Notice2021-18004
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gold Acquisition Corporation-Relief Canyon Gold Mine-Mine Expansion Amendment, Pershing County, NV
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
August 23, 2021
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Humboldt River Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada has prepared the Relief Canyon Mine Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed expansion to the Relief Canyon gold mining operation in Pershing County, Nevada, and by this notice announces the availability of the Final EIS.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 86 Issue 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47145-47146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18004]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[DOI-BLM-NV-W010-2020-0030-EIS; LLNVW01000.L51100000.GN0000.
LVEMF1907180.19XMO#4500153666]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Gold Acquisition Corporation--Relief Canyon
Gold Mine--Mine Expansion Amendment, Pershing County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Humboldt River
Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada has prepared the Relief Canyon Mine
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed expansion
to the Relief Canyon gold mining operation in Pershing County, Nevada,
and by this notice announces the availability of the Final EIS.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a
minimum of 30-days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
its notice of availability of the Gold Acquisition Corporation--Relief
Canyon Gold Mine--Mine Expansion Amendment Final EIS DOI-BLM-NV-W010-
2020-0030-EIS in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Relief Canyon Mine Plan Expansion and the
Final EIS
[[Page 47146]]
are available for public inspection on the internet at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000567/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000567/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jeanette ``Jean'' Black;
telephone: (775) 623-1500; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8ce6eee0edefe7cceee0e1a2ebe3fa"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6f050d030e0c042f0d030241080019">[email protected]</span></a>; address: 5100 E
Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. Black during normal
business hours. The FRS is available 24-hours a day, 7-days a week, to
leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal
business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Gold Acquisition Corporation (GAC), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Pershing Gold Corporation, itself a wholly owned
subsidiary of Americas Gold and Silver Corporation, proposes an
expansion to the existing Relief Canyon Gold Mine. The mine is located
in Pershing County, Nevada, approximately 16 miles east-northeast of
Lovelock, Nevada. The proposed expansion is located within GAC's
authorized Plan of Operations boundary and proposes to modify the
existing Plan of Operations as follows:
<bullet> Create roughly 576 acres of new surface disturbance on
public and private land including re-disturbance of about 137 acres of
previously disturbed vegetation communities.
<bullet> Expand the footprint of the existing approved pit area by
approximately 84 acres (68 acres of public land and 16 acres of private
land) with resultant elimination of a portion of existing Waste Rock
Storage Facility (WRSF) 4.
<bullet> Mine to final pit bottom elevation of 4,420 feet above
mean sea level (ft amsl), which will involve continued mining below the
water table, and result in a post-mining pit lake that is predicted to
reach an equilibrium elevation of 4,887 ft amsl roughly 50 years after
completion of mining.
<bullet> Construct a dewatering conveyance pipeline and Rapid
Infiltration to re-infiltrate up to 900 gallons per minute of mine
dewatering water during the last 3 months of proposed mining.
<bullet> Install up to 50 vertical and horizontal drains in the pit
wall to ensure pit slope stability and supplement pit dewatering
operations.
<bullet> Convert up to 50 exploration drill holes located in and
adjacent to the pit as vertical or near vertical drains and/or
piezometer to monitor water levels to ensure pit slope stability and
supplement pit dewatering operations.
<bullet> Expand WRSFs, heap leach pads, and construct process
ponds, new growth media stockpiles, diversion ditches for stormwater
control, and ancillary facilities.
<bullet> Expand yard and crusher-conveyor areas, roads, and fences.
<bullet> Close and reclaim all project facilities at the completion
of the Project.
Final EIS
The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed project's direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. The EIS
analyzed the Proposed Action (Alternative A) and the No Action
Alternative (Alternative B).
A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS for the proposed
Project was published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2021 (86
FR 5246). Two virtual public meetings were held during the comment
period. The BLM received 12 public comment documents during the 45-day
comment period. The documents contained 70 individual comments with 36
substantive comments, which included concerns on potential impacts from
the pit lake, groundwater quantity and quality, springs in the area
near the mine, management of waste rock, rapid infiltration basins, and
heap leach facilities, wildlife habitat loss, greater sage-grouse,
golden eagles, pale kangaroo mice, and horses. These comments were
considered and addressed in Appendix D (draft EIS Public Comments and
Responses) of the Final EIS.
Comments on the Draft EIS received from the public and internal BLM
review were considered and incorporated, as appropriate, into the Final
EIS. Public comments resulted in corrections or the addition of
clarifying text but did not significantly change the proposed action.
The BLM has consulted with the Nevada State Historic Preservation
Office (SHPO) on the Project in accordance with the 2014 State Protocol
Agreement between the BLM and Nevada SHPO for Implementing the National
Historic Preservation Act. The BLM has determined that the Project
would have no adverse effects to historic properties and the Nevada
SHPO has concurred.
The BLM has consulted and continues to consult with Native American
tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive
Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on
Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will
be given due consideration.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7)
Ester M. McCullough,
District Manager, Winnemucca District Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-18004 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on August 23, 2021.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.