[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 178 (Thursday, September 12, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48159-48160]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-23369]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV-020-4191-03]
Intent To Prepare Environmental Impact Statement
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement
(EIS) for a mining Plan of Operations (POO) for the Trenton Canyon Mine
project, Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada; and notice of scoping
period and public meeting.
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[[Page 48160]]
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969, and to 43 CFR 3809, the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) will be directing the preparation of an EIS for the proposed gold
mine expansion in Humboldt County and Lander County, Nevada. This EIS
will be prepared by contract and funded by the proponent, Santa Fe
Pacific Gold Corporation. A public meeting will be held to identify
issues to be addressed in the EIS, and to encourage public
participation in the review process. Representatives of the BLM and
Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation will be summarizing the POO and
accepting comments from the audience. The BLM invites comments and
suggestions on the scope of the analysis.
DATES: A scoping meeting will be held September 24, 1996 at the Office
of the Bureau of Land Management, 5100 E. Winnemucca Boulevard,
Winnemucca, Nevada from 7-9 p.m. Written comments on the Plan of
Operations and the scope of the EIS will be accepted until October 15,
1996. The Draft EIS is expected to be completed by the end of May,
1997, at which time the document will be made available for public
review and comment.
ADDRESSES: Scoping comments may be sent to: District Manager, 5100 E.
Winnemucca Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445; ATTN. Rod Herrick,
Project Manager.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rod Herrick, 5100 E. Winnemucca
Boulevard, Winnemucca, Nevada 89445 (702) 623-1500.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation of
Albuquerque, New Mexico has submitted to the Winnemucca District Office
of the BLM, a POO for expansion of the Trenton Canyon Mine. The POO
describes proposed expansion of Trenton Canyon Project mining
operations onto public land in Humboldt and Lander Counties, Nevada.
The mining operation was previously permitted on fee land by permit
from the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection, Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources. About 122 million tons of oxide
overburden and interburden will be removed to mine about 30 million
tons of oxide ore. The proposed expansion would result in additional
disturbance to public and private lands of approximately 1,872 acres.
Future key production facilities would include mine pits, waste rock
disposal piles, heap leach pads, solution/overflow ponds, access and
haul roads, and a carbon-column circuit. Loaded carbon will be
transported to the nearby Lone Tree Mine for gold stripping.
Nonprocessing ancillary facilities to support the mine would include an
office, shop, warehouse, water supply system, sewage system, electrical
distribution system, propane system, bioremediation cells, barrel
handling facilities, and explosives magazine, and various materials
storage areas.
The EIS will address the issues of geology, minerals, soils, water
resources, vegetation, wildlife, grazing management, air quality,
aesthetics, cultural resources, paleontological resources, land use,
access, recreation, social and economic values related to the mine
expansion.
Federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or
organizations who may be interested in or affected by the BLM's
decision on the POO are invited to participate in the scoping process.
The Authorized Officer will respond to public input and comment as part
of the final EIS. The decision regarding the proposal will be recorded
as a Record of Decision, which is subject to appeal under 43 CFR part
4.
Dated: September 5, 1996.
Ronald B. Wenker,
District Manager, Winnemucca, Nevada.
[FR Doc. 96-23369 Filed 9-11-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P
