Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC's Proposed Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project, Esmeralda County, NV, 77879-77880 [2022-27411]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 243 / Tuesday, December 20, 2022 / Notices
information, including the validity of
the methodology and assumptions used;
(3) Ways to enhance the quality,
utility, and clarity of the information to
be collected; and
(4) How the agency might minimize
the burden of the collection of
information on those who are to
respond, including the use of
appropriate automated, electronic,
mechanical, or other technological
collection techniques or other forms of
information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of response.
Comments that you submit in
response to this notice are a matter of
public record. We will include or
summarize each comment in our request
to OMB to approve this ICR. 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 BLM Oregon State
Office has authority under the Oregon
and California Revested Lands
Sustained Yield Management Act of
1937 (43 U.S.C. 2601 and 2602) and
subchapter V of the Federal Land Policy
and Management Act (43 U.S.C. 1761–
1771) to grant rights-of-way to private
landowners to transport their timber
over roads controlled by the BLM. This
information collection enables the BLM
to calculate and collect appropriate fees
for this use of public lands. This OMB
Control Number is currently scheduled
to expire on August 31, 2023. The BLM
plans to request that OMB renew this
OMB Control Number for an additional
three years.
Title of Collection: Tramroads and
Logging Roads (43 CFR part 2810).
OMB Control Number: 1004–0168.
Form Numbers: OR–2812–6.
Type of Review: Extension of a
currently approved collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: Private
landowners who hold rights-of-way for
the use of BLM-controlled roads in
western Oregon.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Respondents: 1,088.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Responses: 1,088.
Estimated Completion Time per
Response: 8 hours.
Total Estimated Number of Annual
Burden Hours: 8,704.
Respondent’s Obligation: Required to
obtain or retain a benefit.
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:41 Dec 19, 2022
Jkt 259001
Frequency of Collection: Annually,
biannually, quarterly, or monthly,
depending on the terms of the pertinent
right-of-way.
Total Estimated Annual Nonhour
Burden Cost: None.
An agency may not conduct or
sponsor and, notwithstanding any other
provision of law, 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.).
Darrin A. King,
Information Collection Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 2022–27562 Filed 12–19–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–84–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB02000.L19900000.EX0000.23X; MO:
4500167767]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement for
Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC’s Proposed
Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine
Project, Esmeralda County, NV
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
AGENCY:
In compliance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Tonopah Field Office, Tonopah,
Nevada, intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
to analyze the potential environmental
impacts of authorizing the proposed
Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC (Ioneer)
Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project
(Project) in Esmeralda County, Nevada.
This notice announces the beginning of
the scoping process to solicit public
comments and identify issues and
alternatives; it also serves to initiate
public consultation, as required, under
the National Historic Preservation Act
(NHPA).
SUMMARY:
This notice initiates the public
scoping process for the EIS, which will
run through January 19, 2023. Scoping
comments may be submitted in writing
until January 19, 2023. The date(s) and
location(s) of the scoping meetings will
be announced at least 15 days in
advance through local media and
newspapers and on the BLM website at:
https://www.blm.gov/office/tonopah-
DATES:
PO 00000
Frm 00093
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
77879
field-office and the Project’s ePlanning
website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510. In
order to be considered during the
preparation of the Draft EIS, all scoping
comments must be received prior to the
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15
days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later. The BLM will
provide additional opportunities for
public participation upon publication of
the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit scoping
comments related to the proposed
Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine
Project by any of the following methods:
• Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/
eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510.
• Email: BLM_NV_BMDO_TFO_
NONRENEWABLE@blm.gov.
• Fax: (775) 635–4034.
• Mail: BLM Battle Mountain District
Office, Attn: Rhyolite Ridge Project, 50
Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV
89820.
Documents pertinent to this proposal
may be examined at the Battle Mountain
District Office and the Tonopah Field
Office during regular business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Scott Distel, Project Manager, telephone:
(775) 635–4093; address: 50 Bastian
Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada, 89820;
email: sdistel@blm.gov. Contact Mr.
Distel if you wish to add your name to
our mailing list.
Individuals in the United States who
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or
have a speech disability may dial 711
(TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The
BLM’s purpose for the action is to
consider Ioneer’s proposed Plan of
Operations and to analyze the potential
environmental effects associated with
the Proposed Action as described in the
Plan of Operations, as well as feasible
alternatives to the Proposed Action. The
BLM’s need to consider the action is
established by the BLM’s
responsibilities under section 302 of the
FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1732, and the BLM
Surface Management Regulations at 43
CFR part 3809. The BLM needs to make
sure that the operations under the
General Mining Law of 1872 will not
cause unnecessary or undue degradation
of the public lands. 43 U.S.C. 1732(b).
Based on the Proposed Action, Ioneer
is proposing to construct, operate, close,
and reclaim a new lithium-boron mine
in the Silver Peak Range in Esmeralda
E:\FR\FM\20DEN1.SGM
20DEN1
lotter on DSK11XQN23PROD with NOTICES1
77880
Federal Register / Vol. 87, No. 243 / Tuesday, December 20, 2022 / Notices
County, Nevada, approximately 40 air
miles southwest of Tonopah, Nevada,
and 13 air miles northeast of Dyer,
Nevada. The Project Area encompasses
approximately 7,166 acres. The
proposed Project facilities associated
with the Proposed Action are expected
to disturb approximately 2,296 acres
within the 7,166 Project Area, of which
2,272 acres are on public lands managed
by the Tonopah Field Office and 24
acres are on private land. The Project
Area includes an Operational Area and
an Access Road and Infrastructure
Corridor. If authorized, the mine would
operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per
year for approximately 17 years. The
work force would be approximately 500
persons for construction and 350
persons for operation. The Proposed
Action anticipates that reclamation
activities at the end of mining will take
approximately six years, with
monitoring continuing beyond the 6
years as needed.
The purpose of the public scoping
process is to identify relevant issues that
will influence the scope of the
environmental analysis, including
alternatives, and guide the process for
developing the EIS. During the public
scoping period, the public is requested
to identify any potential alternatives to
the Proposed Action and provide any
information or recommended analyses
relevant to the Proposed Action and
potential Project alternatives.
The BLM will use and coordinate the
NEPA scoping process to help fulfill the
public involvement process under the
NHPA (54 U.S.C. 306108), as provided
in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information
about historic and cultural resources
within the area potentially affected by
the proposed Project will assist the BLM
in identifying and evaluating impacts to
such resources in the context of both the
NEPA and the NHPA.
The BLM has and will continue 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.
Federal, State, and local agencies,
along with Tribes and stakeholders who
may be interested in or affected by the
proposed Project that the BLM is
evaluating, are invited to participate in
the scoping process and, if eligible, may
request or be asked by the BLM to
participate in the development of the
EIS as a cooperating agency.
Following the completion of the
public scoping process and subsequent
analyses, the BLM will produce a Draft
VerDate Sep<11>2014
18:41 Dec 19, 2022
Jkt 259001
EIS. The Draft EIS will be made
available for a 45-day public review and
comment period and is anticipated to be
completed by June of 2023 and will
include public meetings to discuss the
Draft EIS.
Following public input on the Draft
EIS, the information received will be
incorporated into a Final EIS, which is
anticipated to be released for a 30-day
public review period in December 2023.
The BLM anticipates issuing a decision
on this Project in January of 2024.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9.)
Perry B. Wickham,
Field Manager, Tonopah Field Office, Battle
Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2022–27411 Filed 12–19–22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_ID_FRN_MO4500167688]
Notice of Public Meetings of the Idaho
Resource Advisory Council and the
Lava Ridge Wind Project
Subcommittee
Bureau of Land Management,
Interior.
ACTION: Notice of meetings.
AGENCY:
In accordance with the
Federal Land Policy and Management
Act of 1976 and the Federal Advisory
Committee Act of 1972, the U.S.
Department of the Interior, Bureau of
Land Management’s (BLM) Idaho
Resource Advisory Council (RAC) and
the Lava Ridge Wind Project
Subcommittee (Subcommittee) will
meet as follows.
DATES: The Subcommittee will host a
meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023,
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon with public
comments accepted at 11:15 a.m.
Mountain Standard Time (MST). The
Subcommittee will also host a meeting
on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2023, from 9 a.m.
to 4:45 p.m., with public comments
accepted at 2:30 p.m. MST.
The Idaho RAC will host a meeting on
Thursday, March 9, 2023, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., with public comments accepted
at 3 p.m. MST. The Idaho RAC will also
host an in-person field tour on
Wednesday, May 31, 2023, from 9 a.m.
to 4 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time
(MDT). The Idaho RAC will then host a
meeting on June 1, 2023, from 9 a.m. to
5 p.m., with public comments accepted
at 3 p.m. MDT. Public notice of any
changes to this schedule will be posted
on the Idaho RAC or the Subcommittee
web pages (see ADDRESSES) 15 days in
SUMMARY:
PO 00000
Frm 00094
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
advance of each of the respective
meetings.
The Subcommittee and
Idaho RAC meetings in January,
February, and March will take place at
the BLM Twin Falls District Office, 2878
Addison Ave. E, Twin Falls, ID 83301.
The Idaho RAC in-person field tour in
May will commence at the BLM Boise
District Office, 3948 S Development
Ave., Boise, ID 83705 with the June
meeting to be held at the BLM Idaho
State Office, 1387 S Vinnell Way, Boise,
ID 83709. A virtual participation option
will be offered on the Zoom platform for
the January and February Subcommittee
meetings and registration information
will be available on the Subcommittee’s
web page 30 days in advance of the
meeting at https://www.blm.gov/getinvolved/resource-advisory-council/
near-you/idaho/lava-ridgesubcommittee. Virtual participation
options will also be offered on the Zoom
platform for the March 9 and June 1
RAC meetings and registration
information will be available on the
RAC’s web page 30 days in advance of
the meeting at https://www.blm.gov/getinvolved/resource-advisory-council/
near-you/idaho.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Idaho RAC Coordinator MJ Byrne,
telephone: (208) 373–4006, email:
mbyrne@blm.gov. Individuals in the
United States who are deaf, deafblind,
hard of hearing, or have a speech
disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access
telecommunications relay services.
Individuals outside the United States
should use the relay services offered
within their country to make
international calls to the point-ofcontact in the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Idaho
RAC serves in an advisory capacity to
BLM officials concerning issues relating
to land use planning and management
of public land resources located within
the State of Idaho. The Idaho RAC is
chartered and the 15 members are
appointed by the Secretary of the
Interior. Their diverse perspectives are
represented in commodity, noncommodity, and local interests. The
Idaho RAC’s Lava Ridge Wind Project
Subcommittee’s purpose is to compile
information, conduct research, and
report their findings to the full RAC for
consideration and formation of
recommendations. The BLM Shoshone
Field Office is currently developing an
environmental impact statement to
analyze the Lava Ridge Wind Project, a
commercial-scale wind energy facility
that is proposed to be constructed on
ADDRESSES:
E:\FR\FM\20DEN1.SGM
20DEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 243 (Tuesday, December 20, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77879-77880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-27411]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVB02000.L19900000.EX0000.23X; MO: 4500167767]
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for
Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC's Proposed Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine
Project, Esmeralda County, NV
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act
of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Tonopah Field Office, Tonopah, Nevada, intends to prepare an
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential
environmental impacts of authorizing the proposed Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge
LLC (Ioneer) Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Project (Project) in
Esmeralda County, Nevada. This notice announces the beginning of the
scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues and
alternatives; it also serves to initiate public consultation, as
required, under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS,
which will run through January 19, 2023. Scoping comments may be
submitted in writing until January 19, 2023. The date(s) and
location(s) of the scoping meetings will be announced at least 15 days
in advance through local media and newspapers and on the BLM website
at: https://www.blm.gov/office/tonopah-field-office and the Project's
ePlanning website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510. In order to be considered during the preparation of the
Draft EIS, all scoping comments must be received prior to the close of
the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public meeting,
whichever is later. The BLM will provide additional opportunities for
public participation upon publication of the Draft EIS.
ADDRESSES: You may submit scoping comments related to the proposed
Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project by any of the following
methods:
Website: https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510.
Email: [email protected].
Fax: (775) 635-4034.
Mail: BLM Battle Mountain District Office, Attn: Rhyolite
Ridge Project, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820.
Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Battle
Mountain District Office and the Tonopah Field Office during regular
business hours.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager,
telephone: (775) 635-4093; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
Nevada, 89820; email: [email protected]. Contact Mr. Distel if you wish
to add your name to our mailing list.
Individuals in the United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of
hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or
TeleBraille) to access telecommunications relay services. Individuals
outside the United States should use the relay services offered within
their country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in
the United States.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The BLM's purpose for the action is to
consider Ioneer's proposed Plan of Operations and to analyze the
potential environmental effects associated with the Proposed Action as
described in the Plan of Operations, as well as feasible alternatives
to the Proposed Action. The BLM's need to consider the action is
established by the BLM's responsibilities under section 302 of the
FLPMA, 43 U.S.C. 1732, and the BLM Surface Management Regulations at 43
CFR part 3809. The BLM needs to make sure that the operations under the
General Mining Law of 1872 will not cause unnecessary or undue
degradation of the public lands. 43 U.S.C. 1732(b).
Based on the Proposed Action, Ioneer is proposing to construct,
operate, close, and reclaim a new lithium-boron mine in the Silver Peak
Range in Esmeralda
[[Page 77880]]
County, Nevada, approximately 40 air miles southwest of Tonopah,
Nevada, and 13 air miles northeast of Dyer, Nevada. The Project Area
encompasses approximately 7,166 acres. The proposed Project facilities
associated with the Proposed Action are expected to disturb
approximately 2,296 acres within the 7,166 Project Area, of which 2,272
acres are on public lands managed by the Tonopah Field Office and 24
acres are on private land. The Project Area includes an Operational
Area and an Access Road and Infrastructure Corridor. If authorized, the
mine would operate 24 hours per day, 365 days per year for
approximately 17 years. The work force would be approximately 500
persons for construction and 350 persons for operation. The Proposed
Action anticipates that reclamation activities at the end of mining
will take approximately six years, with monitoring continuing beyond
the 6 years as needed.
The purpose of the public scoping process is to identify relevant
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis,
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS.
During the public scoping period, the public is requested to identify
any potential alternatives to the Proposed Action and provide any
information or recommended analyses relevant to the Proposed Action and
potential Project alternatives.
The BLM will use and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to help
fulfill the public involvement process under the NHPA (54 U.S.C.
306108), as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about
historic and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by
the proposed Project will assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating
impacts to such resources in the context of both the NEPA and the NHPA.
The BLM has and will continue 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.
Federal, State, and local agencies, along with Tribes and
stakeholders who may be interested in or affected by the proposed
Project that the BLM is evaluating, are invited to participate in the
scoping process and, if eligible, may request or be asked by the BLM to
participate in the development of the EIS as a cooperating agency.
Following the completion of the public scoping process and
subsequent analyses, the BLM will produce a Draft EIS. The Draft EIS
will be made available for a 45-day public review and comment period
and is anticipated to be completed by June of 2023 and will include
public meetings to discuss the Draft EIS.
Following public input on the Draft EIS, the information received
will be incorporated into a Final EIS, which is anticipated to be
released for a 30-day public review period in December 2023. The BLM
anticipates issuing a decision on this Project in January of 2024.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.9.)
Perry B. Wickham,
Field Manager, Tonopah Field Office, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2022-27411 Filed 12-19-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
