Notice of Availability for the Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Deep South Expansion Project, Lander and Eureka Counties, Nevada, 36122-36123 [2019-15828]
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Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 144 / Friday, July 26, 2019 / Notices
including diversion channel, recharge
canal, diversion culvert and sump, and
perimeter and access roads slightly to
the west, within the boundary of the
playa.
In selecting the preferred alternative,
the BLM considered all information that
has been received consistent with the
Federal Lands Policy Management Act
(FLPMA), the Mineral Leasing Act, and
ROW permitting responsibilities. The
agency preferred alternative is the
proposed action, based on CPM’s
Mining Plan, POD, and Gravel Pit
Mining Plan. The agency preferred
alternative includes design features,
supplemental plans, and specific
mitigation measures BLM has worked
with CPM to develop an
environmentally sound and technically
viable proposal that addresses
comments and suggestions received
from the cooperating agencies and the
public.
The BLM published a Notice of Intent
for the Project on March 12, 2014 (79 FR
14078). Scoping was extended through
August 31, 2015. A public scoping
meeting was held in Delta, Utah on
August 5, 2015. The public was offered
the opportunity to provide written
comments throughout the scoping
process.
In 2015, pursuant to Executive Order
13175, the BLM initiated governmentto-government consultation with the
following federally recognized tribes:
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute
Reservation, the Hopi Tribe, the Kaibab
Band of Paiute Indians, the Navajo
Nation, the Paiute Indian Tribe of Utah,
the Skull Valley Band of Goshute
Indians, and the Ute Indian Tribe.
Beginning in 2015, the BLM coordinated
with the Utah State Historic
Preservation Office and seven other
consulting parties that requested to
participate in the Section 106 process,
to develop a Programmatic Agreement,
which outlines a process to be used to
avoid, mitigate, or treat adverse effects
to historic properties. The BLM reached
out to consult with the tribes again on
November 19, 2018, with follow up
phone calls and emails. On June 21,
2019, the BLM sent an update to the
tribes on the project and inviting
continued consultation on the Project.
In August 2015, the BLM invited
jurisdictional agencies to participate as
Cooperating Agencies in the Project.
The following agencies accepted the
invitation: The U.S. Department of
Defense (Utah Test and Training Range),
the Environmental Protection Agency,
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the
State of Utah, and Millard and Beaver
Counties. These agencies and
governments reviewed the Final EIS
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:54 Jul 25, 2019
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before it was available to the public and
their comments have been incorporated
into the document.
On November 30, 2018, the BLM
published a Notice of Availability of the
Draft EIS in the Federal Register (83 FR
61668) as did the EPA (83 FR 61632)
which started a 45-day comment period.
The Draft EIS comment period ran from
November 30, 2018, until January 14,
2019. However, any comments received
by the BLM by January 29, 2019, were
considered in the Final EIS. During the
public comment period on the Draft EIS,
the BLM Fillmore Field Office received
10 comment letters and emails from
cooperating agencies, local
governments, interested parties, and the
public. The majority of the concerns
which were raised through the
comments included (1) impacts to water
resources and water quality including
adverse effects to: Surface water,
groundwater basins, existing water
rights holders; (2) adverse effects to air
quality in the form of fugitive dust and
the criteria pollutant NO2 produced
during construction and operation of the
mine facilities; (3) impacts to migratory
bird and bat populations; (4) the
socioeconomic effects of water right
acquisition for recharge water; (5) the
NEPA process including the range of
alternatives and alternatives considered
but not analyzed in detail; (6) lands
with wilderness characteristics; and (7)
impacts to dark night skies.
Before including your address, phone
number, email 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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR
1506.10.
Edwin L. Roberson,
State Director.
[FR Doc. 2019–15903 Filed 7–25–19; 8:45 am]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB0l000.L51100000.
GN0000.LVEMF1604910 MO# 4500135252]
Notice of Availability for the
Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Deep South Expansion
Project, Lander and Eureka Counties,
Nevada
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
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)
Mount Lewis Field Office, Battle
Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
and by this notice is announcing its
availability. Barrick Cortez, Inc. (BCI) is
proposing to expand its existing Cortez
Hills Project mining operations, which
are located southeast of Battle Mountain
in Eureka and Lander Counties, Nevada.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final
decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the date that the
Environmental Protection Agency
publishes its Notice of Availability in
the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for
the Deep South Expansion Project and
other documents pertinent to this
proposal may be examined at the Mount
Lewis Field Office, 50 Bastian Road,
Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820. The
document is also available for download
at https://go.usa.gov/xmQR9.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Kevin Hurrell, Project Manager;
telephone: 775–635–4000; address: 50
Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada
89820; or email: blm_nv_mlfo_
deepsoutheis@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: There are
54,825 acres of public lands within the
Plan of Operations boundary that are
administered by the BLM Mount Lewis
Field Office, and 3,268 acres of private
lands controlled by BCI. BCI was
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26JYN1
jbell on DSK3GLQ082PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 84, No. 144 / Friday, July 26, 2019 / Notices
previously authorized to disturb 16,700
acres within their Plan of Operations
boundary.
The proposed mine expansion, named
the Deep South Expansion Project
(Proposed Project) would require a
modification to the Plan of Operations
to increase the plan boundary by 4,279
acres: from 58,093 acres to 62,372 acres.
The proposed modification would result
in approximately 3,846 acres of new
disturbance inside the new proposed
plan boundary, of which 2,779 acres are
public lands.
BCI currently employs about 1,250
people from the northern Nevada towns
of Elko, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca,
Eureka, Carlin, and surrounding areas. If
the Deep South Expansion Project is
approved, the company expects to
extend the mine life and employment
opportunities for its workforce by
another 12 years.
BCI’s purpose for the Deep South
Expansion Project is to continue to
profitably recover gold and silver from
reserves and resources on federal
mining claims in the Project Area
utilizing, to the extent practical, existing
facilities at BCI’s currently permitted
operations within the Project Area.
The Final EIS describes and analyzes
the Proposed Project’s direct, indirect,
and cumulative impacts on all affected
resources. In addition to the Proposed
Project, the Final EIS analyzes one
additional action alternative (the Gold
Acres Pit Partial Backfill alternative)
and the No Action Alternative.
Under the Gold Acres Pit Partial
Backfill Alternative, the proposed
expansion of the existing Gold Acres Pit
would be completed prior to
development of the proposed satellite
pits (Alta, Bellwether, and Pasture),
with the waste rock from the satellite
pits (30 million tons) placed as backfill
in the Gold Acres Pit to an approximate
elevation of 5,440 feet above mean sea
level (amsl) (Figures 2–18 and 2–19).
This would result in a 72-acre reduction
in the proposed new disturbance for the
Gold Acres North Waste Rock Facility.
The pit bottom elevations for the
expanded Gold Acres Pit and proposed
satellite pits would be the same as
described for the Proposed Action. No
dewatering would be required for the
proposed expansion of open pit
operations at the Gold Acres Complex as
the proposed pit bottom elevations
would be above the groundwater table.
Therefore, proposed dewatering and
water management operations would be
the same as under the Proposed Action.
Under the No Action Alternative, the
proposed facilities and facility
modifications as well as the proposed
operations modifications that comprise
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:54 Jul 25, 2019
Jkt 247001
the Deep South Expansion Project
would not be developed or
implemented. Under this alternative,
the existing mining and processing
operations in the Project Area and the
current off site transport of refractory
ore to the Goldstrike Mill for processing
and backhaul of Arturo Mine oxide ore
to the Pipeline Complex for processing
would continue under the terms of
current permits and approvals as
authorized by the BLM and State of
Nevada.
On March 29, 2017, a Notice of Intent
was published in the Federal Register
(80 FR 58501) inviting scoping
comments on the Proposed Action. The
BLM held three public scoping meetings
on April 18, 19, and 20, 2017, in Battle
Mountain, Crescent Valley, and Elko,
Nevada respectively. The BLM received
six scoping comment submittals during
the scoping period. Concerns raised
included impacts to water resources, air
quality, wildlife, and recreation.
The Notice of Availability (NOA) for
the Draft EIS was published in the
Federal Register on October 22, 2018
(83 FR 53292), commencing a 45-day
comment period that ended on
December 5, 2018. The BLM held three
public comment meetings on November
6, 7, and 8, 2018 in Battle Mountain,
Crescent Valley, and Elko, Nevada
respectively. A total of 29 comment
letters were received on the Draft EIS
via mail and email. All agency and
public comments on the Draft EIS were
given careful consideration in
preparation of the Final EIS. Each
comment, as well as a corresponding
response, is provided in Appendix F of
the Final EIS.
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 potential impacts to cultural
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36123
resources, have been analyzed in the
Final EIS.
Bradlee Matthews,
Acting Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field
Office.
[FR Doc. 2019–15828 Filed 7–25–19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
COMMISSION
Notice of Receipt of Complaint;
Solicitation of Comments Relating to
the Public Interest
U.S. International Trade
Commission.
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that
the U.S. International Trade
Commission has received a complaint
entitled Certain Child Resistant Closures
With Slider Devices Having a User
Actuated Insertable Torpedo for
Selectively Opening the Closures and
Slider Devices Therefor, DN 3399; the
Commission is soliciting comments on
any public interest issues raised by the
complaint or complainant’s filing
pursuant to the Commission’s Rules of
Practice and Procedure.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lisa
R. Barton, Secretary to the Commission,
U.S. International Trade Commission,
500 E Street SW, Washington, DC
20436, telephone (202) 205–2000. The
public version of the complaint can be
accessed on the Commission’s
Electronic Document Information
System (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov,
and will be available for inspection
during official business hours (8:45 a.m.
to 5:15 p.m.) in the Office of the
Secretary, U.S. International Trade
Commission, 500 E Street SW,
Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202)
205–2000.
General information concerning the
Commission may also be obtained by
accessing its internet server at United
States International Trade Commission
(USITC) at https://www.usitc.gov. The
public record for this investigation may
be viewed on the Commission’s
Electronic Document Information
System (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov.
Hearing-impaired persons are advised
that information on this matter can be
obtained by contacting the
Commission’s TDD terminal on (202)
205–1810.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
Commission has received a complaint
and a submission pursuant to § 210.8(b)
of the Commission’s Rules of Practice
and Procedure filed on behalf of
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]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 144 (Friday, July 26, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36122-36123]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-15828]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB0l000.L51100000. GN0000.LVEMF1604910 MO# 4500135252]
Notice of Availability for the Environmental Impact Statement for
the Proposed Deep South Expansion Project, Lander and Eureka Counties,
Nevada
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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mount
Lewis Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing
its availability. Barrick Cortez, Inc. (BCI) is proposing to expand its
existing Cortez Hills Project mining operations, which are located
southeast of Battle Mountain in Eureka and Lander Counties, Nevada.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a
minimum of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Deep South Expansion Project
and other documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the
Mount Lewis Field Office, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada
89820. The document is also available for download at https://go.usa.gov/xmQR9.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kevin Hurrell, Project Manager;
telephone: 775-635-4000; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
Nevada 89820; or email: [email protected]. 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: There are 54,825 acres of public lands
within the Plan of Operations boundary that are administered by the BLM
Mount Lewis Field Office, and 3,268 acres of private lands controlled
by BCI. BCI was
[[Page 36123]]
previously authorized to disturb 16,700 acres within their Plan of
Operations boundary.
The proposed mine expansion, named the Deep South Expansion Project
(Proposed Project) would require a modification to the Plan of
Operations to increase the plan boundary by 4,279 acres: from 58,093
acres to 62,372 acres. The proposed modification would result in
approximately 3,846 acres of new disturbance inside the new proposed
plan boundary, of which 2,779 acres are public lands.
BCI currently employs about 1,250 people from the northern Nevada
towns of Elko, Battle Mountain, Winnemucca, Eureka, Carlin, and
surrounding areas. If the Deep South Expansion Project is approved, the
company expects to extend the mine life and employment opportunities
for its workforce by another 12 years.
BCI's purpose for the Deep South Expansion Project is to continue
to profitably recover gold and silver from reserves and resources on
federal mining claims in the Project Area utilizing, to the extent
practical, existing facilities at BCI's currently permitted operations
within the Project Area.
The Final EIS describes and analyzes the Proposed Project's direct,
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition
to the Proposed Project, the Final EIS analyzes one additional action
alternative (the Gold Acres Pit Partial Backfill alternative) and the
No Action Alternative.
Under the Gold Acres Pit Partial Backfill Alternative, the proposed
expansion of the existing Gold Acres Pit would be completed prior to
development of the proposed satellite pits (Alta, Bellwether, and
Pasture), with the waste rock from the satellite pits (30 million tons)
placed as backfill in the Gold Acres Pit to an approximate elevation of
5,440 feet above mean sea level (amsl) (Figures 2-18 and 2-19). This
would result in a 72-acre reduction in the proposed new disturbance for
the Gold Acres North Waste Rock Facility. The pit bottom elevations for
the expanded Gold Acres Pit and proposed satellite pits would be the
same as described for the Proposed Action. No dewatering would be
required for the proposed expansion of open pit operations at the Gold
Acres Complex as the proposed pit bottom elevations would be above the
groundwater table. Therefore, proposed dewatering and water management
operations would be the same as under the Proposed Action.
Under the No Action Alternative, the proposed facilities and
facility modifications as well as the proposed operations modifications
that comprise the Deep South Expansion Project would not be developed
or implemented. Under this alternative, the existing mining and
processing operations in the Project Area and the current off site
transport of refractory ore to the Goldstrike Mill for processing and
backhaul of Arturo Mine oxide ore to the Pipeline Complex for
processing would continue under the terms of current permits and
approvals as authorized by the BLM and State of Nevada.
On March 29, 2017, a Notice of Intent was published in the Federal
Register (80 FR 58501) inviting scoping comments on the Proposed
Action. The BLM held three public scoping meetings on April 18, 19, and
20, 2017, in Battle Mountain, Crescent Valley, and Elko, Nevada
respectively. The BLM received six scoping comment submittals during
the scoping period. Concerns raised included impacts to water
resources, air quality, wildlife, and recreation.
The Notice of Availability (NOA) for the Draft EIS was published in
the Federal Register on October 22, 2018 (83 FR 53292), commencing a
45-day comment period that ended on December 5, 2018. The BLM held
three public comment meetings on November 6, 7, and 8, 2018 in Battle
Mountain, Crescent Valley, and Elko, Nevada respectively. A total of 29
comment letters were received on the Draft EIS via mail and email. All
agency and public comments on the Draft EIS were given careful
consideration in preparation of the Final EIS. Each comment, as well as
a corresponding response, is provided in Appendix F of the Final EIS.
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 potential impacts
to cultural resources, have been analyzed in the Final EIS.
Bradlee Matthews,
Acting Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2019-15828 Filed 7-25-19; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
