[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: wfoweb@blm.gov
Fax: (775) 623-1503
Mail: 5100 E. Winnemucca Blvd., Winnemucca, NV 89445
Eagle Take Permit:
Email: fw8_eaglepermits@fws.gov
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]
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