[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 16 (Wednesday, January 24, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1942-1943]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-915]



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[[Page 1943]]


DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
[NV-030-96-1990-02, N36-86-003P]


Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on 
an Amended Plan of Operations for Kennecott Rawhide Mining Company in 
Mineral County, Nevada; and Notice of Scoping Period and Public Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Carson City District Office.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and 43 CFR Part 3809, the Bureau of Land Management 
will be directing the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement 
to be produced by a third-party contractor on the impacts of a proposed 
amended Plan of Operations for expansion of the existing Denton-Rawhide 
Mine, an open-pit heap leach gold/silver mine operated by Kennecott 
Rawhide Mining Company, in Mineral County, Nevada. The Bureau invites 
comments on the scope of the analysis.

EFFECTIVE DATES: An open-house meeting will be held February 15, 1996, 
from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Bureau of Land Management, Carson City 
District Office, 1535 Hot Springs Road, Carson City, NV to allow the 
public an opportunity to identify issues and concerns to be addressed 
in the Environmental Impact Statement. Representatives of Kennecott 
Rawhide Mining Company will be available to answer questions about the 
amended Plan of Operations. Additional scoping meetings may be held as 
appropriate. Written comments on the Plan of Operations and the scope 
of the Environmental Impact Statement will be accepted until March 1, 
1996.
    A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be completed 
by late spring 1996 and made available for public review and comment. 
At that time a Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement will be published in the Federal Register. The comment period 
on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be 60 days from the 
date the Notice of Availability is published.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scoping comments may be sent to: 
District Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 1535 Hot Springs Road, 
Carson City, NV 89706. ATTN: Rawhide Environmental Impact Statement 
Project Manager.
    For additional information, write to the above address or call 
Terri Knutson at (702) 885-6156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Kennecott Rawhide Mining Company of Fallon, 
Nevada has submitted an amended Plan of Operations for expansion of the 
existing Denton-Rawhide Mine located approximately 55 miles southeast 
of Fallon, Nevada. The proposed operation would include: Development 
and condemnation drilling necessary for development of future 
operations; expansion of the open-pit and waste rock disposal area; 
construction of an additional leach pad and solution ponds to 
accommodate processing of Run-of-Mine ore; and the relocation of the 
stormwater diversion channel beyond the limits of the active mine 
workings. Existing permitted surface disturbance within the project 
area is 1,086 acres. The proposal would disturb an additional 426 acres 
for a total of 1,512 acres disturbance of public and private land 
within the project area.
    The Environmental Impact Statement will address: surface and 
groundwater quantity and quality; geology and minerals; air quality; 
vegetation resources; soils; wildlife; threatened, endangered, or 
candidate animal and plant species; range resources; land uses and 
access; recreation; social and economic values; cultural resources; 
reclamation; hazardous materials; and cumulative impacts. These topics 
will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team and will include review 
of the proposed amended Plan of Operations as well as other pertinent 
environmental documents and studies. A range of alternatives (including 
but not limited to alternative reclamation measures and the no-action 
alternative), as well as mitigating measures, will be considered to 
evaluate and minimize environmental impacts and to assure that the 
proposed action does not result in undue or unnecessary degradation of 
public lands.
    Federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or 
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the Bureau's 
decision on the amended Plan of Operations are invited to participate 
in the scoping process with respect to this environmental analysis. 
These entities and individuals are also invited to submit comments on 
the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
    It is important that those interested in the proposal participate 
in the scoping and commenting processes. Comments should be as specific 
as possible.
    The tentative project schedule is as follows:

Begin Public Comment Period--January 1996
Issuance of Draft Environmental Impact Statement--May 1996
File Final Environmental Impact Statement--August 1996
Record of Decision--October 1996
Begin Expansion of Operation--Spring of 1997

    The Bureau of Land Management's scoping process for the 
Environmental Impact Statement will include: (1) Identification of 
issues to be addressed; (2) Identification of viable alternatives; (3) 
Notification of interested groups, individuals, and agencies so that 
additional information concerning these issues, or other additional 
issues, can be obtained.


    Dated: January 11, 1996.
John O. Singlaub,
Carson City District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-915 Filed 1-23-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P