Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Robertson Mine Project, Lander County, NV, 80918 [2024-22867]
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80918
Federal Register / Vol. 89, No. 193 / Friday, October 4, 2024 / Notices
BLM’s need for the action is established
by the BLM’s responsibilities under
Section 302 of FLPMA and the BLM
Surface Management Regulations at 43
CFR subpart 3809 to respond to a
proposed plan of operations and ensure
that operations prevent unnecessary or
undue degradation of the public lands.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500181594]
Notice of Availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement for
Nevada Gold Mines LLC Robertson
Mine Project, Lander 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 (FLPMA), the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
announces the availability of the Final
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
for Nevada Gold Mines LLC (NGM)
Robertson Mine Project.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a
decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the date that the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
publishes its Notice of Availability
(NOA) in the Federal Register. The EPA
usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and
documents pertinent to this proposal are
available for review on the BLM
National NEPA Register website at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/
project/2023088/510.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff
Kirkwood, Project Manager, telephone:
(775) 635–4164; address: 50 Bastian
Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820;
email: BLM_NV_BMDO_Robertson@
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 telecommunication relay services
for contacting Mr. Kirkwood.
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:
SUMMARY:
khammond on DSKJM1Z7X2PROD with NOTICES
Purpose and Need for the Proposed
Action
The BLM’s purpose for the action is
to respond to NGM’s proposal, as
described in its proposed plan of
operations, and to analyze the potential
environmental effects associated with
the proposed action, which is the
operator’s proposed plan of operations,
and alternatives to the proposed action.
NEPA mandates that the BLM evaluate
the potential effects of the proposed
action and develop alternatives. The
VerDate Sep<11>2014
17:26 Oct 03, 2024
Jkt 265001
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Under the proposed plan of
operations, NGM would construct,
operate, close, and reclaim a new
surface mine within the Shoshone
Range approximately 58 miles southeast
of Battle Mountain, Nevada, and 70
miles southwest of Elko, Nevada. The
proposed action would result in changes
to the authorized Robertson Exploration
Plan boundary (NVN–067688), the
Cortez Mine Plan boundary (NVN–
67575), and the Pipeline-South
Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan
boundary (NVN–067261). If the
Robertson Mine Project Plan is
approved, these authorized plans would
be modified subsequent to that
approval.
The boundary of the proposed plan of
operations would encompass 5,990
acres. The total disturbance associated
with the proposed action, including
existing, reclassified, and exploration,
would be 4,356 acres, with 4,177 acres
on land administered by the BLM and
179 acres on private land. The proposed
surface mining activities for the
Robertson Mine would include: three
open pits (Gold Pan, Porphyry, and
Altenburg Hill); haul roads; a waste rock
facility; a heap leach facility, including
a lined pad, process solution ponds and
vaults, and carbon-in-column plant; and
ancillary facilities, including three-stage
crushing with associated conveyors; ore
stockpiles; growth media stockpiles; a
gravel borrow source; secondary roads;
stormwater controls and diversions; a
truck scale; power lines and electrical
substations; water production,
dewatering, and monitoring wells; water
pipelines and loadouts; ready lines; fuel
and reagent storage; fueling facilities;
laydown yards; an assay laboratory;
trailers; buildings; and communications
sites. Shared facilities with the nearby
Cortez Mine would include but not be
limited to the haul road, a potable water
well, water pipelines, warehouse and
maintenance shops, hazardous waste
storage, a petroleum-contaminated soils
facility, ore stockpiles, the Pipeline
Mill, carbon handling, a refinery, a
laboratory, and the Pipeline Area 28
tailings storage facility.
The Partial Backfill Alternative would
be the same as described for the
proposed action, with the requirement
that the Gold Pan Pit would be
PO 00000
Frm 00064
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
backfilled to prevent the establishment
of a post-mining pit lake.
Under the No Action Alternative, the
development of the Robertson Mine
Project would not be authorized and
NGM would not construct, operate,
close, and reclaim a new surface mine.
Modifications to the Exploration Plan
boundary, the Cortez Mine Plan
boundary, and the Pipeline-South
Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan
boundary would not occur.
Based on the analyses contained in
the EIS for the proposed Robertson Mine
Project, and after carefully considering
input received from the public and
cooperating agencies, the BLM has
selected the Partial Backfill Alternative
as the BLM’s preferred alternative.
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 but did
not significantly change the impact
analyses.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jon D. Sherve,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2024–22867 Filed 10–3–24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331–21–P
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
National Park Service
[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–NPS0038781;
PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP14.R50000]
Notice of Inventory Completion:
Western Washington University,
Department of Anthropology,
Bellingham, WA
National Park Service, Interior.
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
In accordance with the Native
American Graves Protection and
Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), the
Western Washington University,
Department of Anthropology (WWU)
has completed an inventory of human
remains and associated funerary objects
and has determined that there is a
cultural affiliation between the human
remains and associated funerary objects
and Indian Tribes or Native Hawaiian
organizations in this notice.
DATES: Repatriation of the human
remains and associated funerary objects
in this notice may occur on or after
November 4, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Dr. Judith Pine, Western
Washington University, Department of
Anthropology, Arntzen Hall 340, 516
High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225,
SUMMARY:
E:\FR\FM\04OCN1.SGM
04OCN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 80918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22867]
[[Page 80918]]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500181594]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Robertson Mine Project, Lander
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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for Nevada Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Robertson Mine Project.
DATES: The BLM will not issue a decision on the proposal for a minimum
of 30 days after the date that the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) publishes its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal
Register. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.
ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are
available for review on the BLM National NEPA Register website at
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023088/510.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, Project Manager,
telephone: (775) 635-4164; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain,
Nevada 89820; email: [email protected]. 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
telecommunication relay services for contacting Mr. Kirkwood.
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:
Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action
The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to NGM's proposal,
as described in its proposed plan of operations, and to analyze the
potential environmental effects associated with the proposed action,
which is the operator's proposed plan of operations, and alternatives
to the proposed action. NEPA mandates that the BLM evaluate the
potential effects of the proposed action and develop alternatives. The
BLM's need for the action is established by the BLM's responsibilities
under Section 302 of FLPMA and the BLM Surface Management Regulations
at 43 CFR subpart 3809 to respond to a proposed plan of operations and
ensure that operations prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the
public lands.
Proposed Action and Alternatives
Under the proposed plan of operations, NGM would construct,
operate, close, and reclaim a new surface mine within the Shoshone
Range approximately 58 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, Nevada, and
70 miles southwest of Elko, Nevada. The proposed action would result in
changes to the authorized Robertson Exploration Plan boundary (NVN-
067688), the Cortez Mine Plan boundary (NVN-67575), and the Pipeline-
South Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan boundary (NVN-067261). If
the Robertson Mine Project Plan is approved, these authorized plans
would be modified subsequent to that approval.
The boundary of the proposed plan of operations would encompass
5,990 acres. The total disturbance associated with the proposed action,
including existing, reclassified, and exploration, would be 4,356
acres, with 4,177 acres on land administered by the BLM and 179 acres
on private land. The proposed surface mining activities for the
Robertson Mine would include: three open pits (Gold Pan, Porphyry, and
Altenburg Hill); haul roads; a waste rock facility; a heap leach
facility, including a lined pad, process solution ponds and vaults, and
carbon-in-column plant; and ancillary facilities, including three-stage
crushing with associated conveyors; ore stockpiles; growth media
stockpiles; a gravel borrow source; secondary roads; stormwater
controls and diversions; a truck scale; power lines and electrical
substations; water production, dewatering, and monitoring wells; water
pipelines and loadouts; ready lines; fuel and reagent storage; fueling
facilities; laydown yards; an assay laboratory; trailers; buildings;
and communications sites. Shared facilities with the nearby Cortez Mine
would include but not be limited to the haul road, a potable water
well, water pipelines, warehouse and maintenance shops, hazardous waste
storage, a petroleum-contaminated soils facility, ore stockpiles, the
Pipeline Mill, carbon handling, a refinery, a laboratory, and the
Pipeline Area 28 tailings storage facility.
The Partial Backfill Alternative would be the same as described for
the proposed action, with the requirement that the Gold Pan Pit would
be backfilled to prevent the establishment of a post-mining pit lake.
Under the No Action Alternative, the development of the Robertson
Mine Project would not be authorized and NGM would not construct,
operate, close, and reclaim a new surface mine. Modifications to the
Exploration Plan boundary, the Cortez Mine Plan boundary, and the
Pipeline-South Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan boundary would not
occur.
Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed
Robertson Mine Project, and after carefully considering input received
from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected the
Partial Backfill Alternative as the BLM's preferred alternative.
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 but
did not significantly change the impact analyses.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)
Jon D. Sherve,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2024-22867 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
