Notice2022-14027
Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Goldrush Mine Project, Lander and Eureka Counties, Nevada
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
June 30, 2022
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Nevada Gold Mines LLC Goldrush Mine Project and requests the public review and provide comments on the Draft EIS.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 125 (Thursday, June 30, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 125 (Thursday, June 30, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39115-39116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-14027]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management, Interior
[LLNVB01000.L13400000.DN0000.223. LXSIGEOT0000.MO: 4500161169]
Notice of Availability of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Goldrush Mine Project, Lander and Eureka
Counties, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976, as amended (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
announces the availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Nevada Gold Mines LLC Goldrush Mine Project and requests
the public review and provide comments on the Draft EIS.
DATES: All comments must be received by August 15, 2022. The BLM will
announce the date of a public meeting on the Draft EIS at least 15 days
in advance of the meeting on the BLM National ePlanning website <a href="https://go.usa.gov/xsVs8">https://go.usa.gov/xsVs8</a>. The public meeting will be held online.
[[Page 39116]]
ADDRESSES: The Draft EIS is available for review on the BLM ePlanning
project website at <a href="https://go.usa.gov/xsVs8">https://go.usa.gov/xsVs8</a>.
Written comments related to the Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) LLC
Goldrush Mine Project may be submitted by any of the following methods:
<bullet> ePlanning website: <a href="https://go.usa.gov/xsVs8">https://go.usa.gov/xsVs8</a>.
<bullet> Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#90d2dcddcfdec6cfd2ddd4dfcfc0b6d5d3cfded5c0d1d0f2fcfdbef7ffe6"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="a2e0eeeffdecf4fde0efe6edfdf284e7e1fdece7f2e3e2c0cecf8cc5cdd4">[email protected]</span></a>.
<bullet> Mail: Goldrush Mine EIS c/o BLM Mount Lewis Field Office,
50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager,
telephone: (775) 635-4093; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
Nevada, 89820; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#b4c7d0ddc7c0d1d8f4d6d8d99ad3dbc2"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="304354594344555c70525c5d1e575f46">[email protected]</span></a>. Individuals in the United States
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications
relay services. Individuals outside the United States should use the
relay services offered within their country to make international calls
to the point-of-contact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to NGM's proposal as
described in the proposed Plan of Operations and to analyze the
environmental effects associated with the proponent's Proposed Action
and alternatives to the Proposed Action. The BLM's need for the action
is established by the BLM's responsibilities under FLPMA and the BLM
Surface Management Regulations at 43 CFR part 3809 to respond to a
proposed Plan of Operations.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The Proposed Action would include construction, operation,
reclamation, and closure of a new underground mining project in the
Cortez Mining District of Lander and Eureka Counties, Nevada. The
proposed mine plan boundary encompasses a total of 19,853 acres, of
which 772 acres would be on private land controlled by NGM and 19,081
acres would be on public lands administered by the BLM Battle Mountain
District, Mount Lewis Field Office and BLM Elko District, Tuscarora
Field Office. Most of this area is within existing exploration and mine
plans approved by the BLM and includes facilities and surface
disturbance associated with these authorized plans. To create the new
Goldrush mine plan boundary, NGM proposes boundary modifications and/or
reclassification of acres within the existing NGM-controlled
exploration and mine plan boundaries.
The Proposed Action would create an additional 1,658 acres of
surface disturbance on public land administered by the BLM, including
approximately 210 acres of exploration disturbance that could occur
anywhere within the proposed Goldrush Mine Plan boundary. In addition,
approximately 1,024 acres of existing authorized disturbance would be
within the Proposed Action footprint, and approximately 12 acres of
existing authorized disturbance would be reclassified as part of the
Proposed Action.
Under the No Action Alternative, the development of the Goldrush
Mine would not be authorized and NGM would not construct, operate, or
close a new underground mine (i.e., the Goldrush Mine). Modifications
or reclassification of acres as proposed under the Proposed Action, and
the dual use of facilities between the Cortez Mine and Goldrush Mine
operations, would not occur. NGM would continue current authorized
mining and exploration activities under the four separate previously
approved Plans.
All authorized activities would be expected to continue under the
No Action Alternative. Total authorized disturbance under the No Action
Alternative is 22,433 acres and the additional disturbance from the
Proposed Action would not occur. Descriptions of the anticipated
impacts under the No Action Alternative are included per previously
authorized NEPA analyses.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
The final EIS is tentatively scheduled for Fall of 2022 with a
Record of Decision in early 2023.
Draft EIS Review Process
On August 10, 2021, a notice of intent to prepare an EIS was
published in the Federal Register, announcing the beginning of the
public scoping process. The BLM held virtual public scoping meetings
for the Project on August 25 and 26, 2021. During the scoping period,
16 comment documents were received containing a total of 327 individual
comments.
This notice of availability initiates the draft EIS review process.
A public meeting to discuss the draft EIS will be held via virtual
platform. An announcement regarding when and how to access the virtual
meeting online will be posted on the BLM's project website. The purpose
of public review of the draft EIS is to provide an opportunity for
meaningful collaborative public engagement and for the public to
provide substantive comments, such as identification of factual errors,
data gaps, relevant methods, or scientific studies. The BLM will
respond to substantive comments by making appropriate revisions to the
EIS or explaining why a comment did not warrant a change.
The BLM has and will continue to use and coordinate the draft EIS
review process to help fulfill the public involvement requirements
under the National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as
provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic and
cultural resources within the area potentially affected by the proposed
action will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to
such resources. The BLM has and will continue to conduct government-to-
government consultation with Indian Tribes in accordance with Executive
Order 13175 and other policies. Agencies will give due consideration to
Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and treaty
rights and potential impacts to cultural resources.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jon D. Sherve,
Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field Office, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2022-14027 Filed 6-29-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
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