[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 146 (Wednesday, July 29, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45651-45652]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-16448]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[DOI-BLM-NV-W010-2020-0012-EIS; LLNVW00000.L51100000.GN0000. 
LVEMF1907180.19X .MO#4500145138]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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, as the lead agency, has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential 
impacts of approving the Lithium Nevada Corp. (LNC), Thacker Pass 
Project Proposed Plans of Operations and Reclamation Plan Permit 
Applications (Project) in Humboldt County, Nevada. In accordance with 
the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act (Eagle Act), the Fish and 
Wildlife Service (FWS) is a cooperating agency with the BLM on the 
development of this Draft EIS to analyze the potential impacts of 
approving LNC's request for an incidental take permit for golden 
eagles. The FWS will evaluate LNC's Eagle Conservation Plan (ECP), 
which describes their request for incidental take of eagles and a 5-
year incidental take permit for golden eagles under the Eagle Act. This 
notice announces the beginning of the public comment period to solicit 
public comments on the Draft EIS.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, BLM must receive written 
comments on the Draft EIS no later than 45 days after the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes its notice of availability of the Thacker 
Pass Lithium Mine Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement DOI-BLM-
NV-W010-2020-0012-EIS in the Federal Register, and will coordinate with 
the FWS on any comments received regarding impacts to golden eagles, 
and the Eagle Act permitting process. The BLM will announce the dates 
and locations of any future meetings or hearings and any other public 
involvement activities at least 15 days in advance through local media, 
newspapers and the BLM website at: https://www.blm.gov/office/winnemucca-district-office.

[[Page 45652]]


ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Project by any of the 
following methods:
     Website: https://bit.ly/2Npgf9l.
     Email: [email protected], include ``Thacker 
Pass Project EIS Comments'' in the subject line.
     Fax: (775) 623-1740, please mark ``Attn: Thacker Pass 
Project EIS Comments''.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Attn: Thacker Pass 
Project EIS Comments, 5100 E Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the proposed 
Project, contact Mr. Ken Loda, telephone: (775) 623-1500, address: 5100 
E Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445. Contact Mr. Loda to have your 
name added to our mailing list. For questions concerning the Eagle Act 
permitting process, contact Mr. Thomas Leeman at (916) 978-6189. 
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: The applicant LNC proposes to construct, 
operate, reclaim, and eventually close an open pit lithium mine, 
processing operation, and continued exploration activities on public 
lands in northern Humboldt County, Nevada. LNC currently has two 
approved Plans of Operations (PoOs), one for exploration and one for a 
specialty clay mine, approved within the area proposed for the new 
lithium mine. There are 75 acres of exploration disturbance approved 
under LNC's existing exploration PoO, and 140 acres of existing 
disturbance approved under their clay mine PoO. LNC has submitted two 
new PoOs to develop the Project and to provide a description of the 
proposed lithium mining, processing, and exploration operations. Each 
of these PoOs include a reclamation plan for the activities identified 
under the respective PoO. The operations proposed under the two new 
PoOs would involve a project area of about 18,000 acres, with an 
ultimate disturbance footprint of approximately 5,700 acres. The 
proposed lithium mine PoO boundary overlaps the existing PoO 
boundaries.
    LNC proposes to develop the Project in two phases over the 
estimated 41-year mine life. Pending LNC receiving the required 
authorizations and permits for Phase 1 of the Project, pre-stripping 
would commence in early 2021 and construction in the first quarter of 
2021, with mining production and ore processing estimated to commence 
in late 2022. LNC estimates that it would complete mining, processing 
and concurrent reclamation activities in 2061, after which, 
reclamation, site closure activities, and post-closure monitoring would 
occur for a minimum of five years.
    The proposed activities and facilities associated with the Project 
include development of an open pit mine; construction and operation of 
lithium processing and production facilities, mine facilities to 
support mining operations, two waste rock storage facilities, a run-of-
mine stockpile, a clay tailings filter stack, water supply facilities, 
two power transmission lines and substations, and various ancillary 
facilities. Pit dewatering is not expected to be required as part of 
the Project until 2055, and concurrent backfill of the open pit would 
occur after sufficient volume has been excavated to initiate direct 
placement of waste rock. Continued exploration would be conducted under 
both PoOs. Upon further review the BLM has determined than an amendment 
to the Winnemucca District Resource Management Plan is not necessary.
    In addition, the Project would affect golden eagle nests and 
territories by planned blasting within a two-mile radius of golden 
eagle nests; therefore, LNC has requested authorization from the FWS to 
disturb eagle nests and a 5-year incidental take permit for golden 
eagles under the Eagle Act. LNC's Eagle Conservation Plan 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. Issuance of an eagle take permit 
must comply with the Eagle Act and all related regulatory requirements 
(50 CFR 22.26).
    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: Air and atmospheric 
resources; cultural resources; noxious weeds, invasive species, and 
nonnative species; migratory birds; golden eagles; Native American 
religious concerns; wastes and materials (hazardous and solid); water 
quality (surface and ground); geology, minerals and energy; 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 Proposed Action, Alternative A, the following alternatives are 
also analyzed in the document: Alternative B, which is a partial 
backfilling of the pit that would result in a small wet area; 
Alternative C which does not backfill the pit and would result in three 
small, and probably seasonal, pit lakes; and the No Action Alternative. 
Alternatives A, B and C request an eagle take permit for loss of 
productivity of three golden eagle breeding pairs. Additionally, 
Alternative C would require nest site enhancement as compensatory 
mitigation under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.
    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 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 FWS are 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 may 
request in your comment that your personal identifying information be 
withheld from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able 
to do so.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7.

Ester McCullough,
Winnemucca District Manager.
[FR Doc. 2020-16448 Filed 7-28-20; 8:45 am]
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