[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 209 (Tuesday, October 31, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74506-74507]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-24011]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500169077]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC's Goldrush Mine Project, Lander and 
Eureka Counties, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, as amended, 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 Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Goldrush 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 (NOA) in the Federal 
Register.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are 
available for review on the BLM National NEPA Register website at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012544/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager, 
telephone: (775) 635-4093; email: [email protected]; address: 50 Bastian 
Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. Individuals in the United States who 
are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may 
dial 7-1-1 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access telecommunication 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 NGM's 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, NGM would construct and 
operate an underground mine project in the Cortez Mining Area of Lander 
and Eureka Counties, Nevada. The proposed Goldrush Mine Plan boundary 
encompasses 19,853 acres, of which 772 acres are private land 
controlled by NGM and 19,081 acres are public lands administered by the 
BLM Battle Mountain District, Mount Lewis Field Office (MLFO) and BLM 
Elko District, Tuscarora Field Office (TFO). Most of this area is 
within existing exploration and mine plans previously authorized by the 
BLM and includes facilities and surface disturbance associated with the

[[Page 74507]]

authorized plans. To create the new Plan boundary, NGM proposes 
boundary modifications and/or reclassification of acres within the 
following existing NGM-owned exploration and mine Plan boundaries: 
Horse Canyon Mine Plan (N-66896) administered by MLFO; Horse Canyon/
Cortez Unified Exploration Project (HC/CUEP) Plan (N-66621) 
administered by MLFO; West Pine Valley Exploration Project Plan (N-
77213) administered by TFO; and use of existing infrastructure at the 
Cortez Mine (N-67575) administered by MLFO.
    The proposed plan of operations would result in 1,694 acres of new 
surface disturbance on public lands administered by the BLM, including 
approximately 210 acres of exploration disturbance that could occur 
anywhere within the proposed Goldrush Mine Plan boundary. In addition, 
approximately 1,064 acres of existing authorized disturbance would be 
within the proposed footprint, and approximately 12 acres of existing 
authorized disturbance would be reclassified. The proposal includes a 
materials handling system for transporting ore and waste rock from the 
underground workings to the surface and transporting aggregate and 
supplies to the underground workings and surface backfill plant; a 
dewatering system; ventilation raises; a backfill aggregate paste plant 
and crusher; a shotcrete/cemented rock fill (CRF) plant; two new power 
lines with two switching stations; new ancillary surface facilities; 
and continued surface and underground exploration operations.
    The Revised Proposed Action for Reduced Wildlife Impacts 
Alternative is the BLM's Preferred Alternative. The proposed Plan 
boundary under this alternative would consist of 19,871 acres, of which 
772 acres would be on private land controlled by NGM and 19,099 of 
public lands administered by the BLM. The same reclassification of 
acres from existing authorizations would occur as described under the 
proposed plan of operations, except a total of 888 acres would be 
transferred from the West Pine Valley Exploration Plan (N-77213) to the 
Goldrush Mine Plan boundary. This alternative would create an 
additional 1,626 acres of new surface disturbance on public lands 
administered by the BLM, including approximately 210 acres of 
exploration disturbance. In addition, approximately 1,027 acres of 
existing authorized disturbance would be within the footprint of this 
alternative, and approximately five acres of existing authorized 
disturbance would be reclassified.
    The proposed underground mining and surface support operations for 
the Goldrush Mine under the Revised Proposed Action for Reduced 
Wildlife Impacts Alternative would include the same features as 
described for proposed plan of operations, except the following would 
occur: the water treatment plant and multi-use shop would be 
eliminated; the surface paste plant in Horse Canyon, paste plant access 
road to Horse Canyon, and associated aggregate haulage would be 
eliminated; a secondary CRF plant would be constructed on the proposed 
portal pad expansion; the laydown yard would be relocated to be 
constructed adjacent to the West Pine Valley rapid infiltration basin; 
and the alignment of the 13.8-kV power line would be changed to 
relocate the poles below the crest of the canyon wall in Horse Canyon. 
The only changes to the underground mining operations would be 
increasing the diameter of the ventilation raises to 21 feet in 
diameter and eliminating the use of the aggregate paste fill as 
backfill.
    Under the No Action Alternative, the development of the Goldrush 
Mine would not be authorized and NGM would not construct, operate, and 
close a new underground mine (i.e., the Goldrush Mine). Modifications 
or reclassification of acres would not occur, and the dual use of 
facilities between the Cortez Mine and Goldrush Mine would not occur. 
NGM would continue current authorized mining and exploration operations 
under the previously authorized plans.
    Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed 
Goldrush Mine Project, and after carefully considering input received 
from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected the 
Revised Proposed Action for Reduced Wildlife Impacts Alternative as the 
BLM's 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. 2023-24011 Filed 10-30-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P