[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 124 (Friday, June 27, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36554-36555]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-15163]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVW0000.L5110000.GN0000.LVEMF1402860.14X; MO 4500065213]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Coeur Rochester Mine Plan of Operations Amendment 10, 
Pershing County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA), and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976, as amended, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Humboldt River 
Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada, intends to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing the beginning 
of the scoping process to solicit public comments and identify issues.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until July 28, 2014 The 
date(s) and location(s) of any scoping meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers and the BLM 
Web site at: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo.html. In order to be 
included in the Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the 
close of the 30-day scoping period or 15 days after the last public 
meeting, whichever is later. We will provide additional opportunities 
for public participation upon publication of the Draft EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Coeur Rochester Mine 
Plan of Operations Amendment 10 by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo.html.
     Email: [email protected]. Include Coeur Rochester Mine EIS 
Comments in the subject line.
     Fax: (775) 623-1503.
     Mail: BLM Winnemucca District, Humboldt River Field Office 
5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Humboldt River Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kathleen Rehberg, Project Lead, 
telephone 775-623-1500; address BLM Winnemucca District, Humboldt River 
Field Office, 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445; email 
[email protected]. Contact Ms. Rehberg to have your name added to our 
mailing list. 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: The applicant, Coeur Rochester, Inc., has 
requested an expansion of their operations at the existing Coeur 
Rochester Mine, which is located approximately 18 miles northeast of 
Lovelock, Nevada, in the Humboldt Range, Pershing County. The mine is 
currently authorized up to a disturbance of 1,930 acres (approximately 
189 acres of private land and 1,741 acres of public land), which was 
permitted under a series of Environmental Assessments (EA N26-86-002P, 
February 1986; EA NV-020-99-12, February 1999; NV-020-01-06, December 
2000; EA NV-020-01-06, February 2002; EA NV-020-03-13, August 2003; 
DOI-BLM-NV-W010-2010-0010-EA, October 2010). Proposed changes to their 
operations presented under this Plan of Operations modification would 
encompass 531 acres, of which 157 acres are already disturbed. A total 
of 348 acres of new disturbance is proposed on public land, as well as 
26 acres on private land. All proposed disturbance would be within the 
existing approved Plan boundary and includes the following: an 
approximately 67-acre expansion to the existing Stage IV Heap Leach Pad 
(HLP); an increase of the allowable maximum Stage IV HLP stacking 
height from 330 feet to 400 feet; construction of a 124-acre Stage V 
HLP with associated ponds and tank; relocation of a portion of the 
American Canyon public access road

[[Page 36555]]

and establishment of an associated Right-of-Way (ROW); relocation of a 
portion of the paved Rochester main access road ROW; realignment of the 
Stage IV haul road and construction of secondary access roads; 
relocation of existing power lines consistent with the proposed ROW 
realignments and HLP construction; relocation of the electrical 
building, core shed, and production well PW-2a; excavation of new 
borrow areas and construction of one new growth medium stockpile; 
installation of the Stage IV HLP conveyor system, associated load out 
points, ore stockpiles, maintenance road, and utility corridor, 
including process solutions and fresh water supply pipelines; and 
changes to closure activities for existing facilities including 
altering the open pit safety berm sizes; HLP interim fluid management 
plans; HLP cover designs; the installation of evaporation cells (E-
Cells); and long-term draindown management.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant 
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis, 
including alternatives, and guide the process for developing the EIS. 
At present, the BLM has identified the following preliminary issues: 
(a) The potential to create acid rock drainage or heavy metals from 
mining activities, and ensuring that there is no degradation of waters 
of the state or undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands; (b) 
Potential impacts to wildlife habitat; and (c) Potential impacts to 
cultural sites.
    The BLM will analyze a combination of proposed environmental 
measures and possible mitigation to eliminate or minimize any impacts 
associated with the proposed action. This could include the potential 
of identifying opportunities to apply mitigation hierarchy strategies 
for on-site, regional, and compensatory mitigation appropriate to the 
size of the proposal and management actions to achieve resource 
objectives.
    The BLM will use NEPA public participation requirements to assist 
the agency in satisfying the public involvement requirements under 
Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (16 U.S.C. 
470(f)) pursuant to 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). The information about historic 
and cultural resources within the area potentially affected by the 
proposed Coeur Rochester Mine Plan of Operations Amendment 10 will 
assist the BLM in identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources 
in the context of both NEPA and Section 106 of the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 and other 
policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust assets and 
potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the proposed 
Coeur Rochester Mine Plan of Operations Amendment 10 that the BLM is 
evaluating, are invited to participate in the scoping process and, if 
eligible, may request or be requested by the BLM to participate in the 
development of the environmental analysis as a cooperating agency.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be 
aware that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.

    Authority:  40 CFR 1501.7.

Victor W. Lozano,
Field Manager, Humboldt River Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2014-15163 Filed 6-26-14; 8:45 am]
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