82 FR 46830 - Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Gold Bar Mine Project, Eureka County, Nevada

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 82, Issue 193 (October 6, 2017)

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) Mount Lewis Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Gold Bar Mine Project (Project) in Eureka County, Nevada, and by this Notice is announcing its availability.

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 193 (Friday, October 6, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46830-46831]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2017-21599]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVB00000.L51100000.GN0000.LVEMF1703550.211B.17XMO#4500108947]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Gold Bar Mine Project, Eureka 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) Mount Lewis 
Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Gold Bar Mine Project 
(Project) in Eureka County, Nevada, 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 the FEIS for the Project and other documents 
pertinent to this proposal may be reviewed at the Mount Lewis Field 
Office: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820. The document is 
available for download at http://bit.ly/2gyfZms.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Gabriel--Project Manager, 
telephone 775-635-4000; address 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, 
Nevada 89820; email [email protected]. 
Contact Christine Gabriel to have your name added to the project 
mailing list. 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: McEwen Mining Inc. (MMI) proposes to develop 
a gold mine in the southwest portion of the Roberts Mountains 
approximately 30 miles northwest of Eureka, Nevada. The mine plan 
boundary encompasses 5,362 acres of public lands and 199 acres of 
private lands located in Eureka County, Nevada. The proposed Project 
would include four open pits; waste rock dump areas (WRDAs); crushing, 
screening, and agglomeration facilities; heap leach pads (HLP), an 
associated process solution pond, and an event pond; an adsorption, 
desorption, and recovery (ADR) plant including barren and pregnant 
solution tanks; ancillary and other facilities including an explosive 
storage area, ammonium nitrate prill silos, liquid natural gas (LNG) 
Cryostorage or compressed natural gas (CNG) generators with a switch 
station, a truck shop and wash bay, a ready line, landfill, laydown 
areas, water and power infrastructure, buildings, yards, parking, 
storage, growth media stockpiles, production water wells (GBPW-210 and 
GBPW-211) and an associated water supply pipeline, groundwater 
monitoring wells (GBMW-01, GBMW-03, and GBMW-04), communication 
facilities, potable water and fire water facilities, septic systems, 
and fencing; and mine access roads (Three Bars Road, Atlas Haul Road, 
North Roberts Creek Road, Bypass Road [NVN-91566], and Roberts Creek 
Road). The Project would disturb 1,154 acres, including re-disturbing 
420 acres of existing, non-reclaimed disturbance from a previous 
abandoned mining operation; 718 acres of new disturbance; and 16 acres 
of new disturbance as a result of exploration. Of the 1,154 acres, 185 
acres would be on private land, and 969 acres would be on public land.
    The proposed pit depths would not intercept groundwater. No pit 
dewatering would be necessary and no pit lakes are anticipated to form 
after mining operations end. The Final EIS, through scoping and a 45-
day public comment period, has identified and analyzed impacts to the 
following resources areas: Water resources, air quality, vegetation 
resources, wildlife, grazing management, land use and access, 
aesthetics (noise and visual), cultural resources, paleontological 
resources, geological resources (including minerals and soils), 
recreation, social and economic values, hazardous materials, Native 
American cultural concerns, and wild horses. The proposed project area 
does not have any lands with wilderness characteristics (LWCs). The 
Pony Express National Historic Trail crosses existing Three Bars and 
North Roberts Creek Roads; however, public and recreational access to 
the National Historic Trail would not be affected by mining activities.
    The FEIS describes and analyzes the proposed Project's direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition 
to the proposed Project, four alternatives were analyzed including the 
25kV Overhead Distribution Line Alternative, the Three Bars Road/Atlas 
Haul Road as Only Access Alternative, the Mount Hope and North Roberts 
Creek Road for Light Vehicle Traffic Alternative, and the No Action 
Alternative. The Draft EIS was released for a 45-day public comment 
period, which ended April 17, 2017. A public meeting was held in 
Eureka, Nevada on March 22, 2017. A total of 2,178 comment letters were 
received from the general public, agencies, special interest groups, 
businesses and organizations. The FEIS responds to all comments 
received. These public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying 
text, but did not significantly change the analysis. Based on the 
analysis in the FEIS, the BLM has determined that the preferred 
alternative is the approval of the Project, with accompanying 
mitigation measures and voluntary applicant-committed

[[Page 46831]]

environmental protection measures. The BLM has used and coordinated the 
NEPA scoping and comment process to help fulfill the public involvement 
process under the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 
306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)--and continues to do so. The 
information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed Project has assisted the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of 
both NEPA and Title 54 of the NHPA.
    The BLM has consulted and continues to consult with Indian tribes 
on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 
13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including potential impacts 
to areas of critical cultural and spiritual significance and potential 
impacts to cultural resources have been analyzed in the Final EIS.
    Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, a 
Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued. The decision reached in the 
ROD is subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The 30-
day appeal period begins with the issuance of the ROD.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.

Joseph S. Moskiewicz,
Acting Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2017-21599 Filed 10-5-17; 8:45 am]
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