[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 242 (Friday, December 17, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Page 79016]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-31646]



[[Page 79016]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVE02000.L19900000.EX0000; MO: 4500011512; 10-08807; TAS: 14X1109]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Newmont Mining Corporation Emigrant Project Plan of 
Operation, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Newmont 
Mining Corporation Emigrant Project Plan of Operations and by this 
notice is announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision on the proposal for a 
minimum of 30 days from the date that the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the EIS for the Newmont Mining Corporation 
Emigrant Project Plan of Operation are available for public inspection 
at the BLM Tuscarora Field Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, 
Nevada. Interested persons may also review the Final EIS at the 
following Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/elko_field_office.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Schmidt, BLM Project Manager (775) 
753-0200; by mail at Bureau of Land Management, Tuscarora Field Office, 
Attn: Emigrant Mine Project Manager, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, 
Nevada 89801; or by e-mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Newmont Mining Corporation submitted a 
proposed Plan of Operations to the BLM on February 4, 2004 to open the 
Emigrant Mine about 10 miles south of Carlin, Nevada. The proposed 
Emigrant Mine would include developing and operating an open pit mine, 
constructing a waste rock disposal facility, storing waste rock in 
mined out areas of the pit, developing an oxide heap leach pad; 
constructing ancillary facilities, rerouting intermittent stream flows 
in the pit area, and conducting concurrent reclamation. Proposed mining 
operations would last for approximately 10 years with an additional 4 
years of closure operations. Approximately 1,170 acres of public land 
and 248 acres of private land would be disturbed.
    The issues analyzed in the Final EIS include the potential impacts 
to wildlife and cultural resources, the potential for waste rock, heap 
leach, and pit walls to produce acid rock drainage and/or heavy metals, 
and the proposed diversion of a drainage. Indirect and cumulative 
impacts are addressed for air quality, water, soil, vegetation, 
wildlife, fisheries and aquatic resources, threatened, endangered, 
candidate, and sensitive species recreation, livestock grazing, social 
and economic values, visual resources, cultural and Native American 
religious site concerns. Additional resource analysis includes geology 
and minerals, paleontology, lands and realty, wilderness, weeds and 
environmental justice.
    The analysis in the Final EIS reflects modifications to the 
proposed plan of operations as a result of new information. As a result 
of the NEPA review process, an Adaptive Management Plan was developed 
to monitor performance of the operations plan and prevent impacts. The 
BLM originally published a Notice of Availability of the Draft EIS in 
the Federal Register on March 25, 2005 (70 FR 15346). In response to 
substantive comments on the 2005 Draft EIS, the BLM issued a revised 
Draft EIS in 2008 that replaced the 2005 Draft EIS. A Notice of 
Availability for the 2008 Draft EIS was published in the Federal 
Register on November 19, 2008 (73 FR 69675). The 2008 Draft EIS 
incorporated revisions made in response to substantive comments 
received on the 2005 Draft EIS. The 2008 Draft EIS analyzed the 
proposed action and no action alternatives. Other alternatives 
considered and reasons why they were eliminated from detailed analysis 
are discussed in the Final EIS. Measures to avoid or minimize 
environmental impacts and to assure the proposed action does not result 
in undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands are also included. 
The BLM received 15 comments from the public. These comments included 
concerns about what methods would be used to classify waste rock as 
potentially acid generating and non-potentially acid generating. In 
response to these comments, the Final EIS includes an Adaptive 
Management Plan in the monitoring program to continually monitor and 
evaluate the performance of the waste rock management plan proposed for 
this project and respond to any unforeseen surface and/or groundwater 
impacts.
    Comments on the 2008 Draft EIS received from the public and from an 
internal BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate 
into the proposed plan of operations and the Final EIS. Public comments 
resulted in the addition of clarifying text and the inclusion of the 
Adaptive Management Plan.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Kenneth E. Miller,
Manager, Elko District.
[FR Doc. 2010-31646 Filed 12-16-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P