[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 218 (Friday, November 13, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 58648]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-27325]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVL00000.L51100000.GN0000.LVEMCF050000; 09-08807; TAS: 14X5017]


Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Bald Mountain Mine 
North Operations Area Project in White Pine County, NV

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 (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) Nevada Ely District has prepared a Final 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. The two existing mines would be combined into one new 
expanded operation which would be called the North Operations Area. The 
Final EIS analyzes the environmental effects of the Proposed Action, 
two action alternatives, and the No Action Alternative.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days following the Environmental Protection Agency's 
publication of a Notice of Availability of the Final EIS in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: Print and compact disk copies of the North Operations Area 
Final EIS are available in the Ely District Office at 702 North 
Industrial Way, HC33 Box 33500, Ely, NV 89301. The document is 
available at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lynn Bjorklund, phone: 775 289-1893, 
e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Barrick Gold U.S. Inc. has submitted a 
proposal to expand and combine its existing Bald Mountain and Mooney 
Basin mines into one project area to be administered under the North 
Operations Area Plan of Operation. 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. The 
projected life of the existing mine operation would increase by 
approximately ten years under this proposed project.
    The Draft EIS analyzed the Proposed Action and two action 
alternatives. The alternatives were a partial pit backfill and a leach 
pad alternative whereby the expansion of the Mooney Basin leach pad 
would be reduced by processing the ore at the existing Bald Mountain 
leach pad. Both the BLM and the Nevada Department of Wildlife have 
designated the partial pit backfill as the Preferred Alternative.
    The Draft EIS was released for public review on December 19, 2008. 
Public meetings were held in Nevada during a 45-day public comment 
period in Ely, Elko, and Eureka, Jan. 6-8, 2009. A total of 17 comment 
letters were received throughout the comment period. All comments were 
analyzed and appropriate changes or clarifications were incorporated 
into the Final EIS. The BLM will prepare a Record of Decision for the 
proposed project no earlier than 30 days following the publication of 
the Notice of Availability by the Environmental Protection Agency of 
the Final EIS.

    Authority:  43 CFR part 3809.

Jeffrey A. Weeks,
Associate District Manager.
[FR Doc. E9-27325 Filed 11-12-09; 8:45 am]
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