[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 96 (Friday, May 17, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22514-22515]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10290]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

Fish and Wildlife Service

[DOI-BLM-NV-W030-2015-0007-EIS MO #4500132167]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Hycroft Mine Phase II Expansion Project, 
Humboldt and Pershing, Counties, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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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) Black Rock 
Field Office, Winnemucca, Nevada and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 
(USFWS) have prepared a joint Draft Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) and by this notice are announcing the beginning of the public 
comment period to solicit public comments on the Draft EIS. The BLM is 
the lead agency in development of the Draft EIS and will be evaluating 
Hycroft Resource and Development, Inc.'s (HRDI's) request for the 
proposed expansion of their gold and silver mining operations at the 
existing Hycroft Mine. The USFWS is a coordinating agency with the BLM 
on the development of this Draft EIS and will evaluate the applicant's 
Eagle Conservation Plan (ECP), which describes their request to remove 
inactive (i.e., outside the nesting season) eagle nests and a 30-year 
incidental take permit for golden eagles under the Bald and Golden 
Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act).

DATES: This notice initiates the public comment period for the Draft 
EIS. Comments may be submitted in writing until July 1, 2019. The 
date(s) and location(s) of any comment meetings will be announced at 
least 15 days in advance through local media, newspapers and the BLM 
website at: https://go.usa.gov/xEmuU. In order to be included in the 
Draft EIS, all comments must be received prior to the close of the 45-
day public comment period. We will provide additional opportunities for 
public participation upon publication of the Final EIS.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Hycroft Mine Phase II 
Expansion Project by any of the following methods:
    Project Mining Expansion:

 Website: https://go.usa.gov/xEmuU
 Email: [email protected]
 Fax: (775) 623-1503
 Mail: 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445

    Eagle Take Permit:

 Email: [email protected]
 Fax: (916) 414-6486
 Mail: 2800 Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, CA 95825

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the proposed mine 
expansion contact Taylor Grysen BLM Project Manager, telephone: (775) 
623-1500, address: 5100 E. Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 
89445. For questions about the eagle take permit contact: Heather 
Beeler--USFWS Project Manager, telephone: (916) 414-6651, address: 2800 
Cottage Way, W-2605, Sacramento, California 95825. Contact Taylor 
Grysen 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: HRDI has proposed an expansion to their gold 
and silver mining operations at the existing Hycroft Mine, which is 
located approximately 55 miles west of Winnemucca, Nevada, in Humboldt 
and Pershing Counties. The Hycroft Mine Phase II Expansion Project 
(Project) proposes to increase the authorized Plan of Operations (Plan) 
boundary to 27,835 acres, of which 26,082 acres would be on BLM-
administered public lands. Under the proposed Project, the surface 
disturbance would increase by 8,737 acres, from 6,144 acres to 14,881 
acres, which includes 13,141 acres located on land administered by the 
BLM Black Rock Field Office. Surface disturbance on private land would 
decrease by 44 acres, from 1,784 acres to 1,740 acres. The proposed 
Project would include the following activities: Expanding the 
authorized Plan boundary to the east;

[[Page 22515]]

extending mining and ore processing activities to 2041; increasing the 
rate of process water pumping and extending until 2041; constructing 
and operating the Northeast Tailings Storage Facility (TSF) and 
associated pipeline corridor and haul road; constructing and operating 
the North Heap Leach Facility (HLF) East expansion and associated 
solution ponds; expanding the existing Brimstone Pit below the pre-
mining groundwater table; conducting active dewatering of the Brimstone 
Pit through the installation and operation of dewatering wells; 
conducting passive dewatering within the expanded pit footprint; 
expanding the South Waste Rock Facility (WRF); modifying the approved 
land use in the South Processing Complex to allow for the option of 
constructing the Southwest WRF in place of the complex, if desired; 
modifying waste backfill plans with respect to the proposed mining 
plan; expanding haul and secondary roads around the pits, WRFs, HLFs, 
and TSF; modifying the milling operation to process ore in an ambient 
oxidation and leaching process; constructing and operating an oxygen 
plant; constructing stormwater diversions, installing culverts, and 
other stormwater controls; constructing growth media stockpiles; 
incorporating four HRDI rights-of-way (ROWs) (microwave repeater site 
and road [NVN046292], Floka access road [NVN054893], buried pipeline, 
wells, power distribution and access roads [NVN046564], and road and 
water pipeline [NVN039119]) that exist wholly within the authorized 
Plan boundary into the amendment to the Plan and relinquish the ROWs 
with the BLM; continuing use of the well field ROW; relocating 
rangeland improvement facilities within the footprint of the Northeast 
TSF; rerouting Rosebud Road around the Northeast TSF; reallocating 10 
acres of exploration disturbance on private land to public land; and 
implementing the authorized and proposed additional applicant-committed 
Environmental Protection Measures to new facilities and activities. In 
addition, the Project would affect golden eagle nests and territories; 
therefore, HRDI has requested authorization from the USFWS to remove 
inactive eagle nests and a 30-year incidental take permit for golden 
eagles under the Eagle Act. HRDI's ECP is the foundation of the permit 
application and contains commitments to avoid, minimize, and mitigate 
adverse effects on golden eagles resulting from the implementation of 
the Project.
    The purpose of this comment period is for the public to comment on 
the Draft EIS. The Draft EIS, through scoping, has identified and 
analyzed impacts to the following resources areas: Air and atmospheric 
resources; cultural resources (including National Historic Trails); 
noxious weeds, invasive species, and nonnative species; migratory 
birds; Native American religious concerns; wastes and materials 
(hazardous and solid); water quality (surface and ground); geology, 
minerals, and energy; golden eagles; lands and realty; paleontology; 
rangeland management; recreation; social values and economics; soils; 
special status species (plants and wildlife); transportation and 
access; vegetation; visual resources; and wildlife.
    The Draft EIS describes and analyzes the proposed Project's direct, 
indirect, and cumulative impacts on all affected resources. In addition 
to the Mine Expansion Proposed Action (BLM Decision) and the Eagle Take 
Permit Proposed Action (USFWS Eagle Permit Decision), the following 
alternatives are also analyzed in the document: The Mine Expansion 
Alternative A (BLM Alternative Decision), referred to as Alternative A; 
Eagle Take Permit Alternative A (USFWS Alternative A Eagle Permit 
Decision); the BLM No Action Alternative; and the USFWS No Action 
Alternative.
    The BLM and USFWS have consulted and continue 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 in the Draft EIS. Federal, State, and 
local agencies, along with tribes and other stakeholders that may be 
interested in or affected by the proposed Project that the BLM and 
USFWS is evaluating, are invited to participate in the comment process.
    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.

Mark Hall,
Field Manager, Bureau of Land Management, Black Rock Field Office.
Jody Holzworth,
Deputy Regional Director, Fish and Wildlife Service, Pacific Southwest 
Region, Sacramento, California.
[FR Doc. 2019-10290 Filed 5-16-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P