Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gold Acquisition Corporation-Relief Canyon Gold Mine-Mine Expansion Amendment, Pershing County, NV, 47145-47146 [2021-18004]

Download as PDF jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 160 / Monday, August 23, 2021 / Notices public comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information (86 FR 17634). We received no comments in response to that notice. We are again soliciting comments on the proposed ICR that is described below. We are especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is the collection necessary to the proper functions of the OS–OEPC; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the OS–OEPC enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the OS–OEPC minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Comments that you submit in response to this notice are a matter of public record. 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. Abstract: The OMB regulations at 5 CFR part 1320, which implement the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq., require that interested members of the public and affected agencies have an opportunity to comment on information collection and recordkeeping activities (see 5 CFR 1320.8 (d)). On November 23, 2016, the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, and Commerce published a final rule on the March 31, 2015 revised interim final rule to the interim rule originally published in November 2005 at 7 CFR part 1, 43 CFR part 45, and 50 CFR part 221, to implement section 241 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EP Act), Public Law 109–58, enacted on August 8, 2005. Section 241 of the EP Act added a new section 33 to the Federal Power Act (FPA), 16 U.S.C. 823d, that allowed the license applicant or any other party to the license proceeding to propose an alternative to a condition or prescription that one or more of the Departments develop for inclusion in a hydropower license issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) under the FPA. This provision required that the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the Department of Commerce collect the information covered by 1094–0001. VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:11 Aug 20, 2021 Jkt 253001 Under FPA section 33, the Secretary of the Department involved must accept the proposed alternative if the Secretary determines, based on substantial evidence provided by a party to the license proceeding or otherwise available to the Secretary, (a) that the alternative condition provides for the adequate protection and utilization of the reservation, or that the alternative prescription will be no less protective than the fishway initially proposed by the Secretary, and (b) that the alternative will either cost significantly less to implement or result in improved operation of the project works for electricity production. In order to make this determination, the regulations require that all of the following information be collected: (1) A description of the alternative, in an equivalent level of detail to the Department’s preliminary condition or prescription; (2) an explanation of how the alternative: (i) If a condition, will provide for the adequate protection and utilization of the reservation; or (ii) if a prescription, will be no less protective than the fishway prescribed by the bureau; (3) an explanation of how the alternative, as compared to the preliminary condition or prescription, will: (i) Cost significantly less to implement; or (ii) result in improved operation of the project works for electricity production; (4) an explanation of how the alternative or revised alternative will affect: (i) Energy supply, distribution, cost, and use; (ii) flood control; (iii) navigation; (iv) water supply; (v) air quality; and (vi) other aspects of environmental quality; and (5) specific citations to any scientific studies, literature, and other documented information relied on to support the proposal. This notice of proposed renewal of an existing information collection is being published by the Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, Department of the Interior, on behalf of all three Departments, and the data provided below covers anticipated responses (alternative conditions/ prescriptions and associated information) for all three Departments. Title of Collection: 7 CFR part 1; 43 CFR part 45; 50 CFR part 221; The Alternatives Process in Hydropower Licensing. OMB Control Number: 1094–0001. Form Number: None. Type of Review: Extension of a currently approved collection. Respondents/Affected Public: Business or for-profit entities. Total Estimated Number of Annual Respondents: 5. PO 00000 Frm 00096 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 47145 Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5. Estimated Completion Time per Response: 500 hours. Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 2,500 hours. Respondent’s Obligation: Voluntary. Frequency of Collection: Once per alternative proposed. Total Estimated Annual Nonhour Burden Cost: None. An agency may not conduct or sponsor and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The authority for this action is the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.). Stephen G. Tryon, Director, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance. [FR Doc. 2021–17932 Filed 8–20–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4334–63–P DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [DOI–BLM–NV–W010–2020–0030–EIS; LLNVW01000.L51100000.GN0000. LVEMF1907180.19XMO#4500153666] Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gold Acquisition Corporation—Relief Canyon Gold Mine—Mine Expansion Amendment, Pershing County, NV Bureau of Land Management, Interior. ACTION: Notice of availability. AGENCY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, 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 the Relief Canyon Mine Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed expansion to the Relief Canyon gold mining operation in Pershing County, Nevada, and by this notice announces the availability of the Final EIS. DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a minimum of 30-days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability of the Gold Acquisition Corporation—Relief Canyon Gold Mine—Mine Expansion Amendment Final EIS DOI–BLM–NV–W010–2020– 0030–EIS in the Federal Register. ADDRESSES: Copies of the Relief Canyon Mine Plan Expansion and the Final EIS SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\23AUN1.SGM 23AUN1 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with NOTICES 47146 Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 160 / Monday, August 23, 2021 / Notices are available for public inspection on the internet at https:// eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/ project/2000567/510. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jeanette ‘‘Jean’’ Black; telephone: (775) 623–1500; email: jblack@blm.gov; address: 5100 E Winnemucca Blvd., 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 Ms. Black during normal business hours. The FRS is available 24hours a day, 7-days a week, to leave a message or question. You will receive a reply during normal business hours. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Gold Acquisition Corporation (GAC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Pershing Gold Corporation, itself a wholly owned subsidiary of Americas Gold and Silver Corporation, proposes an expansion to the existing Relief Canyon Gold Mine. The mine is located in Pershing County, Nevada, approximately 16 miles eastnortheast of Lovelock, Nevada. The proposed expansion is located within GAC’s authorized Plan of Operations boundary and proposes to modify the existing Plan of Operations as follows: • Create roughly 576 acres of new surface disturbance on public and private land including re-disturbance of about 137 acres of previously disturbed vegetation communities. • Expand the footprint of the existing approved pit area by approximately 84 acres (68 acres of public land and 16 acres of private land) with resultant elimination of a portion of existing Waste Rock Storage Facility (WRSF) 4. • Mine to final pit bottom elevation of 4,420 feet above mean sea level (ft amsl), which will involve continued mining below the water table, and result in a post-mining pit lake that is predicted to reach an equilibrium elevation of 4,887 ft amsl roughly 50 years after completion of mining. • Construct a dewatering conveyance pipeline and Rapid Infiltration to reinfiltrate up to 900 gallons per minute of mine dewatering water during the last 3 months of proposed mining. • Install up to 50 vertical and horizontal drains in the pit wall to ensure pit slope stability and supplement pit dewatering operations. • Convert up to 50 exploration drill holes located in and adjacent to the pit as vertical or near vertical drains and/ or piezometer to monitor water levels to ensure pit slope stability and supplement pit dewatering operations. • Expand WRSFs, heap leach pads, and construct process ponds, new growth media stockpiles, diversion VerDate Sep<11>2014 18:11 Aug 20, 2021 Jkt 253001 ditches for stormwater control, and ancillary facilities. • Expand yard and crusher-conveyor areas, roads, and fences. • Close and reclaim all project facilities at the completion of the Project. The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed project’s direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. The EIS analyzed the Proposed Action (Alternative A) and the No Action Alternative (Alternative B). A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS for the proposed Project was published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2021 (86 FR 5246). Two virtual public meetings were held during the comment period. The BLM received 12 public comment documents during the 45-day comment period. The documents contained 70 individual comments with 36 substantive comments, which included concerns on potential impacts from the pit lake, groundwater quantity and quality, springs in the area near the mine, management of waste rock, rapid infiltration basins, and heap leach facilities, wildlife habitat loss, greater sage-grouse, golden eagles, pale kangaroo mice, and horses. These comments were considered and addressed in Appendix D (draft EIS Public Comments and 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 corrections or the addition of clarifying text but did not significantly change the proposed action. The BLM has consulted with the Nevada State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) on the Project in accordance with the 2014 State Protocol Agreement between the BLM and Nevada SHPO for Implementing the National Historic Preservation Act. The BLM has determined that the Project would have no adverse effects to historic properties and the Nevada SHPO has concurred. The BLM has consulted and continues to consult with Native American tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due consideration. Frm 00097 Ester M. McCullough, District Manager, Winnemucca District Office. [FR Doc. 2021–18004 Filed 8–20–21; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION Final EIS PO 00000 (Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7) Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 [Investigation No. 337–TA–1213] Certain Light-Emitting Diode Products, Fixtures, and Components Thereof; Notice of Request for Submissions on the Public Interest U.S. International Trade Commission. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: Notice is hereby given that on August 17, 2021, the presiding administrative law judge (‘‘ALJ’’) issued an Initial Determination on Violation of Section 337. The ALJ also issued a Recommended Determination on remedy and bonding should a violation be found in the above-captioned investigation. The Commission is soliciting submissions on public interest issues raised by the recommended relief should the Commission find a violation. This notice is soliciting comments from the public only. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Clint Gerdine, Esq., Office of the General Counsel, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street SW, Washington, DC 20436, telephone (202) 708–2310. Copies of non-confidential documents filed in connection with this investigation may be viewed on the Commission’s electronic docket (EDIS) at https://edis.usitc.gov. For help accessing EDIS, please email EDIS3Help@usitc.gov. General information concerning the Commission may also be obtained by accessing its internet server at https://www.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: Section 337 of the Tariff Act of 1930 provides that, if the Commission finds a violation, it shall exclude the articles concerned from the United States: Unless, after considering the effect of such exclusion upon the public health and welfare, competitive conditions in the United States economy, the production of like or directly competitive articles in the United States, and United States consumers, it finds that such articles should not be excluded from entry. SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\23AUN1.SGM 23AUN1

Agencies

[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 160 (Monday, August 23, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47145-47146]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-18004]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[DOI-BLM-NV-W010-2020-0030-EIS; LLNVW01000.L51100000.GN0000. 
LVEMF1907180.19XMO#4500153666]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Gold Acquisition Corporation--Relief Canyon 
Gold Mine--Mine Expansion Amendment, Pershing County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, 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 the Relief Canyon Mine 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed expansion 
to the Relief Canyon gold mining operation in Pershing County, Nevada, 
and by this notice announces the availability of the Final EIS.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30-days after the Environmental Protection Agency publishes 
its notice of availability of the Gold Acquisition Corporation--Relief 
Canyon Gold Mine--Mine Expansion Amendment Final EIS DOI-BLM-NV-W010-
2020-0030-EIS in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Relief Canyon Mine Plan Expansion and the 
Final EIS

[[Page 47146]]

are available for public inspection on the internet at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000567/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Jeanette ``Jean'' Black; 
telephone: (775) 623-1500; email: [email protected]; address: 5100 E 
Winnemucca Blvd., 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 Ms. Black during normal 
business hours. The 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: Gold Acquisition Corporation (GAC), a wholly 
owned subsidiary of Pershing Gold Corporation, itself a wholly owned 
subsidiary of Americas Gold and Silver Corporation, proposes an 
expansion to the existing Relief Canyon Gold Mine. The mine is located 
in Pershing County, Nevada, approximately 16 miles east-northeast of 
Lovelock, Nevada. The proposed expansion is located within GAC's 
authorized Plan of Operations boundary and proposes to modify the 
existing Plan of Operations as follows:
     Create roughly 576 acres of new surface disturbance on 
public and private land including re-disturbance of about 137 acres of 
previously disturbed vegetation communities.
     Expand the footprint of the existing approved pit area by 
approximately 84 acres (68 acres of public land and 16 acres of private 
land) with resultant elimination of a portion of existing Waste Rock 
Storage Facility (WRSF) 4.
     Mine to final pit bottom elevation of 4,420 feet above 
mean sea level (ft amsl), which will involve continued mining below the 
water table, and result in a post-mining pit lake that is predicted to 
reach an equilibrium elevation of 4,887 ft amsl roughly 50 years after 
completion of mining.
     Construct a dewatering conveyance pipeline and Rapid 
Infiltration to re-infiltrate up to 900 gallons per minute of mine 
dewatering water during the last 3 months of proposed mining.
     Install up to 50 vertical and horizontal drains in the pit 
wall to ensure pit slope stability and supplement pit dewatering 
operations.
     Convert up to 50 exploration drill holes located in and 
adjacent to the pit as vertical or near vertical drains and/or 
piezometer to monitor water levels to ensure pit slope stability and 
supplement pit dewatering operations.
     Expand WRSFs, heap leach pads, and construct process 
ponds, new growth media stockpiles, diversion ditches for stormwater 
control, and ancillary facilities.
     Expand yard and crusher-conveyor areas, roads, and fences.
     Close and reclaim all project facilities at the completion 
of the Project.

Final EIS

    The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed project's direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. The EIS 
analyzed the Proposed Action (Alternative A) and the No Action 
Alternative (Alternative B).
    A Notice of Availability (NOA) of the Draft EIS for the proposed 
Project was published in the Federal Register on February 19, 2021 (86 
FR 5246). Two virtual public meetings were held during the comment 
period. The BLM received 12 public comment documents during the 45-day 
comment period. The documents contained 70 individual comments with 36 
substantive comments, which included concerns on potential impacts from 
the pit lake, groundwater quantity and quality, springs in the area 
near the mine, management of waste rock, rapid infiltration basins, and 
heap leach facilities, wildlife habitat loss, greater sage-grouse, 
golden eagles, pale kangaroo mice, and horses. These comments were 
considered and addressed in Appendix D (draft EIS Public Comments and 
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 corrections or the addition of 
clarifying text but did not significantly change the proposed action.
    The BLM has consulted with the Nevada State Historic Preservation 
Office (SHPO) on the Project in accordance with the 2014 State Protocol 
Agreement between the BLM and Nevada SHPO for Implementing the National 
Historic Preservation Act. The BLM has determined that the Project 
would have no adverse effects to historic properties and the Nevada 
SHPO has concurred.
    The BLM has consulted and continues to consult with Native American 
tribes on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive 
Order 13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on 
Indian trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will 
be given due consideration.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7)

Ester M. McCullough,
District Manager, Winnemucca District Office.
[FR Doc. 2021-18004 Filed 8-20-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P

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