[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 150 (Friday, August 3, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38172-38173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-16680]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVB00000. L51100000.GN0000. LVEMF1704460. 17X. MO# 4500106342]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Greater Phoenix Project, Lander County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Mount 
Lewis Field Office, Battle Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and by this notice is announcing 
its availability. The Greater Phoenix Project is owned by Newmont USA 
Limited and is located approximately 12 miles southwest of the town of 
Battle Mountain in Lander County, Nevada. The Proposed Project includes 
expanding the life of the mine from 2040 to 2063; expanding the 
boundary of the mine by 10,611 acres, from 8,228 acres to 18,839 acres; 
and increasing surface disturbance by 3,497 acres, from 8,374 to 11,871 
acres.

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

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for the Greater Phoenix Mine Project 
and other documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the 
Mount Lewis Field Office: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 
89820. All documents are available for download at https://go.usa.gov/xQDYJ.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Christine Gabriel--Project Manager, 
telephone 775-635-4000; address 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, 
Nevada 89820; email [email protected]. Contact 
Christine Gabriel to have your name added to our mailing list. Persons 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above 
individual during normal business hours. The FRS 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 USA Limited (Newmont) proposes to 
modify the Phoenix Mine Plan of Operations to expand its existing 
mining operations. The proposed Project is located approximately 12 
miles southwest of the town of Battle Mountain in Lander County, 
Nevada. Within this expanded area, surface disturbance would increase 
by 3,497 acres from 8,374 to 11,871 acres, which includes 5,896 acres 
located on public lands administered by the BLM Mount Lewis Field 
Office. The existing Phoenix Mine is a gold and copper mining and 
beneficiation operation. Mill-grade oxide gold ore is beneficiated to 
gold concentrate at the Phoenix Mill facility, which also produces 
small amounts of copper and silver concentrates as trace elements. Mill 
tailings are deposited in a tailings storage facility (TSF). Copper-
containing ore is beneficiated using heap leaching followed by solvent 
extraction and electrowinning of copper from the leach solution.
    Operations at Phoenix Mine under the currently authorized Plan of 
Operations and existing permits would last approximately 24 years. 
Active closure and reclamation activities are anticipated to extend 
approximately 13 years beyond the operational phase. Additionally, more 
than 500 years of post-closure monitoring would follow final 
reclamation.
    The proposed Project amendments include the following: Extension of 
mine life from 2040 to 2063; expansion of the Plan of Operations 
boundary by 10,611 acres--from 8,228 acres to 18,839 acres, of which 
10,132 are BLM-managed public lands; increase surface disturbance by 
3,497 acres--from 8,374 acres to 11,871 acres; expansion of the Phoenix 
Pit area through consolidation of existing pit areas, and increase in 
pit depth by 380 feet--from 4,990 to 4,610 feet above mean sea level; 
expansion of the Natomas Waste Rock Facility by 347 acres--from 997 
acres to 1,344 acres; expansion of the Phoenix TSF by 1,801 acres--from 
1,396 acres to 3,197 acres; expansion of the Phoenix Heap Leach 
Facility by 79 acres--from 536 acres to 615 acres; expansion of the 
clay soil borrow area by 819 acres--from 469 acres to 1,288 acres; 
development of an additional soil borrow area (483 acres);

[[Page 38173]]

modification of the mine closure approach (including the management of 
pit water through treatment to meet applicable water quality standards 
and subsequently put to beneficial use in perpetuity); and realignment 
of Buffalo Valley Road, as well as realignment of a service power line, 
fiber optic line, and natural gas pipeline.
    Under the proposed Project, four existing FLPMA right-of-way grants 
(associated with project-related linear facilities) would be amended.
    The EIS's analysis is focused on impacts to the following resource 
areas that were identified through the NEPA scoping process: Water 
resources (including surface water, groundwater, and geochemistry); air 
quality; vegetation resources (including noxious weeds and special 
status species); wildlife (including migratory birds and special status 
species); grazing management; land use and access; aesthetics (visual); 
cultural resources; Native American cultural concerns; geological 
resources (including minerals and soils); paleontological resources; 
recreation; social and economic values; hazardous materials; wetland 
and riparian zones.
    The EIS describes and analyzes the proposed Project's direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition 
to the proposed Project, three alternatives were analyzed: the 
Enhanced/Mechanical Evaporation Cell Alternative, Treat Water for 
Agricultural Cropping on Private Land Alternative, and the No Action 
Alternative.
    The Draft EIS, was available for a 45-day public comment period, 
which ended October 16, 2017. A public meeting was held on September 
26, 2017 in Battle Mountain, NV. A total of 178 comments were received 
during the public comment process. Comment responses are in the Final 
EIS.
    The BLM has utilized and coordinated the NEPA scoping and comment 
process to help fulfill the public involvement requirements under the 
National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) as 
provided in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)--and continues to do so. The information 
about historic and cultural resources within the area potentially 
affected by the proposed Project has assisted the BLM in identifying 
and evaluating impacts to such resources in the context of both NEPA 
and the NHPA.
    The BLM has consulted and continues to consult with Indian tribes 
on a government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 
13175 and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts to Indian 
trust assets and potential impacts to cultural resources have been 
analyzed and addressed in the EIS.

John Gant Massey,
Acting Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field Office.
[FR Doc. 2018-16680 Filed 8-2-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P