[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 90 (Thursday, May 9, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31365-31366]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-11445]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-670-1990; CA-40204]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Report 
(EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Proposed Mesquite 
Mine Expansion

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: Newmont Gold Company (NGC), operator of the Mesquite gold mine 
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 Imperial 
County, as lead agencies, have directed the preparation of a draft and 
final environmental impact report (EIR), environmental impact statement 
(EIS) by a third party contractor on the impacts of an expansion of 
this gold mining/processing operation, which would extend the mine a 
projected six years. The draft EIR/EIS was completed during August, 
2000, followed by a combined Federal and State 60 day public review 
period. Written comments on the draft were accepted until October 30, 
2000. The final EIR/EIS is an abbreviated document that consists of 
responses to comments on the draft and an errata section with specific 
modifications and corrections to the draft in response to comments. A 
revised executive summary and list of persons and agencies who received 
copies of the draft are also included. This information, in conjunction 
with the draft, constitutes the final EIR/EIS. The final EIR/EIS 
presents a preferred alternative derived from seven alternatives, 
including NGC's proposed action. The preferred alternative is the 
agencies' attempt to reduce or avoid the potential environmental 
impacts of the proposed action.

[[Page 31366]]


DATES: No action will be taken on the project for at least 30 days 
following publication of this notice.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the final EIR/EIS will be available at the 
Imperial County Planning and Building Department, 939 Main Street, El 
Centro, CA 92243; telephone (760) 482-4236, extension 4310. Text of the 
final is also available on-line at the BLM website: //www.ca.blm.gov/elcentro/mesquite/.
    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.

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 
new un-permitted area proposed for disturbance under the expansion is 
190 acres.
    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. The expansion would 
increase the mine life a projected six years. 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. Current project is inactive; however if the price 
of gold increases to a favorable level, operations may be resumed.

    Dated: March 5, 2002.
Greg Thomsen,
Field Manger.
[FR Doc. 02-11445 Filed 5-8-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-40-P