SODA SPRINGS, Idaho, Aug. 10, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- 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.
