[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 14 (Thursday, January 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3344-3345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-1517]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management
[NV-010-1990-09]


Notice of Intent; Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

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

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SUMMARY: On August 31, 1994 pursuant to Section 102(2)(c) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, the Bureau of 
Land Management, Elko Field Office published a Notice of Intent to 
prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement (EIS) with 
respect to Barrick Goldstrike Mines Inc.'s (Barrick) Betze Project. At 
that time, the Bureau had determined the need to prepare the 
Supplemental EIS to assess the environmental impacts of the pumping and 
water management operations associated with Barrick's mining 
operations. Since the Notice of Intent was published, Barrick has begun 
discharging water produced by groundwater pumping operations to the 
Humboldt River under a permit from the Nevada Division of Environmental 
Protection. In addition, Barrick and Elko Land and Livestock Company 
(ELLCO) submitted an application to amend an existing water pipeline 
right-of-way from 40 feet to 80 feet in width to accommodate 
installation of approximately 4,000 linear feet of buried 48-inch steel 
pipeline. The additional pipeline would be used to increase the 
operational efficiency of discharging water to either the Humboldt 
River or to irrigation and infiltration. The Bureau of Land Management 
is publishing this supplemental Notice of Intent to advise the public 
of the application to amend the right-of-way and to seek any

[[Page 3345]]

additional comments or concerns to be addressed in preparation of the 
Supplemental EIS.

EFFECTIVE DATES: This notice re-initiates public scoping for the 
supplemental Betze EIS. A scoping meeting will be held on February 5, 
1998, at the Bureau of Land Management, Elko Field Office, 3900 E. 
Idaho, Elko, Nevada. The public is invited to attend the meeting 
scheduled from 4:30 pm until 6:30 pm to review the project and identify 
issues and concerns which need to be addressed in the Supplemental EIS. 
Representatives from the Bureau of Land Management and Barrick will be 
available during the meeting to answer questions. Written comments on 
the scope of the EIS will also be accepted until February 16, 1998. A 
draft supplemental environmental impact statement (DSEIS) is expected 
to be completed by the summer of 1998 and made available for public 
review and comment. At that time a Notice of Availability of the DSEIS 
will be published in the Federal Register. The comment period on the 
DSEIS 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, 3900 E. Idaho St., Elko, 
NV 89801. ATTN: Supplemental Betze EIS Coordinator. For additional 
information, write to the above address or call Nick Rieger at (702) 
753-0200.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In response to a Plan of Operations 
submitted in April 1989, the Bureau of Land Management, Elko Field 
Office prepared an environmental impact statement (EIS) with respect to 
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. This new information indicates that the highly 
transmissive area from which the groundwater is to be pumped is more 
extensive than projected at the time the Betze EIS was prepared. As a 
result, Barrick has been pumping groundwater at higher rates than 
projected in the Betze EIS, and a greater volume of water has been 
produced. In addition to delivering water to a local rancher for 
irrigation uses as described in the Betze EIS, Barrick has implemented 
reinjection and infiltration programs to return more water to the 
groundwater system, and has obtained approval to discharge water to the 
Humboldt River from the state of Nevada. Barrick and ELLCO are now 
proposing to install approximately 4,000 linear feet of buried 48-inch 
steel pipeline next to an existing pipeline they are using to discharge 
water to improve operational flexibility of the existing Boulder Valley 
water management system. The second pipeline would allow Barrick to by-
pass a water treatment plant when the water is discharged for 
irrigation and infiltration.
    In the Notice of Intent published on August 31, 1994, the Bureau 
proposed 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 Bureau stated that 
the supplemental EIS would assess the cumulative impacts of groundwater 
pumping to lower elevations and for longer periods of time than is 
associated with mining of other deposits situated on lands within the 
area in which groundwater levels are being lowered. By this notice, the 
Bureau is proposing to expand the original scope to evaluate the 
environmental impacts of installing the proposed pipeline and to 
determine whether there may be any adverse environmental impacts that 
were not specifically identified in the Betze EIS that may be mitigated 
under the terms of the Betze Record of Decision.
    In response to the initial Notice of Intent and a Dear Interested 
Party letter dated September 2, 1994, the Bureau received eleven 
written and nine oral comments. Based on these comments and the BLM's 
internal review, five issues of concern were identified and are 
currently the focus of the supplemental EIS:
    Potential impacts to surface and ground water resources, including 
the Humboldt River;
    Potential impacts to livestock operations;
    Potential impacts to threatened and endangered species;
    Potential impacts to riparian and wetland vegetation; and
    Potential impacts to wildlife and fisheries resources.
    Through this supplemental Notice, the Bureau is soliciting any 
additional comments on the scope of the supplemental EIS to assist the 
Bureau in identifying and considering additional issues and concerns to 
be analyzed in the supplemental EIS. Comments submitted in response to 
this supplemental Notice of Intent should be directed to the attention 
of Nick Rieger, Project Manager at the Bureau of Land Management, Elko 
Field Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada 89801. Comments must 
be received by the close of business on February 16, 1998.

    Dated: January 7, 1998.
Helen Hankins,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 98-1517 Filed 1-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P