Notice2024-22867
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Robertson Mine Project, Lander 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
October 4, 2024
Issuing agencies
Interior DepartmentLand Management Bureau
Abstract
In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), 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 Nevada Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Robertson Mine Project.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 80918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22867]
[[Page 80918]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500181594]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Robertson Mine Project, Lander
County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of availability.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969 (NEPA), 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 Nevada Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Robertson 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. 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 National NEPA Register website at
<a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023088/510">https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023088/510</a>.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, Project Manager,
telephone: (775) 635-4164; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
Nevada 89820; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#bffdf3f2e0f1e9e0fdf2fbf0e0edd0dddacdcbccd0d1ffddd3d291d8d0c9"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="7f3d3332203129203d323b30202d101d1a0d0b0c10113f1d131251181009">[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
telecommunication relay services for contacting Mr. Kirkwood.
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,
operate, close, and reclaim a new surface mine within the Shoshone
Range approximately 58 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, Nevada, and
70 miles southwest of Elko, Nevada. The proposed action would result in
changes to the authorized Robertson Exploration Plan boundary (NVN-
067688), the Cortez Mine Plan boundary (NVN-67575), and the Pipeline-
South Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan boundary (NVN-067261). If
the Robertson Mine Project Plan is approved, these authorized plans
would be modified subsequent to that approval.
The boundary of the proposed plan of operations would encompass
5,990 acres. The total disturbance associated with the proposed action,
including existing, reclassified, and exploration, would be 4,356
acres, with 4,177 acres on land administered by the BLM and 179 acres
on private land. The proposed surface mining activities for the
Robertson Mine would include: three open pits (Gold Pan, Porphyry, and
Altenburg Hill); haul roads; a waste rock facility; a heap leach
facility, including a lined pad, process solution ponds and vaults, and
carbon-in-column plant; and ancillary facilities, including three-stage
crushing with associated conveyors; ore stockpiles; growth media
stockpiles; a gravel borrow source; secondary roads; stormwater
controls and diversions; a truck scale; power lines and electrical
substations; water production, dewatering, and monitoring wells; water
pipelines and loadouts; ready lines; fuel and reagent storage; fueling
facilities; laydown yards; an assay laboratory; trailers; buildings;
and communications sites. Shared facilities with the nearby Cortez Mine
would include but not be limited to the haul road, a potable water
well, water pipelines, warehouse and maintenance shops, hazardous waste
storage, a petroleum-contaminated soils facility, ore stockpiles, the
Pipeline Mill, carbon handling, a refinery, a laboratory, and the
Pipeline Area 28 tailings storage facility.
The Partial Backfill Alternative would be the same as described for
the proposed action, with the requirement that the Gold Pan Pit would
be backfilled to prevent the establishment of a post-mining pit lake.
Under the No Action Alternative, the development of the Robertson
Mine Project would not be authorized and NGM would not construct,
operate, close, and reclaim a new surface mine. Modifications to the
Exploration Plan boundary, the Cortez Mine Plan boundary, and the
Pipeline-South Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan boundary would not
occur.
Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed
Robertson Mine Project, and after carefully considering input received
from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected the
Partial Backfill Alternative as the BLM's preferred alternative.
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 the addition of clarifying text but
did not significantly change the impact analyses.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jon D. Sherve,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2024-22867 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-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 October 4, 2024.
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.