Antler Copper mine review opens near Yucca; public comments due Nov. 3

Residents have until Nov. 3 to comment on a draft federal environmental review of the proposed Antler Copper Mine and Powerline Project near Yucca, including its projected effects on groundwater, nearby wells and public land.

The Bureau of Land Management opened the comment period Oct. 20. Its project documents page says comments will be accepted through midnight Denver time on Nov. 3, 2026.

The proposal combines Antler Operations Inc.’s underground copper-and-zinc mining plan with UNS Electric Inc.’s approximately 11.6-mile, 69-kilovolt powerline. The BLM project page lists the review as in progress; the draft is not a final approval.

According to the October draft environmental assessment, the overall project would be near Yucca, with access from Interstate 40 via Alamo Road and Boriana Mine Road. The proposed schedule anticipates 18 months of construction, 15 years of mining and three years of reclamation. Those are planning estimates, not announced opening or completion dates.

The assessment’s surface-disturbance table lists 259.4 acres across public and private land, including road paving, mine facilities, a waterline and the powerline. Of that total, 43.5 acres are on public land. The table includes both previously disturbed and undisturbed ground.

BLM’s decision concerns the mining plan and utility right-of-way on public land. The assessment also examines related private-land activities, while stating that those activities are outside the federal decision.

Water is one of the issues residents can examine in the draft. Its analysis predicts that pumping water out of the underground mine would lower groundwater levels at nearby wells. Several wells southwest of the project are projected to experience declines of 10 to 30 feet during the mine’s operating life.

The draft describes a private-well monitoring and mitigation plan. Depending on the impacts identified, possible measures include pump upgrades, well rehabilitation, replacement wells or an alternative water supply. These are proposed responses to modeled effects, not evidence that such effects have already occurred.

The assessment also examines possible long-term movement of arsenic and antimony in groundwater after mine closure. It says elevated concentrations are not expected to affect non-Antler private wells at their modeled depths, and calls for continued monitoring and updated modeling. These conclusions remain part of the draft under review.

Alongside the proposed action, BLM evaluates an alternative using on-site power generation and a no-action alternative under which it would not approve the proposed mining plan or powerline right-of-way on public land.

Residents can read the October 19 draft under “Environmental Assessment (EA)” on the documents page, then use the project’s online comment form. BLM warns that comments, including personal information entered in them, may become public.