[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 245 (Friday, December 19, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Page 77831]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-30079]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-040-07-5110-CF05; N-82888; 8-08807; TAS: 14X5017]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Bald Mountain Mine North Operations Area Project in 
White Pine County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(2)(c) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and 43 CFR 3809, the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) Ely District, Nevada has prepared a Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed expansion of the 
existing Plans of Operation for Barrick Gold U.S. Inc.'s Bald Mountain 
Mine and Mooney Basin Mine located in White Pine County, Nevada. The 
two existing mines would be combined into one new expanded operation 
which would be called the North Operations Area. The Draft EIS analyzes 
the environmental effects of the Proposed Action, two action 
alternatives, and the No Action Alternative.

DATES: Comments on the Draft EIS will be accepted for 45 days after the 
date this Notice of Availability (NOA) is published in the Federal 
Register. BLM will host public meetings in Ely, Elko, and Eureka, 
Nevada, to provide the public with an opportunity to review the 
proposal and project information. Federal, state, and local agencies, 
and other individuals or organizations that may be interested in, or 
affected by, the BLM's decision on this proposed Plan of Operation are 
invited to participate in these public meetings. The BLM will notify 
the public of the meeting dates, times, and locations at least 15 days 
prior to the meetings. Announcements of the public meeting will be made 
by news release to the media, individual letter mailings, and posting 
on the BLM Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office.html. Comments received on the Draft EIS will be considered in 
preparing the Final EIS. Documents pertinent to this proposal may be 
examined at the Ely District Office.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: [email protected]
     Fax: 775-189-1910
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Ely District, Attention: 
Lynn Bjorklund, HC33 Box 33500, Ely, Nevada, 89301

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: For further information and/or to have your 
name added to the mailing list, contact Lynn Bjorklund, Ely Field 
Office, at 775 289-1893 or by email to [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Barrick Gold U.S. Inc. has submitted a 
proposal to expand and combine their existing Bald Mountain and Mooney 
Basin Mines into one project area to be administered under one Plan of 
Operation called North Operations Area. The mines are located 
approximately 65 miles northwest of Ely, Nevada. This proposed 
expansion is entirely on unpatented mining claims on BLM-administered 
public land.
    The Proposed North Operations Area would include 4,160 acres of 
previously permitted disturbance and 3,920 acres of new disturbance, 
for a total of 8,080 acres. The project would consist of extending 
existing open pits, expanding existing rock disposal areas and heap 
leach facilities, construction of a truck shop, additional exploration, 
concurrent reclamation and continuing operation of existing facilities.
    Individual respondents may request confidentiality. Before 
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal 
identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire 
comment, which includes your personal identifying information, may be 
made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All 
submissions from organizations, businesses, and from individuals 
identifying themselves as representatives or officials of organizations 
or businesses will be available for public inspection in their 
entirety. The minutes and list of attendees for each public meeting 
will be available to the public and open for 60 days after the meeting 
to any participants who wish to clarify the views they expressed. All 
comments will be available to the public for review at the BLM Ely 
District Office throughout the EIS process.

    Authority: 43 CFR 3809.

Michael J. Herder,
Acting District Manager, Ely District Office.
[FR Doc. E8-30079 Filed 12-18-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P