Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed POA11 Project-Modification to the Plan of Operations for the Coeur Rochester and Packard Mines, Pershing County, Nevada, 10460-10461 [2020-03608]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
• Bureau of Land Management

[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10460-10461]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-03608]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVW00000.L5110000. GN0000. LVEMF1805980.18X .MO#4500142520]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed POA11 Project--Modification to the Plan of 
Operations for the Coeur Rochester and Packard Mines, Pershing 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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Humboldt River 
Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada has prepared a Final Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) 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 after the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of Coeur Rochester and Packard Mines POA11 Project 
Plan of Operations and EIS are available for public inspection at the 
Winnemucca District BLM Office, 5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard, 
Winnemucca, Nevada. Interested persons may also review the Final EIS on 
the internet at https://go.usa.gov/xPdjC.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Rehberg, Project Lead, 
telephone: (775) 623-1500; address: 5100 East Winnemucca Boulevard, 
Winnemucca, NV 89445. 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 applicant, Coeur Rochester Inc., has 
requested to modify its approved Plan of Operations at the Rochester 
and Packard mines by expanding its operations. The mine is located 
approximately 26 miles northeast of Lovelock, Nevada. The mine is 
currently authorized disturbance up to 2203.1 acres (approximately 
164.6 acres of private land and 2038.5 acres of public land),

[[Page 10461]]

which was permitted under a series of EISs and Environmental 
Assessments from the initial Plan of Operations in 1986 through the 
latest EIS in 2015. Coeur Rochester, Inc. is proposing to expand and 
optimize its current operations. It proposes to expand mining in both 
of its current pits (the Rochester and Packard pits) and move, 
relocate, or expand heap leach pads, waste rock dumps, haul roads, 
access road, water pipeline, and processing facilities. The proposal 
would increase disturbance by 2,815.4 acres (435.2 acres on private 
land and 2380.2 acres on public land).
    Mining of the Rochester Pit would extend below the groundwater 
resulting in a permanent pit lake after closure. Additional, 
potentially acid-generating material would be excavated and would be 
processed as ore or stored according to its Waste Rock Storage Plan. 
The plan would also necessitate an upgrade in power distribution lines 
and a substation. With the proposed expansion, mine life would be 
extended to 2033, and would be followed by mine closure and 
reclamation.
    The EIS describes and analyzes the proposed Project's direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition 
to the Proposed Action, the following alternatives are also analyzed in 
the document: Alternative 1, which is an alternate method to manage and 
store potentially acid generating material; Alternative 2 which was 
developed to address and manage pit lake development and water quality; 
and the No Action Alternative.
    A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS for the proposed 
POA11 Project was published in the Federal Register on October 18, 2019 
(FR Doc No: 2019-55979). Two open house public meetings were held 
during the comment period. The BLM received seven letters with public 
comments during the 45-day comment period. Six of the letters contained 
18 individual substantive comments which included concerns on potential 
impacts to grazing allotments, storage and management of potentially 
acid-generating waste rock, mine closure, groundwater quality, pit lake 
quality, springs, and potential impacts to community wells for the town 
of Lovelock, Nevada. These comments were considered and addressed in 
Appendix F (Draft Environmental Impact Statement Public Comments and 
BLM Responses) of the Final EIS.
    Comments on the Draft EIS received from the public and internal BLM 
review were considered and incorporated, as appropriate, into the Final 
EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text or 
corrections, but did not significantly change the proposed action.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7)

David Kampwerth,
Field Manager, Humboldt River Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2020-03608 Filed 2-21-20; 8:45 am]
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