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Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a Proposed Expansion of Existing Gold Mining/Processing Operations in Lander and Eureka Counties, NV

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.


[Federal Register: October 5, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 193)]
[Notices]
[Page 57062-57063]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr05oc07-67]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV-060-1990]

Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact
Statement for a Proposed Expansion of Existing Gold Mining/Processing
Operations in Lander and Eureka Counties, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
Cooperating Agency: Nevada Department of Wildlife.
ACTION: Notice of Availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(2)(c) of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969, 43 CFR Part 3809, and the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations found at 40 CFR 1500-1508, the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) Battle Mountain Field Office has prepared a
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) on the Cortez Gold Mines'
(CGM) proposed Cortez Hills Expansion Project, which is a proposed
amendment to the Pipeline/South Pipeline Plan of Operations. The DEIS
analyzes the environmental effects of the Proposed Action and
alternatives, including the No Action Alternative.

DATES: The DEIS is available for public comment for 60 days starting on
October 5, 2007, the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes
its Notice of Availability (NOA) in the Federal Register. To provide
the public with an opportunity to review the proposal and project
information, the BLM will host public meetings in Crescent Valley and
Battle Mountain, Nevada. The BLM will notify the public of the meeting
dates, times, and locations at least 15 days prior to the meetings.
Announcements of the public meeting will be made by news release to the
media, individual letter mailings, and posting on the BLM Web site:
http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/fo/battle_mountain_field.html.
    Comments, including names and street addresses, will be available
for public review at the address below during regular business hours,
7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays, and
will be published as part of the Final EIS. Before including your
address, phone number, e-mail address or other personal identifying
information in your comment, be advised that your entire comment and
personal identifying information may be made publicly available at any
time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold from public
review your personal identifying information, we cannot guarantee that
we will be able to do so.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Bureau of Land
Management, ATTN: Stephen Drummond, Battle Mountain Field Office, 50
Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stephen Drummond, 775-635-4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: CGM, on behalf of Cortez Joint Venture,
proposes to expand its Pipeline/South Pipeline Project, an existing
open-pit gold mining and processing operation. The Pipeline/South
Pipeline Project is located in north-central Nevada approximately 31
miles south of Beowawe in Lander County.
    The proposed Cortez Hills Expansion Project (Project) is located
in:

Mount Diablo Meridian, Nevada

T. 27 N., R. 48 E.;
T. 27 N., R. 47 E.;
T. 27 N., R. 46 E.;
T. 26 N., R. 47 E.;
T. 26 N., R. 48 E.;
T. 28 N., R. 46 E.; and
T. 28 N., R. 47 E. in Lander and Eureka counties.

    The Proposed Action would require new surface disturbance of 6,792
acres, including 6,571 acres of public land administered by the BLM
Battle Mountain Field Office and 221 acres of private land owned by
CGM. Existing CGM mining and processing facilities are located in three
main areas in the Cortez Gold Mines Operations Area. These areas are
referred to as the Pipeline Complex, Cortez Complex and Gold Acres
Complex . The existing and proposed disturbance acreages for the
Project would total 16,231 acres. The Proposed Action would include
development of new mining facilities in the proposed Cortez Hills
Complex, including development of a new open pit, underground mining,
three new waste rock facilities, new heap leach pad, construction of a
12-mile conveyor system, modification or construction of related roads
and ancillary facilities, and a new groundwater dewatering system to
include in pit, perimeter, and underground facilities. The Proposed
Action also would include continued use of existing facilities in the
Pipeline Complex, Cortez Complex and Gold Acres Complex, as well as
expansion of existing facilities (pits and waste rock facilities) in
the Pipeline Complex and Cortez Complex. CGM proposes to mine the ore
bodies associated with the Cortez and Cortez Hills complexes
concurrently with their existing Pipeline/South Pipeline ore bodies.
The majority of the high grade ore mined

[[Page 57063]]

under the Cortez Hills Expansion Project would be processed at the
existing Pipeline and/or Cortez mills. The proposed Project would
expand existing tailings facilities at both the Pipeline and Cortez
complexes. A lesser quantity of refractory ore would be sold to an off-
site processing facility. The primary method of processing low-grade
ore would be heap leaching.
    The DEIS addresses concerns identified by the BLM and other
agencies, as well as comments raised during the public scoping period
in 2005. Issues analyzed in the DEIS include: Air quality, cultural
resources, water quality, environmental justice, floodplains, hazardous
materials and solid waste, invasive, and/or non-native species,
migratory birds, Native American religious concerns, special status
species, wetlands and riparian zones, and wilderness characteristics.
Construction and operation of the proposed Cortez Hills Expansion
Project is projected to begin in 2008. The life of the mine would
include approximately 10 years of active mining and concurrent
reclamation as areas become available, as well as an additional three
years for ongoing ore processing, final reclamation, and closure.
    A range of alternatives (including alternate waste rock facility
and heap leach pad locations, underground mining only, and the No
Action Alternative) has been developed and analyzed to address the
concerns and issues that were identified. Other alternatives under
consideration and the rationale for their elimination from detailed
analysis also are discussed. Mitigation measures have been identified
to minimize potential environmental impacts and to assure that the
proposed Project would not result in undue or unnecessary degradation
of public lands. In addition, the DEIS includes an analysis of
cumulative impacts, including a comprehensive evaluation of potential
impacts to Native American religious concerns.

     Dated: August 20, 2007.
Gerald M. Smith,
 Battle Mountain Field Office Manager.
[FR Doc. E7-19696 Filed 10-4-07; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P

 
 

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