Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Round Mountain Expansion Project, Nye County, NV, 21343-21344 [2010-9368]

Download as PDF WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 78 / Friday, April 23, 2010 / Notices transmission.html. All protests must be in writing and mailed to one of the following addresses: Regular Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, P.O. Box 66538, Washington, DC 20035. Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda Williams, 1620 L Street, NW., Suite 1075, Washington, DC 20036. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact Cindy Ledbetter, Environmental Specialist, telephone (801) 977–4300; address 2370 South 2300 West, Salt Lake City, Utah 84119; e-mail UT_M2OTL_EIS@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Rocky Mountain Power (a division of PacifiCorp) proposes to construct, operate, and maintain a 69-mile long single-circuit 500 kilovolt (kV) transmission line from the existing Mona Substation near Mona, Utah, to a proposed Mona Annex Substation. The 500kV line would then continue on to the proposed Limber Substation to be located in Tooele Valley, Utah. Two proposed double-circuit 345kV lines would connect the proposed Limber Substation to the Salt Lake Valley. One line would extend 31 miles to the existing Oquirrh Substation in West Jordan, Utah, and the second line would extend 45 miles to the existing Terminal Substation in Salt Lake City, Utah. Portions of the proposed project would cross lands administered by the BLM West Desert District’s Salt Lake Field Office and Fillmore Field Office. In order to grant a major right-of-way, an amendment to the Pony Express Resource Management Plan (RMP) would be required in accordance with FLPMA. Comments on the Draft RMPA/ Draft EIS, received from the public and internal BLM review, were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the proposed plan amendment. Instructions for filing a protest with the Director of the BLM regarding the Proposed RMPA may be found in the ‘‘Dear Reader Letter’’ of the Final EIS/ Proposed RMPA and at 43 CFR 1610.5– 2. E-mail and faxed protests will not be accepted as valid protests unless the protesting party also provides the original letter by either regular or overnight mail postmarked by the close of the protest period. Under these conditions, the BLM will consider the email or faxed protest as an advance copy and it will receive full consideration. If you wish to provide the BLM with such advance notification, please direct faxed protests to the attention of the BLM protest coordinator at (202) 912–7212, and e-mails to Brenda_HudgensWilliams@blm.gov. VerDate Nov<24>2008 15:23 Apr 22, 2010 Jkt 220001 All protests, including the follow-up letter to e-mails or faxes, must be in writing and mailed to the appropriate address, as set forth in the ADDRESSES section above. Before including your phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your protest, you should be aware that your entire protest, including your personal identifying information, may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your protest to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. Approved: Selma Sierra, State Director. Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2 and 1610.5–2. [FR Doc. 2010–9353 Filed 4–22–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–DQ–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVB0200000 L51100000.GN0000 LVEMCF020000 241A; 10–08807; MO#4500011977; TAS: 14X5017] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Round Mountain Expansion Project, Nye County, NV AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of Availability. SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Round Mountain Expansion Project and by this notice is announcing its availability. DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a minimum of 30 days from the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice in the Federal Register. Copies of the Round Mountain Expansion Project Final EIS are available for public inspection at the BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553 South Main Street, Tonopah, Nevada, during regular business hours of 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Interested persons may also review the Final EIS at the ADDRESSES: PO 00000 Frm 00124 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 21343 following Web site: https://www.blm.gov/ nvst/en/fo//battle_mountain_field.html. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Worthington, Planning and Environmental Coordinator, (775) 635– 4000; BLM Battle Mountain District, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820–1420; e-mail: christopher_worthington@blm.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Round Mountain Gold Corporation, which is a joint venture of Kinross Gold Corporation and Barrick Gold Corporation, proposes to expand its Round Mountain Mine, an existing open-pit gold mining and processing operation. The Round Mountain Mine is located in central Nevada approximately 55 miles north of Tonopah in Nye County. The proposed Project would expand mining operations in the Round Mountain area and develop new open pit mining and leaching facilities several miles to the north in the Gold Hill area. Mine expansion in the Round Mountain area would increase the existing Round Mountain mine plan boundary by 3,122 acres to a total of 10,385 acres; expand the Round Mountain pit by 209 acres to approximately 1,289 acres; expand the dewatering operations by 1,325 gallons per minute (gpm) to a maximum rate of 7,525 gpm; allow for underground mining operations within the Round Mountain Pit; expand the north waste rock dump by 700 acres to approximately 1,919 acres; allow for the construction of a new north dedicated leach pad with a footprint of approximately 538 acres; increase the daily production capacity of the Round Mountain Mill from 11,000 tons per day to 22,000 tons per day; and increase tailings disposal capacity from a currently authorized 677 acres to approximately 1,607 acres. Development in the Gold Hill area would include delineating a project boundary of approximately 4,928 acres; excavating an open pit with a footprint of approximately 222 acres; creating two waste rock dumps with combined footprints of approximately 552 acres; constructing and operating a heap leach facility and lined solution ponds with a footprint of approximately 300 acres; and constructing a 1.1 mile transportation and utility corridor of about 66.2 acres between the Round Mountain area and the Gold Hill area. The primary method of processing lowgrade ore in the Gold Hill area would be heap leaching. A range of action alternatives was developed and analyzed to address the concerns and issues that were E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1 WReier-Aviles on DSKGBLS3C1PROD with NOTICES 21344 Federal Register / Vol. 75, No. 78 / Friday, April 23, 2010 / Notices identified. The alternatives include processing all Gold Hill ore in the Gold Hill area rather than trucking some ore to Round Mountain for processing (Gold Hill area processing alternative); constructing an overpass rather than a grade crossing at the intersection of the transportation and utility corridor and County Road 875 (County Road Overpass Alternative); and completing mining at Round Mountain under current BLM authorizations (No Action Alternative). Other alternatives considered, and the rationale for their elimination from detailed analysis, are also discussed. Mitigation measures have been identified, as needed, to minimize potential environmental impacts and to ensure that the proposed project would not result in undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands. In addition, the Final EIS includes an analysis of cumulative impacts, including a comprehensive evaluation of potential impacts to Native American cultural values. The BLM mailed information on the proposed Round Mountain Mine expansion to the Timbisha, Duckwater, Yomba, and Ely tribes in December 2006. Tribal representatives and individuals attended scoping meetings for the project in January 2007. Several informal meetings were held at the Round Mountain Mine attended by tribal representatives and members of the newly formed Western Shoshone Descendents of Big Smoky Valley. Six of these informal meetings were held between June 2007 and April 2009. Some of the meetings included field trips to inspect cultural sites discovered during cultural surveys of the proposed project area. The tribes and some Native American individuals received copies of the Draft EIS for the proposed mine expansion. Some tribal representatives and individuals attended the two BLMhosted public meetings on the Draft EIS held on August 18 and 19, 2009. Written comments from Native Americans were received at the meetings and by mail during the public comment period (July 31, 2009 to September 14, 2009). The comments, and the responses to the comments, are incorporated into the Final EIS. A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on December 26, 2006. Two public scoping meetings were held in 2007 in Hadley and Tonopah, Nevada. The Draft EIS was released for public review on July 21, 2009, with a 45-day comment period. Following release of the Draft EIS, two public comment meetings were held in Hadley and Tonopah in August 2009 to solicit additional comments on the document. Comment responses and VerDate Nov<24>2008 15:23 Apr 22, 2010 Jkt 220001 resultant changes in the impact analyses are documented in the Final EIS. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Fish and Wildlife Service Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6. [FWS-R1–ES–2010–N040] [10120–1112–0000–F2] Thomas J. Seley, Manager, Tonopah Field Office. [FR Doc. 2010–9368 Filed 4–22–10; 8:45 am] DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLOROR957000–L62510000–PM000: HAG10–0222] Filing of Plats of Survey: Oregon/ Washington AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The plats of survey of the following described lands are scheduled to be officially filed in the Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington State Office, Portland, Oregon, 30 days from the date of this publication. Willamette Meridian Oregon T. 14 S., R. 7 W., accepted March 9, 2010. T. 26 S., R. 7 W., accepted March 9, 2010. T. 22 S., R. 10 E., accepted March 22, 2010. T. 31 S., R. 14 W., accepted March 22, 2010. T. 13 S., R. 11 E., accepted March 24, 2010. T. 21 S., R. 8 W., accepted April 2, 2010. T. 30 S., R. 10 W., accepted April 2, 2010. T. 31 S., R. 13 W., accepted April 2, 2010. T. 21 S., R. 8 W., accepted April 5, 2010. T. 36 S., R. 5 W., accepted April 5, 2010. T. 30 S., R. 3 W., accepted April 5, 2010. Washington T. 28 N., R. 13 W., accepted April 2, 2010. T. 38 N., R. 38 E., accepted April 5, 2010. A copy of the plats may be obtained from the Land Office at the Oregon/Washington State Office, Bureau of Land Management, 333 SW. 1st Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204, upon required payment. A person or party who wishes to protest against a survey must file a notice that they wish to protest (at the above address) with the Oregon/Washington State Director, Bureau of Land Management, Portland, Oregon. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chief, Branch of Geographic Sciences, Bureau of Land Management, 333 SW. 1st Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204. ADDRESSES: Cathie Jensen, Branch of Land, Mineral, and Energy Resources. [FR Doc. 2010–9518 Filed 4–22–10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–33–P PO 00000 Frm 00125 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 RIN 0648–XU69 Habitat Conservation Plan for City of Kent, Washington AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce. ACTION: Notice of Receipt of an Application for Incidental Take Permits; Notice of Availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Draft Habitat Conservation Plan, Including a Proposed Implementation Agreement for Public Comment. SUMMARY: The City of Kent, Washington (Kent), has submitted applications to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) (together, the Services, us) for Incidental Take Permits (Permit) under the Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended (ESA). We jointly prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) to support permitissuance decisions by each agency. As required by the ESA, Kent has also prepared a Habitat Conservation Plan (Plan) designed to minimize and mitigate any such take of endangered or threatened species. The Permit applications are related to water withdrawal and habitat enhancement measures on Rock Creek, tributary to the Cedar River, King County, Washington. The Permit and the Plan each have a proposed term of 50 years. We request comments from the public on the DEIS, the proposed Plan, and the proposed Implementation Agreement (IA). All comments we receive will become part of the public record and will be available for review under the ESA. DATES: We must receive any written comments on the DEIS, draft Plan, and draft IA no later than June 22, 2010. ADDRESSES: Address all written comments to: Tim Romanski, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 102, Lacey, WA 98503, facsimile (360) 753–9518; or John Stadler, National Marine Fisheries Service, 510 Desmond Drive SE, Suite 103, Lacey, WA 98503, facsimile (360) E:\FR\FM\23APN1.SGM 23APN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 78 (Friday, April 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21343-21344]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-9368]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVB0200000 L51100000.GN0000 LVEMCF020000 241A; 10-08807; 
MO4500011977; TAS: 14X5017]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Round Mountain Expansion Project, Nye County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Round Mountain 
Expansion Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days from the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Round Mountain Expansion Project Final EIS are 
available for public inspection at the BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553 
South Main Street, Tonopah, Nevada, during regular business hours of 
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. 
Interested persons may also review the Final EIS at the following Web 
site: https://www.blm.gov/nvst/en/fo//battle_mountain_field.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Worthington, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, (775) 635-4000; BLM Battle Mountain 
District, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820-1420; e-mail: 
christopher_worthington@blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Round Mountain Gold Corporation, which 
is a joint venture of Kinross Gold Corporation and Barrick Gold 
Corporation, proposes to expand its Round Mountain Mine, an existing 
open-pit gold mining and processing operation. The Round Mountain Mine 
is located in central Nevada approximately 55 miles north of Tonopah in 
Nye County.
    The proposed Project would expand mining operations in the Round 
Mountain area and develop new open pit mining and leaching facilities 
several miles to the north in the Gold Hill area. Mine expansion in the 
Round Mountain area would increase the existing Round Mountain mine 
plan boundary by 3,122 acres to a total of 10,385 acres; expand the 
Round Mountain pit by 209 acres to approximately 1,289 acres; expand 
the dewatering operations by 1,325 gallons per minute (gpm) to a 
maximum rate of 7,525 gpm; allow for underground mining operations 
within the Round Mountain Pit; expand the north waste rock dump by 700 
acres to approximately 1,919 acres; allow for the construction of a new 
north dedicated leach pad with a footprint of approximately 538 acres; 
increase the daily production capacity of the Round Mountain Mill from 
11,000 tons per day to 22,000 tons per day; and increase tailings 
disposal capacity from a currently authorized 677 acres to 
approximately 1,607 acres.
    Development in the Gold Hill area would include delineating a 
project boundary of approximately 4,928 acres; excavating an open pit 
with a footprint of approximately 222 acres; creating two waste rock 
dumps with combined footprints of approximately 552 acres; constructing 
and operating a heap leach facility and lined solution ponds with a 
footprint of approximately 300 acres; and constructing a 1.1 mile 
transportation and utility corridor of about 66.2 acres between the 
Round Mountain area and the Gold Hill area. The primary method of 
processing low-grade ore in the Gold Hill area would be heap leaching.
    A range of action alternatives was developed and analyzed to 
address the concerns and issues that were

[[Page 21344]]

identified. The alternatives include processing all Gold Hill ore in 
the Gold Hill area rather than trucking some ore to Round Mountain for 
processing (Gold Hill area processing alternative); constructing an 
overpass rather than a grade crossing at the intersection of the 
transportation and utility corridor and County Road 875 (County Road 
Overpass Alternative); and completing mining at Round Mountain under 
current BLM authorizations (No Action Alternative). Other alternatives 
considered, and the rationale for their elimination from detailed 
analysis, are also discussed. Mitigation measures have been identified, 
as needed, to minimize potential environmental impacts and to ensure 
that the proposed project would not result in undue or unnecessary 
degradation of public lands. In addition, the Final EIS includes an 
analysis of cumulative impacts, including a comprehensive evaluation of 
potential impacts to Native American cultural values.
    The BLM mailed information on the proposed Round Mountain Mine 
expansion to the Timbisha, Duckwater, Yomba, and Ely tribes in December 
2006. Tribal representatives and individuals attended scoping meetings 
for the project in January 2007. Several informal meetings were held at 
the Round Mountain Mine attended by tribal representatives and members 
of the newly formed Western Shoshone Descendents of Big Smoky Valley. 
Six of these informal meetings were held between June 2007 and April 
2009. Some of the meetings included field trips to inspect cultural 
sites discovered during cultural surveys of the proposed project area. 
The tribes and some Native American individuals received copies of the 
Draft EIS for the proposed mine expansion. Some tribal representatives 
and individuals attended the two BLM-hosted public meetings on the 
Draft EIS held on August 18 and 19, 2009. Written comments from Native 
Americans were received at the meetings and by mail during the public 
comment period (July 31, 2009 to September 14, 2009). The comments, and 
the responses to the comments, are incorporated into the Final EIS.
    A Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on December 26, 2006. Two public scoping meetings were held in 
2007 in Hadley and Tonopah, Nevada. The Draft EIS was released for 
public review on July 21, 2009, with a 45-day comment period. Following 
release of the Draft EIS, two public comment meetings were held in 
Hadley and Tonopah in August 2009 to solicit additional comments on the 
document. Comment responses and resultant changes in the impact 
analyses are documented in the Final EIS.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6.

Thomas J. Seley,
Manager, Tonopah Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2010-9368 Filed 4-22-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
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