[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 178 (Friday, September 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63602-63603]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19920]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500171133]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for Nevada Vanadium Company Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project, 
Eureka County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 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 (FLPMA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) 
announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Nevada Vanadium Company Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project.

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

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are 
available for review on the BLM ePlanning project website at https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2000633/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager, 
telephone: (775) 635-4093; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, 
Nevada, 89820; email: [email protected]. Individuals in the United States 
who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability 
may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunications 
relay services for contacting Mr. Distel. Individuals outside the 
United States should use the relay services offered within their 
country to make international calls to the point-of-contact in the 
United States.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action

    The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to Nevada Vanadium 
Company's (NVV) proposal, as described in its proposed Plan of 
Operations, and to analyze the potential environmental effects 
associated with the Proposed Action, which is the operator's proposed 
Plan of Operations, and alternatives to the Proposed Action. NEPA 
mandates that the BLM evaluate the potential effects of the Proposed 
Action and develop alternatives. The BLM's need for the action is 
established by the BLM's responsibilities under section 302 of FLPMA 
and the BLM Surface Management Regulations at 43 CFR subpart 3809 to 
respond to a proposed Plan of Operations and ensure that operations 
prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the public lands.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Under the proposed Plan of Operations, NVV would construct and 
operate an open pit mine in the southern extent of the Fish Creek 
Range. Facilities associated with the Proposed Action include 
development of an open pit mine, rock disposal area, crushing 
facilities and stockpile, heap leach pad, process facility, process and 
make-up water ponds, borrow areas, mine and access roads, water and 
power supply lines, and ancillary facilities. The estimated project 
life consists of 1.5 years of construction, 7 years of operation, 4 
years of active reclamation and closure, and up to 30 years of post-
closure monitoring. In addition, NVV would complete exploration 
operations as part of the proposed Plan of Operations. The project area 
includes a total of 6,456 acres of BLM-administered public lands, of 
which approximately 806 acres of surface disturbance would occur due to 
project-related operations. No state or private lands are included in 
the project area. The operator would reclaim surface disturbances under 
the Proposed Action and would prevent unnecessary or undue degradation 
of the lands. Final reclamation of the project area would occur at the 
end the project although every effort would be made to identify 
concurrent reclamation opportunities during the life of the operation.
    The South Access Road Alternative would include the same mine 
components as described for the Proposed Action, except the access road 
would be constructed in a different location. This alternative access 
road would be approximately 7 miles long and extend from County Road M-
103 (Duckwater Road) to the project area.

[[Page 63603]]

The access road would be constructed parallel to the power line 
corridor. Overall, this alternative would result in approximately 38 
additional acres of surface disturbance relative to the Proposed 
Action. Total surface disturbance would include 844 acres of BLM-
administered land. Post-reclamation topography would be similar to that 
of the Proposed Action, except the access road would be in a different 
location.
    The Renewable Energy Alternative would consist of the same overall 
operations as described for the Proposed Action except this alternative 
would include supporting the mine operations with a combination of 
renewable energy sources and a utility interconnection with future 
large-scale battery storage. This alternative would include the 
installation of a solar energy facility with enough solar electric 
photovoltaic capacity for the site to become a net generation facility 
with battery storage able to perform peak smoothing and daily load 
management.
    This alternative would result in approximately 33 additional acres 
of surface disturbance compared to the Proposed Action. Total surface 
disturbance for the Renewable Energy Alternative would include 839 
acres of public lands.
    Under the No Action Alternative, the BLM would not authorize the 
Plan of Operations, and the operations described in the Proposed Action 
would not occur. Mineral resources would remain undeveloped, and the 
construction and operation of the proposed mine and associated 
facilities would not occur.
    Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed 
Gibellini Vanadium Mine Project, and after carefully considering input 
received from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected 
the Renewable Energy Alternative as the BLM's environmentally preferred 
alternative.
    Public comments on the Draft EIS received and internal BLM review 
were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the Final EIS. 
Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text but did not 
significantly change the impact analyses.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10.)


Douglas W. Furtado,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2023-19920 Filed 9-14-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P