83 FR 35676 - Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Gold Rock Mine Project, White Pine County, Nevada

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management

Federal Register Volume 83, Issue 145 (July 27, 2018)

In accordance 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) Bristlecone Field Office, Ely, Nevada, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Gold Rock Mine Project (Project), White Pine County, Nevada, and by this notice is announcing its availability.

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35676-35678]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16093]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVL00000. L51100000.GN0000. LVEMF1604790. 241A.18X; MO#4500101127]


Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Gold Rock Mine Project, White Pine County, 
Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability for the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Gold Rock Mine Project, White Pine County, 
Nevada.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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) Bristlecone 
Field Office, Ely, Nevada, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the Gold Rock Mine Project (Project), White Pine 
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 Final EIS for the Gold Rock Mine Project and 
other documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Bristlecone Field Office: 702 North Industrial Way, Ely, Nevada. The 
document is available for download on the internet at: http://on.doi.gov/1zAxyW9.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Maria Ryan, Project Manager, (775) 
289-1888; [email protected]. 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: The Gold Rock Mine Project would involve 
construction and operation of an open-pit gold mine on public land in 
White Pine County, Nevada. Midway Gold U.S. was the original proponent. 
GRP Gold Rock, LLC Inc. (GRP) purchased the project in 2016. The 
project would involve expansion of an existing open pit and 
construction of two waste rock disposal areas, heap leaching facilities 
with an adsorption/desorption refining plant, a carbon-in-leach plant, 
a tailings storage facility, roads, ancillary support facilities, and 
exploration areas. A 69kV power line would be built and tied into an 
existing power line with the Pan Mine located north of the project 
area. Water with which GRP has rights would be supplied via an existing 
well located on BLM-administered lands south of the main Project 
footprint. Construction and mining operations would occur within the 
fenced 8,757 acres and would disturb 3,946 acres. The proposed action 
also includes 200 acres of exploration disturbance in addition to the 
267 acres of previously authorized exploration outside the fenced area.
    The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed project site-
specific impacts (including cumulative effects) on all affected 
resources. The Final EIS describes eight alternatives: (1) The Proposed 
Action; (2) the Northern Power Line Route Alternative; (3) the Southern 
Power Line Route Alternative; (4) the Northwest Main Access Route 
Alternative, Northern Power Line Route; (5) the Northwest Main Access 
Route Alternative, Southern Power Line Route; (6) the Modified County 
Road Re-Route Alternative; (7) the Western Tailings Storage Facility 
Alternative; and (8) the No Action Alternative.

1. Proposed Action

    The proposed Project would be constructed and operated in the same 
geographic area as the reclaimed and closed Easy Junior Mine. The 
proposed Project consists of an open pit, two waste rock disposal 
areas, a heap leach pad and processing ponds, a carbon-in-leach plant, 
a tailings storage facility, haul and access roads, growth medium 
stockpiles, ancillary support facilities, and exploration associated 
with mining operation. Also under the Proposed Action, a 69-kV 
transmission line would extend south from the Pan Mine, east of and 
parallel to the approved Pan Mine Southwest Power Line, then extend 
southeast to the mine area. The site would be accessed using the 
existing main access route from US 50 on Green Springs Road (CR 5), 
then west on BLM Road 1179 (BLM 1179)/CR 1204, then south on Easy 
Junior Road (CR 1177) to the proposed mine area. Also under the 
Proposed Action, a county road that currently passes through the Gold 
Rock Mine Project area would be re-located onto existing and new BLM 
and county roads. Total disturbance in the project area would be 
approximately 3,946 acres.

[[Page 35677]]

2. Northern Power Line Route Alternative

    The Northern Power Line Route Alternative was developed to minimize 
potential impacts to Greater sage-grouse and its habitat due to surface 
disturbance and from raptors using the power line between the Pan Mine 
and the Project as a perch to hunt for prey. This power line route 
would be shorter than the Proposed Action power line route. Fewer acres 
of Greater sage-grouse Priority Habitat Management Area (PHMA) and 
General Habitat Management Area (GHMA) would be disturbed and fewer 
acres of PHMA and GHMA would be located within 600 meters of the power 
line, as compared to the Proposed Action.

3. Southern Power Line Route Alternative

    The Southern Power Line Route Alternative also was developed to 
minimize potential impacts to Greater sage-grouse and its habitat due 
to surface disturbance and from raptors using the power line as a perch 
to hunt for prey. This power line route would be shorter than Proposed 
Action power line route or the Northern Power Line Route Alternative. 
Fewer acres of PHMA and GHMA would be disturbed and fewer acres of PHMA 
and GHMA would be located within 600 meters of the power line, as 
compared to the Proposed Action power line or Northern Power Line Route 
Alternative.

4. Northwest Main Access Route Alternative, Northern Power Line Route

    The Northwest Main Access Route Alternative, Northern Power Line 
Route was developed to address concerns about potential noise impacts 
to Greater sage-grouse. It would include the benefits of the Northern 
Power Line Route Alternative, and would move most mine-related traffic 
away from known active Greater sage-grouse leks. This alternative would 
also contribute to fewer potential vehicular collisions with big game 
due to its distance away from a known migration route for the Ruby 
Mountain mule deer herd.

5. Northwest Main Access Route Alternative, Southern Power Line Route

    The Northwest Main Access Route Alternative, Southern Power Line 
Route was developed to address concerns about potential noise impacts 
to Greater sage-grouse. It would include the benefits of the Southern 
Power Line Route Alternative and would move most mine-related traffic 
away from known active Greater sage-grouse leks. This alternative would 
also contribute to fewer vehicular collisions with big game due to its 
distance away from a known migration route for the Ruby Mountain mule 
deer herd.

6. Modified County Road Re-Route Alternative

    The Modified County Road Re-route Alternative was developed to 
lessen impacts to GHMA. This alternative would involve use of existing 
roads rather than construction of a segment of new road in Greater 
sage-grouse habitat.

7. Western Tailings Storage Facility Alternative

    The Western Tailings Storage Facility Alternative was developed to 
address concerns about potential surface disturbance impacts to PHMA 
and loss of mule deer crucial winter range. Under this alternative, the 
tailings storage facility would be located to the west of the heap 
leach pile, outside of mule deer crucial winter range. The mine area's 
eastern fence line would be shifted to the west to minimize restriction 
of movement for Ruby mule deer herd in their crucial winter range.

8. No Action Alternative

    The No Action Alternative would not include any activities 
associated with the Proposed Action. Mineral resources in these areas 
of expansion would remain undeveloped. The construction and operation 
of the open pit, waste rock disposal areas, heap leach facilities, 
mill, tailings storage facility, and support facilities would not occur 
as currently proposed under the Proposed Action. The county road would 
not be re-routed. The exploration activities previously authorized 
under NVN-90376 for the project would continue, however. NEPA requires 
analysis of the No Action Alternative.
    The BLM's Preferred Alternative is a combination of the Northwest 
Main Access Route Alternative, Southern Power Line Route (Alternative 
5); the Modified County Road Re-route Alternative (Alternative 6); and 
the Western Tailings Storage Facility Alternative (Alternative 7). This 
Preferred Alternative would involve construction and operation of a 
shorter power line route than the Proposed Action by following the 
Southern Power Line Route. This power line would minimize surface 
disturbance impacts to PHMA and GHMA, as well as minimize potential 
raven and raptor predation of Greater sage-grouse. Total acres of 
surface disturbance in the Preferred Alternative are PHMA 1,872; GHMA 
1,641.
    In addition, the Preferred Alternative would use the Northwest Main 
Access Route, which would be located farther from known active leks 
than the Proposed Action, minimizing potential noise impacts to Greater 
sage-grouse. This route could contribute to fewer vehicular collisions 
with big game due to its distance from a known migration route for Area 
10 mule deer. The Preferred Alternative would use existing roads for 
the county road re-route as presented under the Modified County Road 
Re-route, minimizing new ground disturbance and impacts to GHMA.
    The Preferred Alternative would incorporate the Western Tailings 
Storage Facility Alternative by shifting the tailings storage facility 
and related mine facility locations westward which would minimize 
surface disturbance in PHMA and mule deer crucial winter range and also 
would slightly increase the surface disturbance in GHMA.
    The BLM identified action alternatives that would minimize impacts 
to the Greater sage-grouse, as well as mitigation measures to further 
avoid or minimize direct and indirect impacts PHMA and GHMA. In 
addition, the proponent committed to effective environmental protection 
measures, including mitigation measures to offset residual (long-term 
un-reclaimed) direct surface disturbance.
    The BLM prepared the Draft EIS in conjunction with its four 
cooperating agencies: The Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of the Duckwater 
Reservation, Nevada; White Pine County Board of County Commissioners; 
Eureka County Board of Commissioners; and the Nevada Department of 
Wildlife (NDOW). After issuance of the Draft EIS, in accordance with a 
Memorandum of Understanding between the BLM Nevada State Office and 
California State Office, and the Nevada Department of Conservation and 
Natural Resources, and the USFS Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 
completed on April 1, 2016, the BLM added the Nevada Department of 
Conservation and Natural Resources Sagebrush Ecosystem Technical Team 
(SETT) as a fifth cooperating agency.
    The BLM prepared and published a notice in the Ely Times, the 
Eureka Sentinel, the High Desert Advocate, and the Reno Gazette-Journal 
informing the public of the availability of the Draft EIS for review. 
The public was invited to provide written comments on the Draft EIS 
during the 45-day comment period. The BLM conducted public meetings in 
Ely, Eureka, and Reno during the review period for the Draft EIS.
    A total of 26 individual comment submittals containing 253 discrete 
comments were received from the cooperating agencies, the public, the 
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

[[Page 35678]]

(EPA), and the internal BLM review. The BLM considered all comments and 
incorporated them, as appropriate, into the FEIS. Those who submitted 
comments on the Draft EIS expressed concerns about the handling of 
leach solution and potentially acid-generating waste rock, and 
potential impacts to groundwater quality; loss of mule deer crucial 
winter range; potential impacts to Greater sage-grouse and their 
habitat; potential indirect impacts to the Railroad Valley springfish; 
loss of access to livestock grazing lands, including herding routes; 
long-term impacts to forage resource health in areas impacted by the 
proposed project; increased public accessibility to the area and 
impacts on private property; potential impacts on wild horses; 
potential impacts on Traditional Cultural Properties; socioeconomic 
impacts to the communities of Ely and Eureka, and to White Pine and 
Eureka counties; and particulate matter emissions and impacts to air 
quality. There were also comments received in general support for the 
mine. These public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying 
text, but did not significantly change the analysis. The proponent 
submitted a plan of operations for the Project in March 2013, and the 
BLM and EPA published notices of the availability of the Draft EIS in 
the Federal Register in February 2015. There have been several delays 
to completion of this Final EIS since 2013 due to sale of the mine, 
issuance of the Nevada and Northeast California Greater Sage-Grouse 
Land Use Plan Amendment (2015), and requests by the proponent to 
further address air quality concerns in 2016.The BLM has maintained on-
going coordination and consultation with the Duckwater Shoshone Tribe. 
Both the BLM and GRP have committed to ongoing coordination through the 
life of the mine and have a Programmatic Agreement in place with the 
Nevada State Historic Preservation Office to address issues that arise.
    Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, the 
BLM will issue a Record of Decision (ROD). The decision reached in the 
ROD will be subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. 
The 30-day appeal period will begin with the issuance of the ROD.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6 and 40 CFR 1506.10.

Mindy Seal,
Field Manager, Bristlecone Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-16093 Filed 7-26-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P