38172 Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Notices 

community, oil and gas industry, and 

potash industry in May 2011. The BLM 

gave a scoping presentation to the Pecos 

District Resource Advisory Council in 

January 2012. The BLM also held public 

workshops pertaining to VRM, travel, 

and special designations and met with 

the Public Lands Advisory Council in 

February 2012. In addition, the BLM 

held two economic profile system 

workshops early in the process with 

local citizens and community leaders to 

develop a common understanding of the 

local economies, and the ways in which 

land-use planning decisions may affect 

them. 

During the scoping period, the public 

provided the Carlsbad Field Office with 

input on relevant issues to consider in 

the planning process. Additional 

information was collected during two 

internal alternatives development 

workshops and one cooperating agency 

workshop. Based on the issues, 

conflicts, and the BLM’s goals and 

objectives, the Carlsbad Field Office 

Interdisciplinary Team and managers 

formulated four action alternatives for 

consideration and analysis in the Draft 

RMP/Draft EIS. At the close of the 

public comment period, the BLM will 

use substantive public comments to 

revise the Draft RMP/Draft EIS in 

preparation for its release to the public 

as the Proposed Resource Management 

Plan and Final Environmental Impact 

Statement (Proposed RMP/Final EIS). 

The BLM will respond to each 

substantive comment received during 

the public review and comment period 

by making appropriate revisions to the 

document, or explaining why the 

comment did not warrant a change. 

Notice of the Availability of the 

Proposed RMP/Final EIS will be posted 

in the Federal Register. Please note that 

public comments and information 

submitted including names, street 

addresses, and email addresses of 

persons who submit comments will be 

available for public review and 

disclosure at the above address during 

regular business hours (8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. 

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 1506.6, 40 CFR 

1506.10, 43 CFR 1610.2. 

Aden L. Seidlitz, 

Acting BLM New Mexico State Director. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16665 Filed 8–2–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–FB–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

Bureau of Land Management 

[LLNVB00000. L51100000.GN0000. 

LVEMF1704460. 17X. MO# 4500106342] 

Notice of Availability of the Final 

Environmental Impact Statement for 

the Proposed Greater Phoenix Project, 

Lander County, NV 

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, 

Interior. 

ACTION: Notice. 

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) 

Mount Lewis Field Office, Battle 

Mountain, Nevada, has prepared a Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) 

and by this notice is announcing its 

availability. The Greater Phoenix Project 

is owned by Newmont USA Limited and 

is located approximately 12 miles 

southwest of the town of Battle 

Mountain in Lander County, Nevada. 

The Proposed Project includes 

expanding the life of the mine from 

2040 to 2063; expanding the boundary 

of the mine by 10,611 acres, from 8,228 

acres to 18,839 acres; and increasing 

surface disturbance by 3,497 acres, from 

8,374 to 11,871 acres. 

DATES: The BLM will not issue a final 

decision on the proposal for a minimum 

of 30 days after the date that the 

Environmental Protection Agency 

publishes its Notice of Availability in 

the Federal Register. 

ADDRESSES: Copies of the Final EIS for 

the Greater Phoenix Mine Project and 

other documents pertinent to this 

proposal may be examined at the Mount 

Lewis Field Office: 50 Bastian Road, 

Battle Mountain, Nevada 89820. All 

documents are available for download at 

https://go.usa.gov/xQDYJ. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Christine Gabriel—Project Manager, 

telephone 775–635–4000; address 50 

Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada 

89820; email blm_nv_bmdo_

GreaterPhoenixProject@blm.gov. 

Contact Christine Gabriel 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: Newmont 

USA Limited (Newmont) proposes to 

modify the Phoenix Mine Plan of 

Operations to expand its existing 

mining operations. The proposed 

Project is located approximately 12 

miles southwest of the town of Battle 

Mountain in Lander County, Nevada. 

Within this expanded area, surface 

disturbance would increase by 3,497 

acres from 8,374 to 11,871 acres, which 

includes 5,896 acres located on public 

lands administered by the BLM Mount 

Lewis Field Office. The existing 

Phoenix Mine is a gold and copper 

mining and beneficiation operation. 

Mill-grade oxide gold ore is beneficiated 

to gold concentrate at the Phoenix Mill 

facility, which also produces small 

amounts of copper and silver 

concentrates as trace elements. Mill 

tailings are deposited in a tailings 

storage facility (TSF). Copper-containing 

ore is beneficiated using heap leaching 

followed by solvent extraction and 

electrowinning of copper from the leach 

solution. 

Operations at Phoenix Mine under the 

currently authorized Plan of Operations 

and existing permits would last 

approximately 24 years. Active closure 

and reclamation activities are 

anticipated to extend approximately 13 

years beyond the operational phase. 

Additionally, more than 500 years of 

post-closure monitoring would follow 

final reclamation. 

The proposed Project amendments 

include the following: Extension of 

mine life from 2040 to 2063; expansion 

of the Plan of Operations boundary by 

10,611 acres—from 8,228 acres to 

18,839 acres, of which 10,132 are BLMmanaged public lands; increase surface 

disturbance by 3,497 acres—from 8,374 

acres to 11,871 acres; expansion of the 

Phoenix Pit area through consolidation 

of existing pit areas, and increase in pit 

depth by 380 feet—from 4,990 to 4,610 

feet above mean sea level; expansion of 

the Natomas Waste Rock Facility by 347 

acres—from 997 acres to 1,344 acres; 

expansion of the Phoenix TSF by 1,801 

acres—from 1,396 acres to 3,197 acres; 

expansion of the Phoenix Heap Leach 

Facility by 79 acres—from 536 acres to 

615 acres; expansion of the clay soil 

borrow area by 819 acres—from 469 

acres to 1,288 acres; development of an 

additional soil borrow area (483 acres); 


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Federal Register / Vol. 83, No. 150 / Friday, August 3, 2018 / Notices 38173 

modification of the mine closure 

approach (including the management of 

pit water through treatment to meet 

applicable water quality standards and 

subsequently put to beneficial use in 

perpetuity); and realignment of Buffalo 

Valley Road, as well as realignment of 

a service power line, fiber optic line, 

and natural gas pipeline. 

Under the proposed Project, four 

existing FLPMA right-of-way grants 

(associated with project-related linear 

facilities) would be amended. 

The EIS’s analysis is focused on 

impacts to the following resource areas 

that were identified through the NEPA 

scoping process: Water resources 

(including surface water, groundwater, 

and geochemistry); air quality; 

vegetation resources (including noxious 

weeds and special status species); 

wildlife (including migratory birds and 

special status species); grazing 

management; land use and access; 

aesthetics (visual); cultural resources; 

Native American cultural concerns; 

geological resources (including minerals 

and soils); paleontological resources; 

recreation; social and economic values; 

hazardous materials; wetland and 

riparian zones. 

The EIS describes and analyzes the 

proposed Project’s direct, indirect, and 

cumulative impacts on all affected 

resources. In addition to the proposed 

Project, three alternatives were 

analyzed: the Enhanced/Mechanical 

Evaporation Cell Alternative, Treat 

Water for Agricultural Cropping on 

Private Land Alternative, and the No 

Action Alternative. 

The Draft EIS, was available for a 45- 

day public comment period, which 

ended October 16, 2017. A public 

meeting was held on September 26, 

2017 in Battle Mountain, NV. A total of 

178 comments were received during the 

public comment process. Comment 

responses are in the Final EIS. 

The BLM has utilized and 

coordinated the NEPA scoping and 

comment process to help fulfill the 

public involvement requirements under 

the National Historic Preservation Act 

(NHPA) (54 U.S.C. 306108) as provided 

in 36 CFR 800.2(d)(3)—and continues to 

do so. The information about historic 

and cultural resources within the area 

potentially affected by the proposed 

Project has assisted the BLM in 

identifying and evaluating impacts to 

such resources in the context of both 

NEPA and the NHPA. 

The BLM has consulted and continues 

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 and 

addressed in the EIS. 

John Gant Massey, 

Acting Field Manager, Mount Lewis Field 

Office. 

[FR Doc. 2018–16680 Filed 8–2–18; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4310–HC–P 

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

National Park Service 

[NPS–WASO–NAGPRA–25875; 

PPWOCRADN0–PCU00RP16.R50000] 

Native American Graves Protection 

and Repatriation Review Committee 

Notice of Public Meeting 

AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. 

ACTION: Meeting notice. 

SUMMARY: The National Park Service is 

hereby giving notice that the Native 

American Graves Protection and 

Repatriation Review Committee (Review 

Committee) will hold one meeting. All 

meetings are open to the public. 

DATES: The Review Committee will meet 

on October 17–19, 2018, from 8:30 a.m. 

until approximately 5:00 p.m. (Eastern). 

Related deadlines for participating in 

the meeting are detailed in this notice. 

ADDRESSES: The Review Committee will 

meet in the Yates Auditorium, 

Department of the Interior, 1849 C Street 

NW, Washington, DC 20240. Electronic 

submissions of materials or requests are 

to be sent to nagpra_info@nps.gov. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Melanie O’Brien, Designated Federal 

Officer, National Native American 

Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 

Program (2253), National Park Service, 

telephone (202) 354–2201, or email 

nagpra_info@nps.gov. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 

Review Committee was established in 

section 8 of the Native American Graves 

Protection and Repatriation Act of 1990 

(NAGPRA). 

Purpose of the Meeting: The agenda 

will include a report from the National 

NAGPRA Program; the discussion of the 

Review Committee Report to Congress; 

subcommittee reports and discussion; 

and other topics related to the Review 

Committee’s responsibilities under 

section 8 of NAGPRA. In addition, the 

agenda may include requests to the 

Review Committee for a 

recommendation to the Secretary of the 

Interior that an agreed-upon disposition 

of Native American human remains 

proceed; presentations by Indian tribes, 

Native Hawaiian organizations, 

museums, Federal agencies, 

associations, and individuals; and 

public comment. Presentation to the 

Review Committee by telephone may be 

requested but is not guaranteed. The 

agenda and materials for this meeting 

will be posted on or before September 

18, 2018, at https://www.nps.gov/ 

nagpra. 

The Review Committee is soliciting 

presentations from Indian tribes, Native 

Hawaiian organizations, museums, and 

Federal agencies on the following two 

topics: (1) the progress made, and any 

barriers encountered, in implementing 

NAGPRA and (2) the outcomes of 

disputes reviewed by the Review 

Committee pursuant to 25 U.S.C. 3006 

(c)(4). The Review Committee also will 

consider other presentations from 

Indian tribes, Native Hawaiian 

organizations, museums, Federal 

agencies, associations, and individuals. 

A presentation request must, at 

minimum, include an abstract of the 

presentation and contact information for 

the presenter(s). Presentation requests 

and materials must be received by 

September 4, 2018. Written comments 

will be accepted from any party and 

provided to the Review Committee. 

Written comments received by 

September 11, 2018, will be provided to 

the Review Committee before the 

meeting. 

The Review Committee will consider 

requests for a recommendation to the 

Secretary of the Interior that an agreedupon disposition of Native American 

human remains proceed. A disposition 

request must include specific 

information and, as applicable, ancillary 

materials. For details on the required 

information go to https://www.nps.gov/ 

nagpra/review. Disposition requests 

must be received by August 14, 2018. 

At this meeting, the Review 

Committee will not consider new 

requests for findings of fact related to 

the identity or cultural affiliation of 

human remains or other cultural items, 

or the return of such items; or facilitate 

the resolution of disputes. The Review 

Committee will consider additions to or 

hear presentations on previous requests. 

Contact the Designated Federal Officer 

to discuss any requests for findings of 

fact or resolution of disputes by August 

10, 2018. 

Submissions and requests should be 

sent to nagpra_info@nps.gov. Such 

items are subject to posting on the 

National NAGPRA Program website 

prior to the meeting. 

General Information 

Information about NAGPRA, the 

Review Committee, and Review 

Committee meetings is available on the 


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