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Show Final environmental statement released on proposed Chevron phosphate plant, pipeline The final environmental impact statement has been issued concerning the proposed Chevron phosphate plant near Rock Springs, Wyo. The document docu-ment was prepared by the Bureau of Land Management and includes a proposed pro-posed slurry pipeline which would connect con-nect the proposed plant with Chevron's phosphate mine at Brush Creek. Chevron Chemical Company is planning plan-ning to construct a new fertilizer plant near Rock Springs sometime in the future if clearance is given by the Bureau of Land Management, both the Utah and Wyoming offices, and if the State of Wyoming through the Office of Industrial Siting Administration, approves a permit to construct and operate the plant. On Jan. 24, 1983 Chevron was given approval by the Industrial Siting Council Coun-cil to construct the plant. The permit included conditions to mitigate environmental en-vironmental and socioeconomic impacts. The proposed plant would initially produce about 1,200 tons of liquid and pelletized phosphate fertilizer daily. Phosphate rock for the proposed facility would be supplied by the Brush Creek mine through a 98.2 mile long, 11 inch diameter buried pipeline. Chevron has proposed that the pipeline would run diagonally from the mine through Red Creek Canyon to the Wyoming border and then generally parallel the right-of-way of the Mid-America Mid-America Pipeline Company liquid hydrocarbons transportation pipeline in Wyoming. The plant would use sulfur recovered from Chevron USA's natural gas plant at Carter Creek, Wyoming. Chevron has entered an agreement to purchase 22,500 acre feet of water for the project. The contract is with the state of Wyoming and the water would be supplied from the Fontenelle Reservoir. Reser-voir. The water would be released from the dam into the Green River and Chevron would withdraw the water downstream near Davis Bottom. Pacific Power and Light Co. would provide electricity for the proposed project. Besides the proposed action by Chevron, several alternatives are identified. The Bureau of Land Management has stated they would prefer the option known as "Nightingale Station Plant Process Water Pipeline Alternative." The purpose pur-pose of this alternative would be to locate the water pipeline which would bring water from the Green River out side the boundaries of the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area. The Nightingale alternative would not require re-quire a new road, nor any disturbance for construction of a power distribution distribu-tion line. The BLM therefore says the acreage disturbed would be less than the proposed action. Major impact conclusions of the BLM are listed in detail in the impact statement. Water Resources The proposed action would result in a .49 percent reduction in flow in the Green River and would create a slight increase in salinity at Imperial Dam. The BLM does mention that this slight increase, together with other development, develop-ment, each creating slight increases, could add up considerably. There would also be impacts at Red Creek Canyon from construction of the slurry pipeline. Socioeconomics The impact statement showed no significant impacts in Sweetwater County, Wyo., in population, employment, employ-ment, personal income, educational systems, fiscal conditions, or social conditions. There would be substantial impact to housing in the Rock Springs area during construction, but the BLM is of the opinion that local developers would be capable of handling the influx. The impact statement shows impact to Daggett and Uintah counties would be minimal. Implementation of the slurry pipeline would result in the loss of jobs for about 40 contract truck drivers, 10 maintenance workers, and 10 workers at the Phoston terminal, near Park City, where the phosphate is currently trucked. The phosphate is loaded on railroad cars at Phoston. Even with the loss of those jobs, the proposal would result in an overall increase in-crease of 30 jobs in the Vernal area. Transportation Networks There would be significant impact along Wyoming State Highway 430, due to construction of the plant, from mid-1983 to mid-1985. Chevron has agreed that if problems occur, they would stagger shifts and use busing as required to alleviate some of the traffic traf-fic congestion. The same type of problems pro-blems are possible along U.S. Highway 191 during construction of the Red Creek Canyon portion of the slurry pipeline. There would be a positive impact to highway traffic between the phosphate mine and Phoston, since the trucks would no longer use the highway. There is also a chance, if care is not taken, that the Nightingale Station alternative could affect the existing pipeline of Mountain Fuel, Pioneer, and Colorado Interstate Gas. Air Quality The amount of pollutants that would be emitted from the plant meet Wyoming Wyom-ing standards. There would be no significant impact to health or visibility. visibili-ty. None of the alternatives pose significant affects either. Wildlife The opinion of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was not included in the impact statement due to their further fur-ther need for negotiation with Chevron. That statement will be included in-cluded as part of the final decisionmaking decision-making process. The proposal would disturb 1,392.5 acres of mule deer area, 408.5 acres of elk, and 1,237.25 acres of pronghorn habitat. About 587.25 acres of sage grouse and 341 of whitetail prairie dog habitat would also be disturbed. However, the BLM said the habitat losses would be insignificant, due to the total amount of habitat available. Some of the populations could be affected af-fected from harassment and lowered production, but the impact statement lists these losses as insignificant. There is a potential danger to two federally listed threatened and en-daneed en-daneed fish srjecies. the Colorado Squawfish and Humpback chub. The Fish and Wildlife Service opinion will described the extent of the potential danger. The Jensen alternative could also affect the Razorback sucker, as well as the Colorado Squawfish. Visual Resources The impact statement says, "Implementation "Im-plementation of the proposed action and any of the alternatives would significantly and adversely affect visual resources by exceeding the allowable levels of contrast for each visual resource mangement class or visual quality objective established for specific portions of the project areas. Land Use Plans The slurry pipeline falls in conflict with the BLM Vernal District Management Manage-ment Framework Plan, which states all new pipelines should occur within existing right-of-way corridors. Some of the alternatives also conflict and the Northwest alternative runs through the Flaming gorge National Recreation Recrea-tion Area. Some of the alternatives do not pose conflicts. The BLM preferred alternative, called MAPCO, would not pose those conflicts. Recreation Resources Several detrimental impacts are listed in the impact statement relating to recreation resources. Noise and dust would affect sightseers to the John Jarvie Ranch historical site and recreation experiences within the proposed pro-posed Green River Corridor. A necessary booster station and microwave tower could affect the quality of vista views from the auto day use turn-out overlooking the Red Creek Watershed. Hunting and fishing pressures would increase around Rot k Springs because of the increase in population. Recreation use would increase in-crease to the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area during the peak construction con-struction period. The Jeasen alternative would create temporary, short term impacts to recreation during construction periods. These would include increased increas-ed off road vehicle use and delays and visual intrusions along the "Drive Through the Ages." The Northwest alternative would cross the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area, causing significant adverse impacts and public controversy. controver-sy. It would also be in conflict with the F laming Gorge National Recreation Area Management Plan. Wilderness The impact statement lists only short-term impacts to wilderness areas. There would be impacts to wilderness from alternative routes for the pipeline. The Northwest alternative alter-native would cross a portion of the Goslin Mountain Roadless Area, which must be reevaluated for potential wilderness as part of the Forest Service Ser-vice planning process. Cultural Resources The possible land disturbances are identified as causing possible major impacts. They could include destruction destruc-tion or alteralion of the resources, displacement of artifacts, alteration of the surrounding environment, and introduction in-troduction of visual, audible, and atmospheric at-mospheric elements out of character wilh the present environment. These impacts could cause a loss of scientific and cultural information and a loss of a portion of Ihe resource base for future research. The loss of any information infor-mation is lisled in Ihe impact statement state-ment its being significant to efforts lo reconstruct the prehistory and history of the region Soils anil Vegetation A total of l.r.H! acres of land would be distributed under the proposal, 7111 acres would be occupied. About l.n:i: acres would occur in sensitive soil areas. Acres totaling 1,179. 2.1 are sagebrush grass, 1 it t acres of pinyon-jliniper, pinyon-jliniper, IKiacresofgreasewood, 12 7.1 acres of aspen-mountain shrub, and 24 acres of riparian vegetation. Kach area which would be affected is listed in some detail in the impact statement. Agriculture Impacts to agriculture are listed as relatively minor. The only thing the statement mentions is the possihlity of leaving the pipeline trench ox'ti for periods of time, or if a trail was created or if livestock abandoned traditional grazing areas. I'nlronlogy Impacts to paleontological resources from construction and operation would be unquantifiable losses of plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate fossils. Fossils could be destroyed during construction. Increase In-crease collection and removal of fossils could occur from increase numbers of people in the area. Public Comments The HI.M emphasizes that the final environmental impact statement is not n decision document. All decisions will be based upon the anvalvsis of Ihe impact im-pact statement, public concerns and comments, and other multiple use resource objectives or programs applicable ap-plicable to the Chevron Phosphate Project. Comments will be accepted until Aug 111. I'.HU. They should lie sent to; Don Sweep, District Manager, Rock Springs District Olfice, l'.O lo llliiil. Highway 1H7 No , Hock Springs, Wy. lt:".Mll A record of the decision and the ra lionale of the decision will be prepared and made available through Ihe Hock Springs District olfice as soon as the decision Is reached |
