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The project proposed by Haile is to reactivate the existing Haile Gold Mine near Kershaw, SC for the development of gold resources, to expand the area for open pit mining, and to construct associated facilities. The Haile Gold Mine Site encompasses approximately 4,552.7 acres. Mining would occur in phases involving eight open mining pits over a twelve-year period, with pit depths ranging from 110 to 840 feet deep. The proposed work includes the mechanized land clearing, grubbing, temporary stockpiling, filling, and excavation that would directly impact approximately 120.46 acres of jurisdictional, freshwater wetlands and 26,460.54 linear feet of streams. Construction drawings provided by the applicant are included in the Revised Joint Public Notice of April 9, 2013, and are available on Charleston District’s public website.
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Additional project information is provided in the documents listed below. Click on the document name in order to open the file
AnnouncementsThe U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District has issued the Record of Decision (ROD) for the Haile Gold Mine Project. The Draft Groundwater Modeling Summary Report provides details regarding the development of the groundwater drawdown model. Model predictions in the report are shown as contour lines radiating horizontally from the proposed mine pits. Confidence in model predictions is greatest near the mine pits and decreases with distance from the mine pits. Modeled predictions will be used to help characterize in the EIS the potential extent of groundwater drawdown effects on surface features, including wetlands and other waters of the United States as well as any effects to groundwater wells or other waterbodies. Please visit the following links to view the Draft Groundwater Modeling Summary Report and the appendices. The USACE has developed an exhibit presenting features of the proposed Haile Gold Mine project: the Mine Interactive Experience (MInE). The MInE provides easy-to-understand information on proposed mining operations and their potential effects on local resources. Click here to access the MInE. Haile Gold Mine, Inc. submitted a revised mitigation plan to the USACE on July 10, 2013. It can be accessed by clicking the "Revised Mitigation Plan" link under the documents tab on this website. The USACE has developed a draft Alternatives Development and Evaluation Report for the Haile Gold Mine Environmental Impact Statement. It can be found on the documents tab. The USACE and the cooperating agencies developed and released a Draft EIS in March 2014. Click here to access this document. The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on March 21, 2014 and the comment period for the DEIS extended through May 9, 2014. Comments received on the Draft EIS have been incorporated into the Final EIS. The Final EIS is now available. Click here to access this document. Contact Information For further information and/or questions about the proposed project and the Environmental Impact Statement, please contact: For inquiries from the media, please contact the Corps, Charleston District Corporate Communications Officer (CCO), Ms. Glenn Jeffries by telephone: (843) 329–8123. |
Public Involvement is essential to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process in identifying significant issues, offering relevant information based on personal experience and knowledge, and providing assistance in defining the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Charleston District hosted a community meeting on January 23, 2012, in Kershaw, South Carolina and was invited to attend a number of small citizen group meetings throughout the week. These interactions provided an opportunity for interested parties and community members to have open and informal dialogue with the USACE regarding the proposed Haile Gold Mine and preparation of the EIS. During these forums, the USACE heard a wide range of comments and concerns, and responded to a number of questions and comments. In addition to the community meetings, the USACE hosted an Interagency Group meeting in Kershaw, South Carolina on January 25, 2012. The meeting was attended by the Applicant and a number of state and federal agency representatives, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a Cooperating Agency with the USACE, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control(SCDHEC), the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Marine Fisheries Service. The Interagency Group has met at major project milestones to discuss concerns on behalf of the commenting agencies. The USACE also developed a Public Involvement Advisory Group (PIAG) and held the first meeting with this group on January 25, 2012, in Camden, South Carolina. The purpose of the PIAG was to engage in open dialogue with interested parties, including the Applicant and their consultants, commenting agencies, interested property owners, environmental groups, the Mayor of Kershaw, and the Lancaster County Economic Development Corporation. The PIAG has met at major project milestones to discuss various merits of the project and concerns on behalf of interested parties, commenting agencies, and community members. The USACE co-hosted a joint public hearing with the SCDHEC on April 24, 2014 in Kershaw, SC to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the Draft EIS. The availability of the Final EIS was announced by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District and made available on this web site on July 25, 2014. The Notice of Availability of the Final EIS was published by the USEPA in the Federal Register on August 1, 2014 (EIS No. 20140207 Haile Gold Mine Project) with a review period ending on September 2, 2014. Written comments received in regards to the Project during the review period were addressed in the Record of Decision.
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| To Learn more about the Haile Gold Mine Project and the EIS Process, click here | ||||
