Both the J.R. Simplot Co. and Agrium Inc. plan to develop major new open pit mines in Southeast Idaho's Caribou County, a region rich with phosphate ore used to feed their fertilizer plants near Pocatello and Soda Springs.

Jeffrey Cundick, minerals branch chief in the U.S. Bureau of Land Management's Pocatello field office, said Simplot has submitted an application with the BLM for its new Dairy Syncline Mine and Agrium is expected to turn in paperwork soon for its new Rasmussen Valley Mine.

Cundick, who has been responsible for the technical oversight of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest's phosphate program for nine years, said because the BLM and U.S. Forest Service have made mine plan approvals more rigorous, phosphate companies have had to "front load everything" and initiate their permitting processes well in advance of when they plan to actually open mining operations.

Federal agencies soon will announce an EIS public scoping process in regards to Simplot's proposed Dairy Syncline project, most likely before the end of December, Cundick said. About 2,130 acres would be disturbed 10 miles east of Soda Springs and 10 miles west of Simplot's controversial Smoky Canyon Mine near Afton, Wyo. Simplot employs more than 500 at its Don plant near Pocatello and at Smoky Canyon.

"They didn't waste any time. They want to be proactive in the permitting process," Cundick said of Simplot officials. "They've been exploring that property intermittently for seven years."

In addition to the open pit mine, the Dairy Syncline Mine would include a new milling plant, an underground phosphate slurry, water lines, tailings impoundment, a new power line, a BLM land sale and a Forest Service land exchange for private holdings. The mine's ore reserves would last an estimated 25 years.

The BLM and Forest Service have created an interdisciplinary team composed of biologists, archeologists, mining engineers, geologists and an environmental contract consultant to scrutinize the Dairy Syncline project.

"Agrium has not submitted a proposal yet, but we expect that some time this fall," he said, noting it will be comprised totally of 680 acres of federal mineral leases that Agrium holds and wants to develop. Most of the land would be on the national forest, but the Blackfoot River Wildlife Management Area managed by Idaho Fish & Game also would be affected.

"We're really expecting it any time. They've been working on it intensively for two years," Cundick said of Agrium's new mine application.

Canadian-based Agrium has "been doing their exploration drilling last year and this year. They are feverishly trying to delineate the body and put together a mine plan.