Notice2023-24011
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC's Goldrush Mine Project, Lander and Eureka Counties, 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
October 31, 2023
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 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 Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Goldrush Mine Project.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 209 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74506-74507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24011]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500169077]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC's Goldrush Mine Project, Lander and
Eureka Counties, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 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 Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Goldrush 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 (NOA) in the Federal
Register.
ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are
available for review on the BLM National NEPA Register website at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012544/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012544/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager,
telephone: (775) 635-4093; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d3a0b7baa0a7b6bf93b1bfbefdb4bca5"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5526313c26213039153739387b323a23">[email protected]</span></a>; address: 50 Bastian
Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may
dial 7-1-1 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunication 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 NGM's 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, NGM would construct and
operate an underground mine project in the Cortez Mining Area of Lander
and Eureka Counties, Nevada. The proposed Goldrush Mine Plan boundary
encompasses 19,853 acres, of which 772 acres are private land
controlled by NGM and 19,081 acres are public lands administered by the
BLM Battle Mountain District, Mount Lewis Field Office (MLFO) and BLM
Elko District, Tuscarora Field Office (TFO). Most of this area is
within existing exploration and mine plans previously authorized by the
BLM and includes facilities and surface disturbance associated with the
[[Page 74507]]
authorized plans. To create the new Plan boundary, NGM proposes
boundary modifications and/or reclassification of acres within the
following existing NGM-owned exploration and mine Plan boundaries:
Horse Canyon Mine Plan (N-66896) administered by MLFO; Horse Canyon/
Cortez Unified Exploration Project (HC/CUEP) Plan (N-66621)
administered by MLFO; West Pine Valley Exploration Project Plan (N-
77213) administered by TFO; and use of existing infrastructure at the
Cortez Mine (N-67575) administered by MLFO.
The proposed plan of operations would result in 1,694 acres of new
surface disturbance on public lands 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 1,064 acres of existing authorized disturbance would be
within the proposed footprint, and approximately 12 acres of existing
authorized disturbance would be reclassified. The proposal includes a
materials handling system for transporting ore and waste rock from the
underground workings to the surface and transporting aggregate and
supplies to the underground workings and surface backfill plant; a
dewatering system; ventilation raises; a backfill aggregate paste plant
and crusher; a shotcrete/cemented rock fill (CRF) plant; two new power
lines with two switching stations; new ancillary surface facilities;
and continued surface and underground exploration operations.
The Revised Proposed Action for Reduced Wildlife Impacts
Alternative is the BLM's Preferred Alternative. The proposed Plan
boundary under this alternative would consist of 19,871 acres, of which
772 acres would be on private land controlled by NGM and 19,099 of
public lands administered by the BLM. The same reclassification of
acres from existing authorizations would occur as described under the
proposed plan of operations, except a total of 888 acres would be
transferred from the West Pine Valley Exploration Plan (N-77213) to the
Goldrush Mine Plan boundary. This alternative would create an
additional 1,626 acres of new surface disturbance on public lands
administered by the BLM, including approximately 210 acres of
exploration disturbance. In addition, approximately 1,027 acres of
existing authorized disturbance would be within the footprint of this
alternative, and approximately five acres of existing authorized
disturbance would be reclassified.
The proposed underground mining and surface support operations for
the Goldrush Mine under the Revised Proposed Action for Reduced
Wildlife Impacts Alternative would include the same features as
described for proposed plan of operations, except the following would
occur: the water treatment plant and multi-use shop would be
eliminated; the surface paste plant in Horse Canyon, paste plant access
road to Horse Canyon, and associated aggregate haulage would be
eliminated; a secondary CRF plant would be constructed on the proposed
portal pad expansion; the laydown yard would be relocated to be
constructed adjacent to the West Pine Valley rapid infiltration basin;
and the alignment of the 13.8-kV power line would be changed to
relocate the poles below the crest of the canyon wall in Horse Canyon.
The only changes to the underground mining operations would be
increasing the diameter of the ventilation raises to 21 feet in
diameter and eliminating the use of the aggregate paste fill as
backfill.
Under the No Action Alternative, the development of the Goldrush
Mine would not be authorized and NGM would not construct, operate, and
close a new underground mine (i.e., the Goldrush Mine). Modifications
or reclassification of acres would not occur, and the dual use of
facilities between the Cortez Mine and Goldrush Mine would not occur.
NGM would continue current authorized mining and exploration operations
under the previously authorized plans.
Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed
Goldrush Mine Project, and after carefully considering input received
from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected the
Revised Proposed Action for Reduced Wildlife Impacts Alternative as the
BLM's 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. 2023-24011 Filed 10-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
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