Notice2023-19920
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Nevada Vanadium Company Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project, Eureka County, 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
September 15, 2023
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 Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Nevada Vanadium Company Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63602-63603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19920]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500171133]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Nevada Vanadium Company Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project,
Eureka County, 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 Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for the Nevada Vanadium Company Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are
available for review on the BLM ePlanning project website at <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000633/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000633/510</a>.
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#8bf8efe2f8ffeee7cbe9e7e6a5ece4fd"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="8cffe8e5fff8e9e0cceee0e1a2ebe3fa">[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 for contacting Mr. Distel. 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 Nevada Vanadium
Company's (NVV) proposal, as described in its proposed Plan of
Operations, and to analyze the potential environmental effects
associated with the Proposed Action, which is the operator's proposed
Plan of Operations, and alternatives to the Proposed Action. NEPA
mandates that the BLM evaluate the potential effects of the Proposed
Action and develop alternatives. The BLM's need for the action is
established by the BLM's responsibilities under section 302 of FLPMA
and the BLM Surface Management Regulations at 43 CFR subpart 3809 to
respond to a proposed Plan of Operations and ensure that operations
prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the public lands.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Under the proposed Plan of Operations, NVV would construct and
operate an open pit mine in the southern extent of the Fish Creek
Range. Facilities associated with the Proposed Action include
development of an open pit mine, rock disposal area, crushing
facilities and stockpile, heap leach pad, process facility, process and
make-up water ponds, borrow areas, mine and access roads, water and
power supply lines, and ancillary facilities. The estimated project
life consists of 1.5 years of construction, 7 years of operation, 4
years of active reclamation and closure, and up to 30 years of post-
closure monitoring. In addition, NVV would complete exploration
operations as part of the proposed Plan of Operations. The project area
includes a total of 6,456 acres of BLM-administered public lands, of
which approximately 806 acres of surface disturbance would occur due to
project-related operations. No state or private lands are included in
the project area. The operator would reclaim surface disturbances under
the Proposed Action and would prevent unnecessary or undue degradation
of the lands. Final reclamation of the project area would occur at the
end the project although every effort would be made to identify
concurrent reclamation opportunities during the life of the operation.
The South Access Road Alternative would include the same mine
components as described for the Proposed Action, except the access road
would be constructed in a different location. This alternative access
road would be approximately 7 miles long and extend from County Road M-
103 (Duckwater Road) to the project area.
[[Page 63603]]
The access road would be constructed parallel to the power line
corridor. Overall, this alternative would result in approximately 38
additional acres of surface disturbance relative to the Proposed
Action. Total surface disturbance would include 844 acres of BLM-
administered land. Post-reclamation topography would be similar to that
of the Proposed Action, except the access road would be in a different
location.
The Renewable Energy Alternative would consist of the same overall
operations as described for the Proposed Action except this alternative
would include supporting the mine operations with a combination of
renewable energy sources and a utility interconnection with future
large-scale battery storage. This alternative would include the
installation of a solar energy facility with enough solar electric
photovoltaic capacity for the site to become a net generation facility
with battery storage able to perform peak smoothing and daily load
management.
This alternative would result in approximately 33 additional acres
of surface disturbance compared to the Proposed Action. Total surface
disturbance for the Renewable Energy Alternative would include 839
acres of public lands.
Under the No Action Alternative, the BLM would not authorize the
Plan of Operations, and the operations described in the Proposed Action
would not occur. Mineral resources would remain undeveloped, and the
construction and operation of the proposed mine and associated
facilities would not occur.
Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed
Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project, and after carefully considering input
received from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected
the Renewable Energy Alternative as the BLM's environmentally preferred
alternative.
Public comments on the Draft EIS received and internal BLM review
were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the Final EIS.
Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text but did not
significantly change the impact analyses.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.)
Douglas W. Furtado,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2023-19920 Filed 9-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
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