In 2020, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) approved a proposal by American Magnesium, LLC, to develop a dolomite mine in the Florida Mountains near Deming, New Mexico. The Florida Mountains are an ecological treasure containing significant plant and wildlife communities, important areas for recreation, scenic vistas, birding, and more. The proposed mining project is adjacent to the Florida Mountains Wilderness Study Area (WSA) and near the Florida Mountains Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC). The BLM should not approve American Magnesium’s revised drilling plan without conducting an environmental assessment of the impacts of the proposal.
Below is a sample comment letter that can be submitted as written or edited before sending:
Mining in the Florida Mountains will have adverse impacts on wildlife, scenic beauty, recreation, natural and cultural resources, and local communities. The BLM should not approve American Magnesium’s revised drilling plan without conducting an environmental assessment of the impacts of the proposal.
The previous environmental assessment, completed back in 2020, does not consider the environmental impacts of the new drilling plan. The new plan includes the following changes from the previous plan:
- New 40-by-60-foot staging area, which will be cleared prior to use.
- New drilling pattern.
- The boreholes will be 150 feet deep instead of 100, a 50% increase.
- New access route from the south, which will require substantial road improvements. While this route may technically be an “unnamed road,” the reality is that much of this route is a mere remnant of a former road that is barely noticeable because it has naturally decomposed and faded into the landscape over time.
- New proposal for “overland travel” for one-quarter mile with a tracked drill rig.
- Use of steel rock anchors and a winch to drag a bulldozer, skid-mounted drilling rig, and water tanks up a very steep and rugged slope to the ridgeline of Little Mountain, followed by overland travel along the crest and down the side of Little Mountain.
Additionally, the new proposal lacks crucial details about impacts on the environment, natural and cultural resources, and local communities. For example, the new plan does not disclose the number and types of trips to and from the site per day, the specifics for dust and noise abatement, or whether nighttime operations will be conducted.
Before deciding whether to approve the revised drilling plan, the BLM should conduct an environmental assessment that discloses and analyzes all impacts of the new plan. The BLM should also ensure that any mining plan includes mandatory conditions designed to protect the sensitive natural and cultural resources of the Florida Mountains, as well as local communities. The BLM cannot simply rely on American Magnesium to incorporate necessary protections into its project.
