[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]
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