[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 69 (Thursday, April 10, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Page 17631]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-9172]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[CA-CACA 31137, DES 97-10]


Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Needles Resource Area.

ACTION: Notice of availability for the Castle Mountain Mine Expansion 
Project, Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact 
Report, and notice of comment period and public meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and in coordination with the County of 
San Bernardino in its administration of the California Environmental 
Quality Act, as amended, notice is given that the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) has prepared, with the assistance of a third-party 
consultant, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR), on the proposed Castle Mountain Mine Expansion 
Project, and has made copies available for public and agency review. 
This notice also announces public meetings for the purpose of receiving 
comments on the draft document.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR must be received no later 
than 4 p.m., May 28, 1997. Oral and/or written comments may also be 
presented at two public meetings. The public meetings will be held at 
the following times and locations: 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 29, 1997 at 
the Holiday Inn, 1511 East Main Street, Barstow, California; 7 p.m., 
Wednesday, April 30, 1997 at the Searchlight Community Center, Parks 
and Recreation Department, 200 Michael Wendall Way, Searchlight, 
Nevada.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: George R. 
Meckfessel, U.S.D.I., Bureau of Land Management, Needles Resource Area, 
101 West Spikes Road, Needles, California 92363.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: George R. Meckfessel, Planning and 
Environmental Coordinator, telephone (619) 326-7000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Viceroy Gold Corporation has proposed to 
mine additional ore adjacent to deposits currently being mined at the 
Castle Mountain Mine, San Bernardino, California, an open-pit, heap-
leach gold mine. Under the present operating permits, mining, 
processing and reclamation activities could continue through December 
31, 2010. Under the proposed expansion, these activities would continue 
through December 31, 2020. The Proposed Action consists of expanding 
existing and planned open pit areas, expanding the existing heap leach 
pad, creating a new overburden storage site and expanding growth media 
storage areas on approximately 490 additional acres. The action would 
also incorporate mine pit backfilling on 140 acres of open mine pits. 
The proposed 10-year extension of the mining and processing phases of 
the mine would ultimately affect up to 1,380 acres of public and 
private lands, as compared to the 890 acres presently authorized.
    The Draft EIS/EIR has examined potentially significant impacts to 
geology, water resources, including groundwater quality and quantity, 
vegetation, wildlife, air quality, visual resources, cultural 
resources, land use, and hazards.
    Public participation has occurred throughout the planning process. 
A Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on July 18 and 
August 29, 1995. Public scoping meetings were held in August 1995.
Molly S. Brady,
Acting Area Manager.
[FR Doc. 97-9172 Filed 4-9-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P