Draft EIS released for proposed quarry expansions

San Bernardino National Forest announced today the availability of a draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for Omya's proposed expansion of the Butterfield and Sentinel quarries. The document is now available for public review and public comment, which closes after 45 days on August 28. Omya is one of three corporations engaged in mining limestone and other calcium carbonate mineral resources on the north slope of the San Bernardino Mountains, above Lucerne Valley, on and adjacent to the national forest. The project is going through environmental analysis and public involvement under the National Environmental Policy Act. It is also going through analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act because the County of San Bernardino has jurisdiction over elements in the proposal.

Omya’s proposed mining plan is an expansion on the existing Butterfield and Sentinel quarries on U.S. Forest Service land: 30.6 acres of new ground at the Butterfield Quarry and 64.3 acres of new ground at the Sentinel Quarry. The proposal entails mining and concurrent reclamation over a period of 40 years.

The Joint Notice of Availability has more details on the project and how to comment. All documents available for review can be found on the project webpage, under the Analysis tab, at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=32613.