Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gold Bar Mine Project, Eureka County, NV, 12462-12463 [2017-03966]
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12462
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 41 / Friday, March 3, 2017 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
[GX17EE000101100]
National Geospatial Advisory
Committee
U.S. Geological Survey,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of meeting.
AGENCY:
Notice is hereby given of a
meeting of the National Geospatial
Advisory Committee (NGAC). The
NGAC, which is composed of
representatives from governmental,
private sector, non-profit, and academic
organizations, has been established to
advise the Chair of the Federal
Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) on
management of Federal geospatial
programs, the development of the
National Spatial Data Infrastructure
(NSDI), and the implementation of
Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Circular A–16.
DATES: The meeting will be held from
1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on March 21,
2017, and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on
March 22, 2017 (times are Eastern
Daylight Time).
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the Department of the Interior building,
1849 C Street NW., Washington, DC
20240 in the South Penthouse
Conference Room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
John Mahoney, Senior Advisor to
Executive the Executive Director,
Federal Geospatial Data Committee
(FGDC), U.S. Geological Survey; phone
(206) 220–4621; email jmahoney@
usgs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
NGAC provides advice and
recommendations related to
management of Federal and national
geospatial programs, the development of
the National Spatial Data Infrastructure,
and the implementation of Office of
Management and Budget Circular A–16
and Executive Order 12906. The NGAC
will review and comment upon
geospatial policy and management
issues and will provide a forum to
convey views representative of nonfederal stakeholders in the geospatial
community. NGAC is one of the primary
ways that the FGDC collaborates with its
broad network of partners. The Agenda
Topics to be addressed at the meeting
include:
—FGDC Update
—NSDI Strategic Plan Framework
—Geospatial Platform
—Standards Coordination
—Landsat Advisory Group
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SUMMARY:
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16:42 Mar 02, 2017
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—Key Geospatial Data Initiatives,
including the 3D Elevation Program,
the National Address Database, and
Imagery
Meetings of the NGAC are open to the
public. Additional information about
the meeting is available at https://
www.fgdc.gov/ngac.
Members of the public who wish to
attend the meeting must register in
advance for entrance. Registrations are
due by March 17, 2017. While the
meeting will be open to the public,
registration is required for entrance to
the Department of the Interior Building,
and seating may be limited due to room
capacity. The meeting will include an
opportunity for public comment on
March 22, 2017. Attendees wishing to
provide public comment should register
by March 17, 2017. Please register by
contacting Lucia Foulkes at the FGDC;
phone (703) 648–4142; email lfoulkes@
usgs.gov. Comments may also be
submitted to the NGAC in writing.
Please send written comments to U.S.
Geological Survey, FGDC, 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, Room 2A323A,
Reston, VA 20192.
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF COMMENTS: Before
including your address, phone number,
email address, or other personal
identifying information in your
comment, please be aware that your
entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you may ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
Kenneth Shaffer,
Deputy Executive Director, Federal
Geographic Data Committee.
[FR Doc. 2017–04164 Filed 3–2–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4338–11–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB00000.L51100000.LVEMF1503550.
241A.15X MO 4500102605]
Notice of Availability of the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Gold Bar Mine Project,
Eureka County, NV
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00036
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Mount Lewis
Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada,
has prepared a Draft Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gold Bar
Mine Project and by this notice is
announcing the beginning of the public
comment period to solicit public
comments on the Draft EIS.
DATES: This notice initiates the public
comment period for the Gold Bar Mine
Project Draft EIS. Comments may be
submitted in writing until April 17,
2017. The date(s) and location(s) of any
comment meetings will be announced at
least 15 days in advance through local
media, newspapers and the BLM Web
site at: https://bit.ly/2gyfZms. To ensure
comments will be considered, all
comments must be received prior to the
close of the 45-day public comment
period. We will provide additional
opportunities for public participation
upon publication of the Final EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments
related to the Gold Bar Mine Project by
any of the following methods:
• Web site: https://bit.ly/2gyfZms
• Email: blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gold_bar_
project_eis@blm.gov
• Fax: 775–635–4034
• Mail: 50 Bastian Road, Battle
Mountain, Nevada 89820
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Mount Lewis
Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Christine Gabriel—Project Manager,
telephone 775–635–4000; address 50
Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada
89820; email blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gold_
bar_project_eis@blm.gov. Contact
Christine Gabriel to have your name
added to our mailing list. Persons who
use a telecommunications device for the
deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to
contact the above individual during
normal business hours. The FRS is
available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week,
to leave a message or question with the
above individual. You will receive a
reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: McEwen
Mining Inc. (McEwen) proposes to
develop a gold mine in the southwest
portion of the Roberts Mountains
approximately 30 miles northwest of
Eureka, Nevada. The Plan boundary
encompasses 5,362 acres of public land
and 199 acres of private land located in
Eureka County, Nevada. The proposed
Project consists of a mining Plan of
Operations (Plan) (NVN–091037) and
involves the following activities: Four
open pits; waste rock dump areas;
crushing, screening, and agglomeration
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
mstockstill on DSK3G9T082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 41 / Friday, March 3, 2017 / Notices
facilities; heap leach pads, associated
process solution pond, and an event
pond; an adsorption, desorption, and
recovery plant, including barren and
pregnant solution tanks; ancillary and
other facilities, including explosive
storage area, ammonium nitrate prill
silos, liquid natural gas cryostorage, or
compressed natural gas generators and
switch station, truck shop and wash
bay, ready line, landfill, laydown areas,
water and power infrastructure,
buildings, yards, parking, storage,
growth media stockpiles, production
water wells (GBPW–210 and GBPW–
211) and associated water supply
pipeline, groundwater monitoring wells
(GBMW–01, GBMW–03, and GBMW–
04), communication facilities, potable
water and fire water facilities, septic
systems, and fencing; and mine access
roads (Three Bars Road, Atlas Haul
Road, North Roberts Creek Road, Bypass
Road [NVN–91566], and Roberts Creek
Road). Total proposed Project
disturbance would be approximately
1,127 acres of surface disturbance,
which includes both proposed new
disturbance and existing disturbance
that would be incorporated into the
Project, with approximately 944 acres
on public land administered by the BLM
Mount Lewis Field Office and 183 acres
on private land. The actions involved in
the decision to be made by the U.S.
Department of the Interior’s BLM
include authorization of the Gold Bar
Plan of Operations. The Gold Bar Mine
Project is in conformance with the 1986
Shoshone-Eureka Resource Area
Resource Management Plan and Record
of Decision.
The proposed pit depths would not
intercept groundwater. No pit
dewatering would be necessary and no
pit lakes are anticipated to form after
mining operations end.
The purpose of this comment period
is for the public to comment on the
Draft EIS. The Draft EIS, through
scoping, has identified and analyzed
impacts to the following resources areas:
Water resources; air quality; vegetation
resources (including noxious weed and
special status species); wildlife
(including migratory birds and special
status species); grazing management;
land use and access; aesthetics (noise
and visual); cultural resources;
paleontological resources; geological
resources (including minerals and soils);
recreation; social and economic values;
hazardous materials; Native American
cultural concerns; and wild horses. The
project area does not have any lands
with wilderness characteristics. The
Pony Express National Historic Trail
(NHT) crosses existing Three Bars and
North Roberts Creek Roads; however,
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16:42 Mar 02, 2017
Jkt 241001
public and recreational access to the
NHT would not be affected by mining
activities.
The Draft EIS describes and analyzes
the proposed Project’s direct, indirect,
and cumulative impacts on all affected
resources. In addition to the proposed
Project, four alternatives were analyzed
including the 25kV Overhead
Distribution Line Alternative, the Three
Bars Road/Atlas Haul Road as Only
Access Alternative, the Mount Hope and
North Roberts Creek Road for Light
Vehicle Traffic Alternative, and the No
Action Alternative. Development of
alternatives focused on reducing
impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse habitat.
On September 11, 2015, a Notice of
Intent was published in the Federal
Register inviting scoping comments on
the Proposed Action (80 FR 54800). A
public scoping meeting was held in
Eureka on October 6, 2015. A total of 12
scoping comment letters were received
during the scoping period. Concerns
raised included impacts to water
resources, air quality, wild horses,
wildlife, and recreation.
The BLM has utilized and
coordinated the NEPA scoping and
comment process to help fulfill the
public involvement process under the
National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided
in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)—and the BLM
continues to do so. The information
about historic and cultural resources
within the area potentially affected by
the proposed Project has assisted the
BLM in identifying and evaluating
impacts to such resources in the context
of both NEPA and Title 54 of the NHPA.
The BLM has consulted and continues
to consult with Indian tribes on a
government-to-government basis in
accordance with Executive Order 13175
and other policies. Tribal concerns,
including potential impacts to areas of
critical cultural and spiritual
significance and potential impacts to
cultural resources, have been analyzed
in the Draft EIS. Federal, State, and local
agencies, along with tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or
affected by the proposed Project that the
BLM is evaluating, are invited to
participate in the comment process.
Before including your address, phone
number, email address, or other
personal identifying information in your
comment, you should be aware that
your entire comment—including your
personal identifying information—may
be made publicly available at any time.
While you can ask us in your comment
to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we
cannot guarantee that we will be able to
do so.
PO 00000
Frm 00037
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
12463
Authority: 40 CFR 1503.1 and 1506.6.
Jon D. Sherve,
Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2017–03966 Filed 3–2–17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLIDT000000.L11200000.DD0000.241A.00;
4500069133]
Notice of Public Meeting, Twin Falls
District Resource Advisory Council,
Idaho
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of public meetings.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act (FLPMA), the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972 (FACA), the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) Twin Falls
District Resource Advisory Council
(RAC) will meet as indicated below.
DATES: The Twin Falls District RAC will
meet March 15, 2017.
ADDRESSES: The meeting will be held at
the BLM Shoshone Fire Ready Room,
400 West F Street, Shoshone, Idaho
83352. The meeting will begin at 9:00
a.m. and end no later than 5:30 p.m. The
public comment period will take place
from 10:15–10:45 a.m.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Heather Tiel-Nelson, Twin Falls
District, Idaho, 2878 Addison Ave. E.,
Twin Falls, Idaho, 83301, (208) 736–
2352. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf
(TDD) may call the Federal Relay
Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339, to
contact the above individual. The FRS
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week, to leave a message or question
with the above individual. You will
receive a reply during normal business
hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 15member RAC advises the Secretary of
the Interior, through the Bureau of Land
Management, on a variety of planning
and management issues associated with
public land management in Idaho.
During the March 15 meeting, there will
be a new member orientation, an officer
election, field office manager updates
and an overview of the Idaho
Department of Water Resources water
recharge efforts—which will include an
afternoon field tour. Additional topics
may be added and will be included in
local media announcements.
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\03MRN1.SGM
03MRN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 41 (Friday, March 3, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 12462-12463]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-03966]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB00000.L51100000.LVEMF1503550.241A.15X MO 4500102605]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Proposed Gold Bar Mine Project, Eureka County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mount Lewis
Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Draft
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gold Bar Mine Project and
by this notice is announcing the beginning of the public comment period
to solicit public comments on the Draft EIS.
DATES: This notice initiates the public comment period for the Gold Bar
Mine Project Draft EIS. Comments may be submitted in writing until
April 17, 2017. The date(s) and location(s) of any comment meetings
will be announced at least 15 days in advance through local media,
newspapers and the BLM Web site at: https://bit.ly/2gyfZms. To ensure
comments will be considered, all comments must be received prior to the
close of the 45-day public comment period. We will provide additional
opportunities for public participation upon publication of the Final
EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Gold Bar Mine Project
by any of the following methods:
Web site: https://bit.ly/2gyfZms
Email: blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gold_bar_project_eis@blm.gov
Fax: 775-635-4034
Mail: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Mount
Lewis Field Office.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Gabriel--Project Manager,
telephone 775-635-4000; address 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
Nevada 89820; email blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gold_bar_project_eis@blm.gov.
Contact Christine Gabriel to have your name added to our mailing list.
Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call
the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above
individual during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: McEwen Mining Inc. (McEwen) proposes to
develop a gold mine in the southwest portion of the Roberts Mountains
approximately 30 miles northwest of Eureka, Nevada. The Plan boundary
encompasses 5,362 acres of public land and 199 acres of private land
located in Eureka County, Nevada. The proposed Project consists of a
mining Plan of Operations (Plan) (NVN-091037) and involves the
following activities: Four open pits; waste rock dump areas; crushing,
screening, and agglomeration
[[Page 12463]]
facilities; heap leach pads, associated process solution pond, and an
event pond; an adsorption, desorption, and recovery plant, including
barren and pregnant solution tanks; ancillary and other facilities,
including explosive storage area, ammonium nitrate prill silos, liquid
natural gas cryostorage, or compressed natural gas generators and
switch station, truck shop and wash bay, ready line, landfill, laydown
areas, water and power infrastructure, buildings, yards, parking,
storage, growth media stockpiles, production water wells (GBPW-210 and
GBPW-211) and associated water supply pipeline, groundwater monitoring
wells (GBMW-01, GBMW-03, and GBMW-04), communication facilities,
potable water and fire water facilities, septic systems, and fencing;
and mine access roads (Three Bars Road, Atlas Haul Road, North Roberts
Creek Road, Bypass Road [NVN-91566], and Roberts Creek Road). Total
proposed Project disturbance would be approximately 1,127 acres of
surface disturbance, which includes both proposed new disturbance and
existing disturbance that would be incorporated into the Project, with
approximately 944 acres on public land administered by the BLM Mount
Lewis Field Office and 183 acres on private land. The actions involved
in the decision to be made by the U.S. Department of the Interior's BLM
include authorization of the Gold Bar Plan of Operations. The Gold Bar
Mine Project is in conformance with the 1986 Shoshone-Eureka Resource
Area Resource Management Plan and Record of Decision.
The proposed pit depths would not intercept groundwater. No pit
dewatering would be necessary and no pit lakes are anticipated to form
after mining operations end.
The purpose of this comment period is for the public to comment on
the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS, through scoping, has identified and
analyzed impacts to the following resources areas: Water resources; air
quality; vegetation resources (including noxious weed and special
status species); wildlife (including migratory birds and special status
species); grazing management; land use and access; aesthetics (noise
and visual); cultural resources; paleontological resources; geological
resources (including minerals and soils); recreation; social and
economic values; hazardous materials; Native American cultural
concerns; and wild horses. The project area does not have any lands
with wilderness characteristics. The Pony Express National Historic
Trail (NHT) crosses existing Three Bars and North Roberts Creek Roads;
however, public and recreational access to the NHT would not be
affected by mining activities.
The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the proposed Project's direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition
to the proposed Project, four alternatives were analyzed including the
25kV Overhead Distribution Line Alternative, the Three Bars Road/Atlas
Haul Road as Only Access Alternative, the Mount Hope and North Roberts
Creek Road for Light Vehicle Traffic Alternative, and the No Action
Alternative. Development of alternatives focused on reducing impacts to
Greater Sage-Grouse habitat.
On September 11, 2015, a Notice of Intent was published in the
Federal Register inviting scoping comments on the Proposed Action (80
FR 54800). A public scoping meeting was held in Eureka on October 6,
2015. A total of 12 scoping comment letters were received during the
scoping period. Concerns raised included impacts to water resources,
air quality, wild horses, wildlife, and recreation.
The BLM has utilized and coordinated the NEPA scoping and comment
process to help fulfill the public involvement process under the
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) as
provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)--and the BLM continues to do so. The
information about historic and cultural resources within the area
potentially affected by the proposed Project has assisted the BLM in
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of
both NEPA and Title 54 of the NHPA.
The BLM has consulted and continues to consult with Indian tribes
on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order
13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including potential impacts
to areas of critical cultural and spiritual significance and potential
impacts to cultural resources, have been analyzed in the Draft EIS.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes and other
stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed
Project that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the
comment process.
Before including your address, phone number, email address, or
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be
able to do so.
Authority: 40 CFR 1503.1 and 1506.6.
Jon D. Sherve,
Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-03966 Filed 3-2-17; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE P