[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 43 (Friday, March 4, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11586-11587]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04806]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVW00000.L5110000.GN0000.LVEMF1504350.15X MO#4500088392]


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Proposed Marigold Mine Plan of Operations--Mackay Optimization 
Project Amendment, Humboldt 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) to analyze the potential impacts of approving an 
expansion to the existing gold mining operation in Humboldt County, 
Nevada. This notice is announcing the beginning of the scoping process 
to solicit public comments and identify issues to be considered in the 
EIS. The notice also serves to initiate public consultation, as 
required under the National Historic Preservation Act.

DATES: This notice initiates the public scoping process for the EIS. 
Comments on issues may be submitted in writing until April 4, 2016. 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/

[[Page 11587]]

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 Marigold Mine--Mackay 
Optimization Project by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/wfo.html
     Email: [email protected]. Include Marigold 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: Jeanette Black, telephone 775-623-
1500; address BLM Winnemucca District, Humboldt River Field Office, 
5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445; email [email protected]. 
Contact Ms. Black 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, Marigold Mining Company, a 
wholly-owned subsidiary of Silver Standard Resources Inc., has 
requested to modify its approved Plan of Operations by expanding its 
operations at the existing Marigold Mine, which is located adjacent to 
Battle Mountain approximately 35 miles southeast of Winnemucca, 
Humboldt County, Nevada; and 13 miles northwest of Battle Mountain, 
Lander County, Nevada. The mine is currently authorized up to a 
disturbance of 5,720 acres (approximately 3,275 acres of private land 
and 2,445 acres of public land), which was permitted under a series of 
Environmental Impact Statements and Environmental Assessments from July 
1988 through October 2013.
    The proposed action is for the BLM to approve as proposed the 
company's changes to its Plan of Operations. The proposed changes 
presented under this Plan of Operations modification would encompass 
1,893 acres of new disturbance (approximately 843 acres of public land 
and 1,050 acres of private land), and include a re-classification of 
the type of authorized disturbance of approximately 706 acres of which 
306 acres are public land and 400 acres are private land. If approved, 
the proposed modification would increase the mine life by up to 10 
years. All proposed disturbance would be within the existing approved 
Plan boundary and includes the following: Combine four of the existing 
and authorized open pits (Target 1, Target 2, Target 3, and East Hill) 
to become a single open pit to be renamed the Mackay Pit; combine the 
existing and approved Terry Zone and Section 8 Pits to become the 
Mackay North Pit; increase the size of the authorized Section 5 North 
Pit; dewater the Mackay Pit and Mackay North Pit at a rate of up to 
6,000 gallons per minute (gpm) with an average rate of about 1,500 to 
2,000 gpm; construct and operate six rapid infiltration basins (RIBs); 
construct and operate new production, dewatering, and monitoring wells 
with associated roads, power, and pipelines; create one new waste rock 
storage area (WRSA) (Section 5 North) and expand the Northeast and 
Northwest Expansion WRSAs; construct heap leach processing pad (HLP) 
cells 22, 23, and 24; construct new process ponds on existing 
disturbance; construct two new carbon column trains on existing 
disturbance; relocate the county road called Buffalo Valley Road to 
accommodate the mine changes; re-establish a private land access road 
to land holdings in Section 30; relocate the existing 120-kV power line 
(right-of-way held by NV Energy); and move the planned location of the 
authorized but not yet constructed utility corridor.
    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 formation of a pit lake after completion of mining activities, 
and ensuring that there is neither degradation of waters of the state 
nor undue or unnecessary degradation of public lands; (b) potential 
impacts to wildlife habitat; and (c) potential impacts to cultural 
sites. Application of mitigation hierarchy strategies will be addressed 
for on-site, regional, and compensatory mitigation appropriate to the 
types of impacts and resource objectives.
    The BLM will utilize and coordinate the NEPA scoping process to 
help fulfill the public involvement process under the National Historic 
Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3). 
The information about historic and cultural resources within the area 
potentially affected by the proposed action will assist the BLM in 
identifying and evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of 
both NEPA and the NHPA.
    The BLM will consult with Indian tribes on a government-to-
government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175, Secretarial 
Order 3317, and other policies. Tribal concerns, including but not 
limited to, 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 other stakeholders that may 
be interested in or affected by the proposed Marigold Mine Plan of 
Operations--Mackay Optimization Project 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.

Stephen Sappington,
Field Manager, Humboldt River Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2016-04806 Filed 3-3-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P