Notice2024-21580
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC's Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada
Primary source
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Published
September 20, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance 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 Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project (Project) proposed by Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC (Ioneer) in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77174-77175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21580]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_4500181325]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC's Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron
Mine Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
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SUMMARY: In accordance 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 Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project (Project)
proposed by Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC (Ioneer) in Esmeralda County,
Nevada.
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. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are
available for review on the BLM's National NEPA Register (ePlanning) at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager,
telephone: (775) 635-4093; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e99a8d809a9d8c85a98b8584c78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6d1e09041e1908012d0f0100430a021b">[email protected]</span></a>; address: 50 Bastian
Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, deafblind,
[[Page 77175]]
hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TYY, 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
The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to Ioneer's proposal
as described in its proposed Plan of Operations, and to analyze the
potential environmental effects associated with the Proposed Action 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 part 3800 subpart 3809 to respond to a
proposed Plan of Operations.
Alternatives A, B, and C
Under Alternative A, the Proposed Action, Ioneer is proposing to
construct, operate, close, and reclaim a new lithium-boron mine project
in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The proposed Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron
Mine Project Plan of Operations boundary would encompass 7,166 acres,
which consists of a 6,369-acre Operational Project Area and a 797-acre
Access Road and Infrastructure Corridor. The total surface disturbance
associated with Alternative A, including existing and reclassified
disturbance and exploration, would be 2,306 acres of BLM-administered
public lands and private land.
The Project would employ a workforce of approximately 400 to 500
employees during initial construction and approximately 350 employees
during operations. The Project would operate 24 hours per day, 365 days
per year. The total life of the Project would be 23 years, including
four years of construction (years 1 through 4), 17 years of quarrying
(years 1 through 17), 13 years of ore processing (years 4 through 17),
and 6 additional years of reclamation (Years 18 through 23).
Reclamation of disturbed areas would be completed in accordance with
BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection regulations.
Concurrent reclamation would take place where practicable and safe.
The proposed activities for the Project would include:
<bullet> A mine, including an open pit berm and water storage
tanks;
<bullet> A processing facility, including a contact water pond and
diversion channels;
<bullet> Three overburden storage facilities (North, West, and
Quarry Infill), including contact water ponds and diversion channels;
<bullet> One spent ore storage facility, including an underdrain
pond and diversion channels;
<bullet> Project Area exploration, including access routes and
drill sites with sumps;
<bullet> Haul roads, service roads, and public road realignment;
<bullet> Buckwheat exclusion area and critical habitat fencing; and
<bullet> Ancillary facilities including an explosives storage area,
communication towers, All-Terrain Vehicle trails, a batch plant, a
proposed water supply testing facilities including pipelines, a sewage
system including septic leach fields, a dewatering pipeline, growth
media stockpiles, stormwater controls and diversions, monitoring wells,
laydown yards, and fencing.
Under Alternative B, the North and South OSF Alternative, which is
the BLM's preferred alternative, all mine components and operations
would be the same as Alternative A, but the facility layout would be
modified to reduce surface disturbance within the Tiehm's buckwheat
(Eriogonum tiemii) designated critical habitat. Surface disturbance
under Alternative B would be less than Alternative A and total
approximately 2,271 acres.
Under Alternative C, the No Action Alternative, the development of
the Project would not be authorized and Ioneer would not construct,
operate, and close a new lithium-boron mine project.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The BLM Battle Mountain District Office is the lead agency for the
EIS. The Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nevada Division of
Forestry, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service--Ecological Services, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service--
Migratory Birds Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and
the Esmeralda County Board of County Commissioners have participated in
this environmental analysis as cooperating agencies. Several Native
American Tribes have also participated in the environmental analysis.
Schedule for the Decision-Making Process
Consistent with the NEPA and the BLM's land use planning
regulations, the BLM is providing a 30-day public review period for the
Final EIS and will not issue a decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the date that EPA publishes its NOA in the Federal
Register.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jon D. Sherve,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2024-21580 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
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