[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 112 (Thursday, June 10, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32605-32606]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13267]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-060-3809]


Notice of Availability; Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact 
Statement; Pit Expansion Project; Proposed Expansion of Existing Gold 
Mining/Processing Operations; Lander County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
    Cooperating Agency: Nevada Department of Wildlife.

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft supplemental environmental 
impact statement for the Pit Expansion Project, Lander County, Nevada.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 and the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
found at 40 CFR 1500-1508, notice is hereby given of the availability 
of the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for comment, 
prepared by the Battle Mountain Field Office of the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM). The statement analyzes the environmental effects of 
the Proposed Action, Complete Backfill Alternative, No Backfill 
Alternative, and the No Action Alternatives.

DATES: Written comments must be post-marked or otherwise delivered by 
4:30 p.m. (Pacific time zone) on July 26, 2004. Comments may also be 
presented at public meetings to be held in Battle Mountain, NV, and 
Crescent Valley, NV. Dates of public meetings will be announced through 
the local newspapers.
    A limited number of copies of the Draft Supplemental EIS may be 
obtained at the Battle Mountain BLM Field Office.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Bureau of Land 
Management, attn: Pam Jarnecke, Battle Mountain Field Office, 50 
Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pam Jarnecke, Battle Mountain BLM at 
(775) 635-4144.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cortez Gold Mines (CGM) proposes to expand 
its current gold mining operations 30 miles southeast of Battle 
Mountain, Nevada. The proposed Pit Expansion Project would not result 
in an increase in surface disturbance beyond the 7,676 acres previously 
approved. Actions associated with the Project would consist of the 
following: Expand the South Pipeline open pit to the east, southeast, 
and southwest; increase the depth of the Pipeline/South Pipeline open 
pit; use resulting waste rock as backfill into portions of the 
Pipeline/South Pipeline open pit; increase the height of the approved 
South Area Heap Leach pad from a height of 250 feet to 300 feet above 
ground surface; increase the approved Area 28 tailings and heap leach 
facility height from 250 feet to 300 feet above ground surface; 
construct an additional waste rock dump on the backfilled portion of 
the open pit; construct the 125-acre Gap waste rock dump; increase the 
approved mining rate from an average 150,000 tons per day (tpd) with a 
maximum of 250,000 tpd to an average of 350,000 tpd with a maximum of 
500,000 tpd; translocate waste rock within the Pipeline/South Pipeline 
open pit, including portions of the expanded open pit; conduct certain 
activities at the approved Cortez facility without modification to the 
facility; install ground water extraction wells (ground water 
extraction from the existing and planned wells would not exceed the 
approved annualized average rate of 34,500 gallons per minute); and 
continue management of mine dewatering as outlined in the Pipeline 
Infiltration Plan and South Pipeline EIS. The proposed additional 
development of the South Pipeline ore deposit would provide up to seven 
additional years of mining and processing. The combined life of the 
Pipeline Project, the South

[[Page 32606]]

Pipeline Project and the Proposed Action would be up to 25 years.

Gerald M. Smith,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 04-13267 Filed 6-9-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P