[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 168 (Tuesday, August 29, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52435-52436]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-21988]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-067-1990; CA-40204]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Report/
Environmental Impact Statement on the Proposed Expansion of the 
Existing Mesquite Gold Mine

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Newmont Gold Company, operator of the Mesquite gold mine

[[Page 52436]]

located in Imperial County, California, has proposed to expand mining 
operations by a plan modification submitted to the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM), El Centro Field Office, on November 30, 1998. 
Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321-4347), and the California Environmental Quality 
Act (Public Resources Code, section 21000, et seq.), the BLM and the 
Imperial County Planning and Building Department, as lead agencies, 
have prepared, through a third-party contractor, a Draft Environmental 
Impact Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the impacts 
of the Mesquite Mine expansion which would extend the mine life through 
the year 2006. The Draft EIR/EIS presents a preferred alternative 
derived from seven alternatives, including the companies proposed 
action. The preferred alternative is the agencies' attempt to reduce or 
avoid the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action. The 
Draft EIR/EIS discloses the possible environmental consequences 
associated with each alternative.

DATES: A Final EIR/EIS will be prepared following a 60 day comment 
period on the Draft EIR/EIS. This comment period will end on October 
30, 2000. The Final EIR/EIS will be published approximately 30 days 
following the Draft EIR/EIS comment period.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Draft EIR/EIS will be available from the 
Imperial County Planning and Building Department, 939 Main Street, El 
Centro, CA 92243; telephone (760) 482-4236, extension 4310.
    Public reading copies will be available for review at the following 
locations: (1) Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, 2800 
Cottage Way, Sacramento, CA; (2) Bureau of Land Management, El Centro 
Field Office, 1661 South Main Street, El Centro, CA; (3) Imperial 
County Planning and Building Department, 939 Main Street, El Centro, 
CA; (4) local libraries in San Diego County, California, and Imperial 
County, California; and in the town of Yuma, Arizona. Text of the Draft 
EIR/EIS will be posted at the Bureau of Land Management Web site: //
www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/mesquite/

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jurg Heuberger, Imperial County 
Planning and Building Department, 939 Main Street, El Centro, CA; 
telephone (760) 482-4236 extension 4310; or Kevin Marty, Bureau of Land 
Management, 1661 South 4th Street, El Centro, CA; telephone (760) 337-
4422.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Mesquite Mine began operations under an 
approved plan of operations during 1985. Since this time, plan 
modifications and expansions have occurred, which are summarized within 
the approved Mesquite Mine consolidated plan of operations dated 
October, 1995. On November 30, 1998, Newmont Gold Company, operator of 
the Mesquite Mine, submitted a plan of operations for an expansion of 
the mine. The existing mine site encompasses 5,200 acres, of which 
3,655 acres have been disturbed by mining activities to date. The total 
area proposed for disturbance under the expansion is 693 acres, of 
which 190 acres would be new, unpermitted disturbance.
    The expansion would allow the company to continue extracting and 
processing economical gold deposits, delineated by drilling programs 
initiated during 1988 and continuing to date. Current ore reserves 
would be depleted by the end of year 2000, while expansion would 
increase the mine life a projected seven years into year 2006. The plan 
modification proposes to process approximately 89 million tons of ore 
and 242 million tons of waste rock. The Big Chief and Rainbow pit 
expansions would encompass approximately 350 acres of Federal, State 
and private (patented) land, of which 76 acres would be new, 
unpermitted land disturbance. The plan modification also describes 
alternative methods for storage of waste rock, either in existing 
mined-out open pits, at new or expanded out-of-pit storage areas, or a 
combination of both; and construction of ancillary facilities including 
roads, fencing and drainage diversions.

    Dated: August 23, 2000.
Greg Thomsen,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 00-21988 Filed 8-28-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P