eagles and a rich assortment of other
birds that inhabit the area," said Michael Vice, Monsanto's
reclamation specialist. "As a result, we create a diverse
ecosystem that encourages a large and thriving population of
mammals, birds, insects and other living creatures."
Monsanto has been recognized for its past efforts at reclaimed
mine sites by the BLM, the U.S. Forest Service and the Idaho
Department of Lands. Monsanto's past reclaimed sites are
certified by the Wildlife Habitat Council, which provides advice
and review of corporate lands to enhance their usefulness and
value for wildlife.
In all, the proposed mining site would include about 739 acres,
of which only about 10 percent is in public ownership, and which
is already nearby existing mine sites. Phosphorus from
Monsanto's proposed mine will be used to make Roundup® brand
herbicides. It is also used in other industries to make fire
retardants, leavening agents, aviation fluid, carbonated
beverages and many other products. The mine is needed by P4 in
2010 to continue P4's normal operations.
The Soda Springs phosphate ore-processing plant has been
operating since 1952 and has received ore from four phosphate
mines in Southeast Idaho since that time. Monsanto employs about
770 people in Southeast Idaho. Annually, the company spends $115
million in Idaho for wages, salaries and payments to local
vendors. Utilizing an economic multiplier to consider the
indirect economic effect on the Idaho economy, the business
produces an estimated $230 million annual economic impact on the
state. It pays nearly $3 million in state and local taxes, and
millions more in state and federal royalty payments, which are
shared with counties and schools.
More information about the project can be found at
www.monsanto.com/sodasprings. Copies of the draft
Environmental Impact Statement will be available to the public
in a number of locations, including:
Soda Springs City Library
149 South Main
Soda Springs, ID 83276
BLM / Forest Service Office
4350 Cliffs Drive
Pocatello, ID 83205
U.S. Forest Service
Soda Springs Ranger District
410 East Hooper
Soda Springs, ID 83276
The entire draft Environmental Impact Statement can be found on
the BLM Web site, which is
www.blm.gov/id/st/en/info/nepa/Pocatello/blackfoot_mine_deis.html.
Monsanto Company is a leading global provider of
technology-based solutions and agricultural products that
improve farm productivity and food quality. Monsanto remains
focused on enabling both small-holder and large-scale farmers to
produce more from their land while conserving more of our
world's natural resources such as water and energy. |
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