[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 226 (Friday, November 22, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 70067-70068]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-28123]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVL01000. L51100000.GN0000. LVEMF1301170 241A.241A; NVN-090444; 13-
08807; TAS: 14X5017]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Pan Mine Project, White Pine County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Egan Field 
Office, Ely, Nevada, has prepared a Final Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for the proposed Pan Mine Project and by this notice is 
announcing its availability.

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final decision until after December 19, 
2013.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Pan Mine Project are 
available for public inspection at the BLM Ely District Office and also 
for review on the Ely District's Web page at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/ely_field_office/blm_programs/minerals/mining_projects/pan_mine_project.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Miles Kreidler, project lead, 
telephone: 775-289-1893; address: 702 North

[[Page 70068]]

Industrial Way, Ely, NV 89301; email: [email protected]. Persons who 
use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individual during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours 
a day, 7 days a week, to leave a message or question with the above 
individual. You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Midway Gold US, Inc. (Midway) proposes to 
construct and operate an open-pit gold mining operation in the northern 
part of the Pancake Mountain Range, approximately 50 miles west of Ely 
in White Pine County, Nevada. The proposed location is 10 miles south 
of U.S. Route 50 near Newark Valley. The proposed operations and 
associated disturbance would be on approximately 3,204 acres of public 
land managed by the BLM. The proposed power line runs along Highway 50 
and south along a proposed access road to the mine site. An updated 
inventory of lands with wilderness characteristics was completed and no 
lands with wilderness characteristics were identified in the project 
area. The estimated project life of the mine is 25 years, which 
includes 13 years of mining and additional time for associated 
construction, closure, and post-closure monitoring periods. During 
operations, the total number of employees would be approximately 150. 
Midway is currently conducting exploration activities in this area 
which were analyzed in two environmental assessments (EA): the 
Castleworth Ventures, Inc. Pan Exploration Project EA (May 2004) and 
the Midway Gold Pan Project Exploration Amendment EA (July 2011).
    The Final EIS describes and analyzes the proposed project site-
specific impacts (including cumulative) on all affected resources. Four 
alternatives are analyzed: The Proposed Action, the Waste Rock Disposal 
Site Design Alternative, the Southwest Power Line Alternative, and the 
No Action Alternative. The Southwest Power Line Alternative was 
developed to avoid potential impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse from the 
Proposed Action power line. It is farther away from two active Greater 
Sage-Grouse leks and impacts less Preliminary Priority Habitat. The 
Waste Rock Disposal Site Design Alternative would result in a decrease 
of 79 acres of disturbance compared to the Proposed Action. It would 
also involve a conventional waste rock disposal design and move waste 
rock away from more important Greater Sage-Grouse habitat in order to 
minimize impacts to this important species. Ten other alternatives are 
considered but eliminated from further analysis. Mitigation measures 
were considered under each alternative to minimize environmental 
impacts and to assure the proposed action does not result in 
unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands.
    On April 16, 2012, a Notice of Intent was published in the Federal 
Register inviting scoping comments on the Proposed Action. A legal 
notice was prepared by the BLM and published in the Elko Daily Free 
Press, Ely Daily Times, and the Reno Gazette-Journal informing the 
public of the BLM's intention to prepare the Pan Mine EIS. Public 
scoping meetings were held in May 2012 in Ely, Eureka, and Reno, 
Nevada. A total of 26 comments were received. The comments are 
incorporated in a Scoping Summary Report and were considered in the 
preparation of this Final EIS.
    Concerns raised during scoping include: Potential impacts to 
archaeological resources, including the Carbonari sites and the loss of 
use of the 1913 alternative route of the Lincoln Highway; impacts to 
population and habitat of Greater Sage-Grouse; impacts to wild horses 
and their habitat; impacts to air quality through point (equipment) and 
non-point (waste rock disposal areas) pollution sources; changes to the 
quantity and quality of surface water and groundwater; potential 
occurrence of acid drainage from waste rock disposal areas into surface 
and groundwater; impacts to the fragile desert landscape, vegetation 
communities, and vegetative food resources for wildlife; short- and 
long-term impacts on wildlife population dynamics and habitats; impacts 
to general health of the rangeland resources; release of pollutants and 
hazardous materials to the environment during operations and following 
closure; increase in light pollution in the areas and direct visual 
impacts from mine facilities; positive and negative socioeconomic 
impacts to the communities of Ely and Eureka, and to White Pine County; 
and cumulative impacts to wildlife, wild horses, cultural, air, water, 
and vegetation resources. The two action alternatives were developed to 
avoid, minimize, and mitigate potential impacts to Greater Sage-Grouse. 
Mitigation measures have been included to show how impacts on all 
resources could be minimized.
    The BLM prepared the Draft EIS in conjunction with its three 
cooperating agencies: The Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Eureka 
County Commissioners, and the White Pine County Commissioners. A Notice 
of Availability was published in the Federal Register on March 22, 2013 
(78 FR 17713), and the public was invited to provide written comments 
on the Draft EIS during the 45-day comment period. Public meetings were 
conducted during the review period for the Draft EIS.
    Comments on the Draft EIS received from the cooperating agencies, 
the public, and the internal BLM review were considered and 
incorporated, as appropriate, into the Final EIS. The comments included 
concerns to affects to the Lincoln Highway, Greater Sage-Grouse and its 
habitat, migratory birds, pygmy rabbits, air quality, night sky 
viewing, socioeconomics, and water quantity. There were also comments 
received in general support for the mine. These public comments 
resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but did not significantly 
change the analysis. The agency preferred alternative is a combination 
of the Southwest Power Line Alternative and the Waste Rock Disposal 
Site Design Alternative.
    Following a 30-day Final EIS availability and review period, a 
Record of Decision (ROD) will be issued. The decision reached in the 
ROD is subject to appeal to the Interior Board of Land Appeals. The 30-
day appeal period begins with the issuance of the ROD.

    Authority: 40 CFR part 1501 and 43 part CFR 3809.

Jill A. Moore,
Field Manager, Egan Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2013-28123 Filed 11-21-13; 8:45 am]
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