Notice of Availably of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gemfield Mine Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada, 8542-8543 [2019-04262]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 46 (Friday, March 8, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8542-8543]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-04262]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVB02000. L51100000. EX0000. LVEMF140278014x MO#4500131612]


Notice of Availably of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
for the Proposed Gemfield Mine Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
Tonopah Field Office (TFO), Battle Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gemfield Mine 
Project and is announcing the beginning of the public comment period to 
solicit public comments on the Draft EIS. Gemfield Resources, Ltd. 
(GRL) proposes to construct and operate a conventional

[[Page 8543]]

open pit gold mining operation in the Goldfield Mining District of 
Esmeralda County, Nevada, as described in the Plan of Operations (Plan) 
submitted by GRL for the Gemfield Mine Project (Project).

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Draft EIS within 45 days following the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in 
the Federal Register. The date(s) and location(s) of any public 
meetings or other public involvement activities will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, local 
media, newspapers, mailings, and the BLM website at: www.blm.gov/nevada.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Project by any of the 
following methods:
     blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gemfieldeis@blm.gov.
     Fax: 775-635-4034.
     Mail: BLM Tonopah Field Office, 1553 Main Street, Tonopah, 
Nevada 89049.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may also be examined at the 
TFO.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Hurrell, Project Manager; 
telephone: 775-635-4000; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, 
Nevada 89820; or email:blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gemfieldeis@blm.gov">//blm_nv_bmdo_mlfo_gemfieldeis@blm.gov. Contact 
Kevin Hurrell to have your name added to BLM's 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: The proposed Project is located 
approximately 30 miles south of Tonopah, Nevada, and approximately 0.5 
miles north of the town of Goldfield, Nevada. Goldfield is located 
approximately 30 miles south of Tonopah and 174 miles northwest of Las 
Vegas, Nevada. Approximately 1,935.9 acres of land occurs within the 
Plan boundary, including approximately 1,214.2 acres of BLM-
administered land that is managed by the TFO of the Battle Mountain 
District and 721.7 acres of private land. The proposed Project would 
result in approximately 1,337.3 acres of surface disturbance, of which 
969.4 acres would occur on BLM-administered land and 367.9 acres would 
occur on private land. If the Project is approved, GRL estimates the 
mine life would be approximately 12 years.

No Action Alternative

    The development of new facilities that comprise the Proposed Action 
would not be constructed under the No Action Alternative. Under this 
alternative, GRL would not engage in any of the proposed mining 
operations but would be permitted to continue exploration activities 
under existing approved authorizations (NV-076555 and NV-077457). 
Exploration has been permitted on 23.84 acres of previously disturbed 
federally administered land and privately owned and patented and 
unpatented lands.

Reduced Mine Plan Alternative

    The Reduced Mine Plan Alternative would consist of the same overall 
activities as described for the Proposed Action but would have a 
reduced open pit footprint, configuration, and depth. The resulting 
open pit would result in corresponding effects on the configuration of 
the major mine facilities, particularly the Waste Rock Disposal Areas 
(WRDAs) and Heap Leach Pad (HLP). However, there would be no changes to 
the Plan boundary access routes, land status, or proposed Right of Way 
(ROW) actions.
    Overall, this alternative would result in approximately 86.6 fewer 
acres of disturbance (including approximately 13 fewer acres of 
disturbance on BLM land) as compared to the Proposed Action. Total 
disturbance for this alternative is 1,250.7 acres including 956.4 acres 
of public and 294.3 acres of private land.

Partial Backfill Alternative

    Under this alternative, approximately 37 million tons of waste rock 
from the East WRDA would be placed in the East and West lobes of the 
open pit at elevations ranging from 5,405 feet to 5,510 feet, which is 
the modeled recovered water level and the minimum amount of backfill 
required to eliminate the development of the pit lakes. Placement of 
waste rock in the open pit would eliminate the formation of pit lakes 
and would reduce the height of the East WRDA. The proposed surface 
disturbance, project location, access routes, land status, ROW 
amendments and existing disturbance would be the same as described for 
the Proposed Action. This alternative also would add approximately 2 
years to mine operation and reclamation 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, and No Action Alternative, two additional 
action alternatives were analyzed, the Reduced Mine Plan Alternative 
and the Partial Backfill Alternative.
    On December 24, 2013, a Notice of Intent was published in the 
Federal Register inviting scoping comments on the Proposed Action. The 
BLM held a public scoping meeting in Tonopah, Nevada on January 10, 
2014. The BLM received seven scoping comment submittals during the 
scoping period. Concerns raised included impacts to water resources, 
cultural resources, and land use and realty.
    The BLM has utilized and coordinated the NEPA scoping and comment 
process to help fulfill the public involvement requirements under the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) as 
provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3), and the agency continues to do so. The 
information about historical 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 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 impacts to Indian 
trust assets 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, 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 1501.7

Timothy Coward,
Field Manager, Tonopah Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-04262 Filed 3-7-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P