The Winnemucca District, Black Rock Field Office has prepared a draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Hycroft Mine Expansion Project. You are invited to submit substantive comments on the DEIS through March 12, 2012. For more information, please follow the [link]
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_information/nepa0/minerals/hycrof...
[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 18 (Friday, January 27, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4360-4361]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1458]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[LLNVW0300.L51100000. GN0000.LVEMF1000880 241A; 12-08807; MO
4500030363; TAS: 14X5017]
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for the Hycroft Mine Expansion, Humboldt and Pershing
Counties, NV
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) Winnemucca
District, Black Rock Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada has prepared a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Hycroft Mine
Expansion and by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment
period.
DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive
written comments on the Hycroft Mine Expansion Draft EIS within 45 days
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce
future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities
at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases,
and/or mailings.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Hycroft Mine
Expansion Draft EIS by any of the following methods:
Web site: www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo/blm_information/nepa0.html.
Email: wfoweb_comments@blm.gov.
Fax: (775) 623-1503.
Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Winnemucca District
Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445, Attn.
Kathleen Rehberg.
Copies of the Hycroft Mine Expansion Draft EIS are available in the
Winnemucca District Office at the above address.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Rehberg, Project Lead,
telephone (775) 623-1500; address 5100 E. Winnemucca Boulevard,
Winnemucca, Nevada 89445; email: wfoweb@blm.gov. Persons who use a
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-(800) 877-8339 to contact the
above individual during normal business hours. The FIRS 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: Hycroft Resources Development Inc., (HRDI)
proposes to expand mining activities at the existing Hycroft Mine on
BLM-managed public land and on private land in Humboldt and Pershing
counties, approximately 55 miles west of Winnemucca, Nevada, on the
west flank of the Kamma Mountains. HRDI submitted an amended Plan of
Operations to the BLM for approval, which proposes to expand the
existing project boundary of 8,858 acres an additional 5,895 acres for
a total project area of approximately 14,753 acres of public and
private land. The Hycroft Mine currently employs approximately 205
workers. The proposed expansion would increase the mine life by
approximately 12 years and increase employment to approximately 537
mine personnel.
The Draft EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed expansion, which includes 2,173 acres of
new surface disturbance. An updated inventory of wilderness
characteristics was used for the analysis of potential impacts
associated with this project. The existing open pit operation and
associated disturbance would be
[[Page 4361]]
increased from 1,371 acres of public land to 3,428 acres of public
land. Disturbance on private land controlled by HRDI would be increased
from 1,692 acres to 1,807 acres. The additional acreage in the project
boundary would be used for exploration.
The Draft EIS analyzes two alternatives; the Proposed Action and
the No Action Alternative.
The Proposed Action, if selected by the BLM, would include:
Expansion of the plan boundary and use of the entire project area for
exploration; incorporation of five rights-of-way; expand four existing
open pits; the backfilling of all or portions of three open pits; build
a dispatch center and expand maintenance facilities; expansion of haul
and secondary roads, waste rock facilities, and heap leach facilities;
expansion of existing and construction of two ready line and heavy
equipment fueling areas; expansion of existing waste rock facilities;
the operation a portable crusher with conveyors at the south heap leach
facility; construct, operate, and then close the south heap leach
facility, Merrill-Crowe process plant, and solution ponds; relocation
of a segment of the Seven Troughs Road to bypass the south heap leach
facility; expansion of the existing refinery and the Brimstone Merrill-
Crowe plant; construct storm water diversions, install culverts, and
other storm water controls; close the existing Class III landfill and
construct a new Class III landfill; the drilling of one potable-water
well and one process-water well; the relocation of the existing
Brimstone substation, upgrade the existing Crofoot substation, and
extension of power lines to new process areas; construction of growth
media stockpiles; and reclaimation of the project consistent with the
proposed reclamation plan.
Under the No-Action Alternative the BLM would not approve the
proposed plan of operations and there would be no expansion. HRDI would
continue mining activities under the previously approved plans of
operation.
Three other alternatives were considered, then eliminated: Daylight
Hours Operation, Modified Exploration Activities, and Different Waste
Rock Dump and Heap Leach Pad Configurations.
A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Proposed Hycroft Mine
Expansion was published in the Federal Register on April 1, 2011 (76 FR
18243). Ten comments were received during a 90-day scoping period. The
comments stated concerns about lighting impacts to night skies and the
economic benefits including jobs. The proponent prepared a lighting
plan designed to lessen the impacts of light outside the project area
by using directional lighting, and lowering or moving light sources.
Other issues raised during initial internal and external scoping were
possible impacts from acid mine drainage and the proximity of the mine
to the Black Rock Desert-High Rock Canyon-Emigrant Trails National
Conservation Area (NCA). A Waste Rock Characterization Report has been
completed for the various types of rock to be mined, and the specific
measures that would be taken to prevent acid rock drainage will be
outlined in the Draft EIS. While outside of the NCA, the project is
within visual range of the NCA. Mitigating the visual issue is the fact
that the mine has been in existence since 1987 and the NCA was
designated in 1990.
Please note that public comments and information submitted
including names, street addresses, and email addresses of persons who
submit comments will be available for public review and disclosure at
the above address during regular business hours (7:30 a.m. to 4:30
p.m.), Monday through Friday, except holidays.
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.
Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.
Gene Seidlitz,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2012-1458 Filed 1-26-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
