Crystal Peak Minerals Inc., Toronto, reports that the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for its Sevier Playa Project located in southwestern Utah has been published in the Federal Register. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) prepared the DEIS in accordance with the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Council on Environmental Quality regulations for implementing NEPA, and other governing policies.
Crystal Peak said the DEIS is the culmination of an extensive evaluation process involving years of assessments, as well as feedback regarding the project from federal and state cooperating agencies and the public.
“This is a very important step for us, and we appreciate the hard work of the BLM, other supporting agencies, and their contractors,” said John Mansanti, Crystal Peak CEO. “Publication of the DEIS is a significant milestone in the regulatory process and was completed ahead of the BLM’s original schedule. Crystal Peak will continue to support the BLM and other regulatory agencies in their effort to complete final permitting next year. Pending receipt of Notice to Proceed and project funding, we will be ready to begin construction of the Sevier Playa Project as previously announced.”
Earlier this year, Crystal Peak released a timeline indicating that Notice to Proceed from the BLM was expected in fourth-quarter 2019, with a construction start anticipated shortly thereafter. The company said the publication of the DEIS is consistent with this timeline.
Crystal Peak controls, directly or through agreement, mineral leases on more than 124,000 acres on the Sevier Playa in Millard County, Utah. It is targeting the production of specialty fertilizers, including sulfate of potash (SOP) and associated products, through the use of brine extraction and a solar evaporation process.