Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project, Elko County, NV, 27798-27799 [2019-12628]

Download as PDF 27798 Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 115 / Friday, June 14, 2019 / Notices DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVW03500.L51050000. EA0000.LVRCF1705210. 17XMO#4500134682] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Black Rock City LLC’s Burning Man Special Recreation Permit Renewal in Pershing County, Nevada Bureau of Land Management, Department of the Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: 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) Black Rock Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing its availability. The BLM is the lead agency in development of the Final EIS and will be evaluating Black Rock City LLC’s (BRC) request for a 10year Special Recreation Permit (SRP) for the Burning Man Event in Pershing County, Nevada. DATES: The BLM will not issue its Record of Decision for a minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The Final EIS can be downloaded from the BLM website at: https://go.usa.gov/xEmSY. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the proposed SRP renewal, contact Chelsea McKinney, Burning Man Project Manager, telephone: (775) 623–1500, address: 5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The applicant, BRC, has applied for a 10year SRP under 43 CFR 2930 et seq. and has submitted a proposal to conduct the Burning Man event on public lands administered by the BLM Black Rock Field Office. BRC’s proposal includes the following: • Population increase to permit up to 100,000 total persons at the event; • Expansion of the BLM Closure Order boundary by 561 acres, to a total of 14,714 acres; • Creation of alternative transportation (Burner Express Bus/ Burner Express Air); • Expansion of the perimeter fence to 10.4 miles total length; • Arrival of as many as 30,000 staff and builders one week prior to opening; jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:04 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 247001 • Expansion of Black Rock City to 1,250 acres; • Installation of additional interactive camps; • Installation of additional large scale art pieces; • BRC licensing of art cars and ADA compliant vehicles to drive on the playa during event week; • Use of approximately 16.5 million gallons of water per year would be obtained from private groundwater wells, located at Fly Ranch owned by BRC, for dust abatement and in support of event activities; and • BRC management of vendor and compliance monitoring. The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed Project’s direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition to the Proposed Action (Alternative A), the following alternatives are also analyzed in the document: The Reduced Population Alternative with a population of 50,000 participants (Alternative B); the Alternate Site Alternative that moves the Event northeast of the current location (Alternative C); the No Population Change Alternative (Alternative D) would keep the population as it was in 2017 and 2018 at 80,000 participants; and the No Permit Alternative (Alternative E). In December 2017, pre-scoping meetings were held in northern Nevada in Gerlach, Lovelock, and Reno. During those meetings the public was invited to submit comments regarding BRC’s SRP renewal. During the pre-scoping comment period, the BLM received 77 comment letters. On June 20, 2018, an initial Notice of Intent (NOI) was published in the Federal Register inviting scoping comments on the Proposed Action. The BLM received 327 scoping comment letters during the 45-day public scoping period. Concerns raised included impacts to air quality, cultural resources, environmental justice, transportation, Native American religious concerns, recreation, visual resources including Night Skies, wastes and materials (hazardous and solid), water resources, vegetation, wildlife, and Public Health and Safety. On March 15, 2019, a Notice of Availability (NOA) was published in the Federal Register inviting comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The BLM received 2,016 submissions during the 45-day public comment period, with a total of 1,736 substantive comments. The Final EIS was edited in response to some of these substantive comments. Responses to all comments are located in Appendix K of the Final EIS. PO 00000 Frm 00049 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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 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 the NHPA. The BLM has consulted and will continue 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 Final EIS. Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 Mark E. Hall, Field Manager, Black Rock Field Office. [FR Doc. 2019–12629 Filed 6–13–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLNVE02000–L5110.0000–GN.0000– LV.EM.F1503680–15X; MO# 4500133725] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project, Elko County, NV Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: 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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project and by this notice is announcing its availability. DATES: The Final EIS will be available for a 30-day review period following the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a minimum of 30 days from the date that the EPA publishes its notice in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project are available for public review and can be SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\14JNN1.SGM 14JNN1 jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 115 / Friday, June 14, 2019 / Notices obtained at the BLM Elko District Office, located at 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko Nevada 89801, and at the BLM’s NEPA eplanning website at https://go.usa.gov/ xnRCr or through eplanning on the BLM’s website at https://www.blm.gov/ nv. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Stadelman, Project Manager, at telephone 775–753–0346; address 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada 89801; email: blm_nv_eldo_rossimine_project_ eis@blm.gov. Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1–800–877–8339 to contact Ms. Stadelman during normal business hours. FRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS is an abbreviated document that presents updates to the Draft EIS resulting from public and cooperating agency comments received during the 45-day public comment period. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly change the analysis. None of the public comments received resulted in major changes or revisions to the Draft EIS. Therefore, this abbreviated Final EIS must be read in conjunction with the Draft EIS (September 2018), which is also located on BLM’s eplanning site at https://go.usa.gov/xnRCr. The EIS analyzed the proposed modification submitted by Halliburton Energy Services to their plan of operations for the Rossi Mine Project. The proposal includes the continuation of the existing mine infrastructure, but would expand the existing facilities and operation to support the continuation of the open pit mining operation and surface exploration activities for barite. The proposed action would increase the disturbance to approximately a total acreage of 2,063 acres of public and private land, including 896 acres of previously approved or existing disturbance and 1,167 acres of new land disturbance. Of the 2,063 acres of surface disturbance, approximately 209 acres consist of private land and the remaining 1,854 acres are public land administered by the BLM. The proposed expansion would provide up to an estimated 433 jobs, some of which could be filled by returning and new employees. The proposed action includes the expansion of the existing plan of operations boundary, the expansion of the existing open pits, the development of new open pits, expansion of the VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:04 Jun 13, 2019 Jkt 247001 existing waste rock disposal facilities, construction of new waste rock disposal facilities, expansion or modification of ancillary facilities, expansion and development of new roads, re-alignment of segments of the Boulder Valley Road and Antelope-Boulder Connector Road, installation of new power distribution lines, the continuation of surface exploration, and reclamation activities. The proposed expansion is projected to add 8 years to the mine’s life. The Project is located on the northern end of the Carlin Trend in Elko County, approximately 25 miles north of the community of Dunphy and 28 aerial miles northwest of the town of Carlin, Nevada. The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project published on September 14, 2018 (83 FR 46753), with a 45-day comment period. The BLM issued a news release and held two public meetings during the comment period. A total of nine people signed the attendance sheets available at the meetings. Those attending the public meetings consisted of representatives from the BLM, Halliburton, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and four members from the general public. The BLM received a total of eight comment submittals (e.g. letter, comment form, email) during the comment period. Key issues identified by individuals, groups, and government entities include potential impacts and mitigation for sage-grouse and mule deer habitat; impacts, mitigation and monitoring related to groundwater; direct, cumulative and socioeconomic impacts to livestock grazing management; maintenance of the access road; minimizing night lighting impacts; complying with State regulations and permitting with the State agencies regarding air and water; and support for the project. The BLM is the lead Federal agency for this EIS. Cooperating agencies included the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Elko County Board of Commissioners, and the EPA. The agency-preferred alternative is the Reconfiguration Alternative, which consists of the Proposed Action and the reconfiguration of the waste rock disposal facilities. Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, a Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued. The decision reached in the ROD is subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land PO 00000 Frm 00050 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 27799 Appeals. The 30-day appeal period begins with the issuance of the ROD. (Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10) Jill C. Silvey, District Manager, Elko District Office. [FR Doc. 2019–12628 Filed 6–13–19; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0027980, PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000] Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Effigy Mounds National Monument, Harpers Ferry, IA National Park Service, Interior. Notice. AGENCY: ACTION: The U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Effigy Mounds National Monument has completed an inventory of human remains and associated funerary objects, in consultation with the appropriate Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations, and has determined that there is a cultural affiliation between the human remains and associated funerary objects and present-day Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian organizations. Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request to Effigy Mounds National Monument. If no additional requestors come forward, transfer of control of the human remains and associated funerary objects to the lineal descendants, Indian Tribes, or Native Hawaiian organizations stated in this notice may proceed. DATES: Lineal descendants or representatives of any Indian Tribe or Native Hawaiian organization not identified in this notice that wish to request transfer of control of these human remains and associated funerary objects should submit a written request with information in support of the request to Effigy Mounds National Monument at the address in this notice by July 15, 2019. ADDRESSES: Jim Nepstad, Superintendent, Effigy Mounds National Monument, 151 Hwy. 76, Harpers Ferry, IA 52146, telephone (563) 873–3491 Ext. 101, email jim_nepstad@nps.gov. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Notice is here given in accordance with the Native American Graves Protection and SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\14JNN1.SGM 14JNN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 115 (Friday, June 14, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27798-27799]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-12628]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVE02000-L5110.0000-GN.0000-LV.EM.F1503680-15X; MO# 4500133725]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project, Elko 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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Rossi Mine Expansion 
Project and by this notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The Final EIS will be available for a 30-day review period 
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishes 
its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will not 
issue a final decision on the proposal for a minimum of 30 days from 
the date that the EPA publishes its notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Rossi Mine Expansion Project 
are available for public review and can be

[[Page 27799]]

obtained at the BLM Elko District Office, located at 3900 East Idaho 
Street, Elko Nevada 89801, and at the BLM's NEPA eplanning website at 
https://go.usa.gov/xnRCr or through eplanning on the BLM's website at 
https://www.blm.gov/nv.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Janice Stadelman, Project Manager, at 
telephone 775-753-0346; address 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada 
89801; email: [email protected].
    Persons who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact Ms. 
Stadelman during normal business hours. FRS is available 24 hours a 
day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a 
reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Final EIS is an abbreviated document 
that presents updates to the Draft EIS resulting from public and 
cooperating agency comments received during the 45-day public comment 
period. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, 
but did not significantly change the analysis. None of the public 
comments received resulted in major changes or revisions to the Draft 
EIS. Therefore, this abbreviated Final EIS must be read in conjunction 
with the Draft EIS (September 2018), which is also located on BLM's 
eplanning site at https://go.usa.gov/xnRCr.
    The EIS analyzed the proposed modification submitted by Halliburton 
Energy Services to their plan of operations for the Rossi Mine Project. 
The proposal includes the continuation of the existing mine 
infrastructure, but would expand the existing facilities and operation 
to support the continuation of the open pit mining operation and 
surface exploration activities for barite. The proposed action would 
increase the disturbance to approximately a total acreage of 2,063 
acres of public and private land, including 896 acres of previously 
approved or existing disturbance and 1,167 acres of new land 
disturbance. Of the 2,063 acres of surface disturbance, approximately 
209 acres consist of private land and the remaining 1,854 acres are 
public land administered by the BLM. The proposed expansion would 
provide up to an estimated 433 jobs, some of which could be filled by 
returning and new employees.
    The proposed action includes the expansion of the existing plan of 
operations boundary, the expansion of the existing open pits, the 
development of new open pits, expansion of the existing waste rock 
disposal facilities, construction of new waste rock disposal 
facilities, expansion or modification of ancillary facilities, 
expansion and development of new roads, re-alignment of segments of the 
Boulder Valley Road and Antelope-Boulder Connector Road, installation 
of new power distribution lines, the continuation of surface 
exploration, and reclamation activities. The proposed expansion is 
projected to add 8 years to the mine's life. The Project is located on 
the northern end of the Carlin Trend in Elko County, approximately 25 
miles north of the community of Dunphy and 28 aerial miles northwest of 
the town of Carlin, Nevada.
    The Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS for the Rossi Mine 
Expansion Project published on September 14, 2018 (83 FR 46753), with a 
45-day comment period. The BLM issued a news release and held two 
public meetings during the comment period. A total of nine people 
signed the attendance sheets available at the meetings. Those attending 
the public meetings consisted of representatives from the BLM, 
Halliburton, and the Nevada Department of Wildlife, and four members 
from the general public. The BLM received a total of eight comment 
submittals (e.g. letter, comment form, email) during the comment 
period. Key issues identified by individuals, groups, and government 
entities include potential impacts and mitigation for sage-grouse and 
mule deer habitat; impacts, mitigation and monitoring related to 
groundwater; direct, cumulative and socioeconomic impacts to livestock 
grazing management; maintenance of the access road; minimizing night 
lighting impacts; complying with State regulations and permitting with 
the State agencies regarding air and water; and support for the 
project.
    The BLM is the lead Federal agency for this EIS. Cooperating 
agencies included the Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nevada 
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Sagebrush Ecosystem 
Technical Team, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Elko County 
Board of Commissioners, and the EPA. The agency-preferred alternative 
is the Reconfiguration Alternative, which consists of the Proposed 
Action and the reconfiguration of the waste rock disposal facilities.
    Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, a 
Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued. The decision reached in the 
ROD is subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The 30-
day appeal period begins with the issuance of the ROD.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)

Jill C. Silvey,
District Manager, Elko District Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-12628 Filed 6-13-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P


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