[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 6 (Friday, January 9, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1430-1431]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00067]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVE03000 L5110000.GN0000LVEMF1301550 241A; NVN-091032; 14-08807; MO# 
4500070050]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Long Canyon Mine Project, Elko County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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) has prepared a 
Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Long Canyon Mine 
Project 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 its notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Copies of the FEIS for the Long Canyon Mine Project are 
available for public inspection at the BLM Elko District Office. 
Interested persons may also review the FEIS on the Internet at 
www.blm.gov/rv5c.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information contact 
Whitney Wirthlin, Project Manager; telephone: 775-861-6400; address: 
1340 Financial Blvd., Reno, NV 89502; 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: Newmont Mining Corporation (Newmont) 
proposes to construct and operate an open-pit gold mining operation, 
which would include one open pit, a heap leach pad, one waste rock 
dump, a tailings storage facility, a natural gas pipeline from the 
existing Ruby Pipeline, an onsite power generation plant, and other 
ancillary facilities. The mine would be located on the eastern side of 
the Pequop Mountain Range, about 30 miles east of Wells, Nevada, and 32 
miles west of West Wendover, Nevada, and 5 miles south of Interstate 
80. Currently, Fronteer Development (Fronteer), a subsidiary of 
Newmont, is authorized to disturb up to 115 acres for exploration 
purposes. The associated disturbance for the proposed operations would 
increase to 1,631 acres of public land, including 480 acres of split 
estate lands of Federal surface and private subsurface. The projected 
life of the mine is 8 to 14 years, including construction, operations, 
and closure and post-closure monitoring. An estimated annual workforce 
for operations would be approximately 300 to 500 people during the life 
of the mine.
    Fronteer is currently conducting exploration activities in this 
area which were analyzed in two environmental assessments (EA), the 
NewWest Gold USA Inc. Long Canyon Exploration Project (July 2008, EA 
No. BLM/EK/PL-2008/011) and Fronteer Development (USA) Inc. Expanded 
Long Canyon Exploration Project (June 2011, DOI-BLM-NV-N030-2011-00001-
EA). The proposed Long Canyon Mine is in conformance with the Wells 
Resource Management Plan (RMP) and the proposal is in conformance with 
the approved decisions of the RMP.
    The FEIS describes and analyzes the proposed project site-specific 
impacts (including cumulative) on all affected resources. Two 
alternatives are analyzed: the North Facilities Alternative and the No 
Action Alternative. The North Facilities Alternative was designed in 
response to several environmental issues raised by scoping comments. 
Under the North Facilities Alternative, most of the mine facilities 
would be moved to the northern portion of the project area. This 
alternative addresses impacts to several wildlife species, cultural 
resources, and responds to requests from the cities of West Wendover, 
Nevada and Wendover, Utah related to potential impacts to their water 
supply.
    Six other alternatives were considered but eliminated from further 
analysis. Mitigation measures are considered to minimize environmental 
impacts and to assure the proposed action does not result in 
unnecessary or undue degradation of public lands.
    The Draft EIS for the Long Canyon Mine Project was published and 
available for review on March 21, 2014 (79 FR 15773). A 45-day comment 
period occurred. The BLM received a total of 34 written comment 
submissions containing 105 individual items during the public comment 
period on the Draft EIS. The comments the BLM received were submitted 
by Federal and State agencies as well as members of the general public. 
Key issues raised during the public comment period include: Potential 
impacts to water resources utilized by the cities of West Wendover, NV 
and Wendover, UT, including the Johnson Springs system; potential 
impacts to visual resources, air quality, cultural resources and the 
Hastings Cutoff of the California National Historic Trail, the mule 
deer migration corridor, and wetland and riparian resources; and 
potential positive impacts to local communities.
    The BLM has prepared the Final EIS in conjunction with its eight 
Cooperating Agencies: Nevada Department of Wildlife, Elko County, City 
of Elko, City of West Wendover, City of Wendover, Utah; the 
Confederated Tribes of the Goshute Indian Reservation, the Nevada 
Division of Environmental Protection, and the Environmental Protection 
Agency. Comments on the Draft EIS received from the public and internal 
BLM review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the 
FEIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text, but 
did not significantly change the analysis.
    Following a 30-day FEIS 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.


[[Page 1431]]


    Authority:  40 CFR 1506.6; 40 CFR 1506.10.

Bryan K. Fuell,
Field Manager, Wells Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2015-00067 Filed 1-8-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P