[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 168 (Wednesday, August 31, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-21460]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 31, 1994]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NV-010-94-4191-01]

 

Notice of Intent To Prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement and To Conduct Scoping for the Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc. 
Betze Project in Elko and Eureka Counties, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement and to conduct scoping for the Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc. 
Betze Project in Elko and Eureka Counties, Nevada.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management, Elko 
District Office, prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) with 
respect to Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc.'s (Barrick's) Betze Project. 
The Final EIS and Record of Decision for the Betze Project were issued 
on June 10, 1991. The Final EIS included a description of the 
environmental impacts projected to result from groundwater pumping 
conducted by Barrick to lower the local groundwater elevations below 
the proposed Betze mining operations. Since the Betze EIS was issued, 
Barrick's implementation of the pumping operations and its monitoring 
of groundwater elevations have provided new information regarding the 
pumping requirements and potential environmental impacts of pumping 
operations. The Bureau has determined that a Supplemental EIS should be 
prepared to assess the potential environmental impacts of the pumping 
and water management operations associated with Barrick's mining 
operations.

DATES: Written comments on the scoping process will be accepted through 
October 3, 1994. Public scoping meetings will be held beginning at 7:00 
p.m. on September 14, 1994, at the Bureau of Land Management, Elko 
District Office, 3900 E. Idaho St., Elko, Nevada, and beginning at 7:00 
p.m. on September 15, 1994, at the Holiday Inn, 1000 E. 6th St., Reno, 
Nevada.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning the scope of the supplemental 
analysis should be sent to Nick Rieger, Betze Project Leader, Bureau of 
Land Management, P.O. Box 831, Elko, Nevada 89803. Written comments may 
be sent to the above address on or before the close of business on 
October 3, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:For additional information, write to 
the above address or call Nick Rieger (702) 753-0200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a Plan of Operations 
submitted in April 1989, the Bureau of Land Management, Elko District 
Office, prepared an EIS with respect to Barrick's Betze Project. The 
Draft EIS for the Betze Project was issued on January 11, 1991, and a 
sixty-day public comment period, including two public meetings, 
followed. The Final EIS and Record of Decision for the Betze Project 
were issued on June 10, 1991. The Betze Project includes the 
development of Barrick's existing Post Pit laterally and deeper, to 
completely mine the Betze Deposit. Because the Betze Deposit is located 
below the elevation of the local groundwater system, Barrick must pump 
groundwater from the mine area to lower the groundwater table below 
mining operation levels. The Betze EIS described the projected pumping 
and water management operations and assessed the environmental impacts 
of those operations.
    Since the Betze EIS was issued, Barrick through operational 
experience and monitoring, has acquired additional information 
regarding the pumping rates required to lower groundwater elevations in 
the mining area. This includes the nature and extent of the rock type 
from which groundwater is being pumped and the hydrologic connection 
between the groundwater being pumped and surface waters in the vicinity 
of Barrick's mining operations. This new information indicates that the 
highly transmissive area from which the groundwater is being pumped is 
more extensive than projected at the time the Betze EIS was prepared. 
Consequently, the volume of water pumped and the rate of pumping is 
greater than originally predicted and analyzed. Barrick's monitoring 
program also indicates that groundwater levels are being drawn down 
over a larger area than projected at the time of the Betze EIS. The 
monitoring program has also provided additional data regarding the 
potential hydrologic connection between the groundwater being pumped 
and surface waters in the vicinity of Barrick's operations.
    Barrick is presently pumping approximately 68,500 gallons per 
minute (gpm) to lower the groundwater table. Barrick uses approximately 
2,000 to 4,000 gpm for mining and milling operations. Water not used in 
mining and milling flows into the TS Reservoir which is located about 
four miles southwest of the Betze Pit. During half the year about 
15,000 gpm is used for irrigation of alfalfa fields located down 
gradient from the reservoir in Boulder Valley. Another 20,000 gpm is 
injected or infiltrated into the groundwater in a portion of Boulder 
Valley. The bulk of the remaining water in the reservoir infiltrates 
into the water table through a high-angle fault located within the 
impoundment area. As a result, the water table beneath the reservoir 
has risen and mounded in Boulder Valley. This mounding has also created 
several springs and associated wetlands in the valley where the 
groundwater has intercepted the surface.
    The Bureau is proposing to contract with a third party for the 
preparation of a supplement to the Betze EIS that would describe the 
new information gathered since the Betze EIS was prepared and would 
describe any changes in the projected environmental impacts as a result 
of the new information. In addition, the Supplemental EIS will also 
assess the cumulative impacts of groundwater pumping to lower 
elevations and for longer periods of time associated with mining of 
other nearby deposits within the area from which groundwater would be 
pumped, e.g., the Deep Post and Meikle. It is anticipated that the 
Supplemental EIS will focus attention on five issues of special concern 
to the BLM: livestock operations, threatened and endangered species, 
wetland and riparian vegetation, wildlife and fisheries resources, and 
surface and groundwater resources including the potential effects from 
Barrick's operations on the Humboldt River.
    The Betze EIS Record of Decision included stipulations requiring 
Barrick to monitor the effect of its pumping operations on groundwater 
and also included stipulations specifically intended to mitigate the 
potential impacts of Barrick's groundwater pumping operations. The 
stipulations also included a requirement that Barrick establish a 
$1,000,000.00 fund for monitoring and mitigation of possible adverse 
environmental impacts that were not specifically identified in the 
Betze EIS. The Supplemental EIS will evaluate a range of mitigating 
measures to minimize these environmental impacts and to assure that 
Barrick's operations do not result in undue or unnecessary degradation 
of public lands. The special fund described above would be applied to 
any additional mitigation subsequently identified in the Supplemental 
EIS.
    It is important that those interested in this project participate 
in the scoping and commenting process. To achieve the best possible 
analysis, comments should be as specific as possible. The tentative 
project schedule is as follows:

Begin Public Comment Period--September 2, 1994
Issuance of Draft Supplemental EIS--August 30, 1995
File Final Supplemental EIS--December 29, 1995

    Comments on the scope of the supplemental EIS should be directed to 
the attention of Nick Rieger, Betze Project Leader at the Bureau of 
Land Management, Elko District Office, P.O. Box 831, Elko, Nevada 
89803. Comments must be received by the close of business on October 3, 
1994.

    Dated: August 25, 1994.
Rodney Harris,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 94-21460 Filed 8-30-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M