[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 183 (Friday, September 20, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 77174-77175]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-21580]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NV_FRN_4500181325]


Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC's Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron 
Mine Project, Esmeralda County, Nevada

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: In accordance 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) 
announces the availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS) for the Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron Mine Project (Project) 
proposed by Ioneer Rhyolite Ridge LLC (Ioneer) in Esmeralda County, 
Nevada.

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. The EPA usually publishes its NOAs on Fridays.

ADDRESSES: The Final EIS and documents pertinent to this proposal are 
available for review on the BLM's National NEPA Register (ePlanning) at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2012309/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott Distel, Project Manager, 
telephone: (775) 635-4093; email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#e99a8d809a9d8c85a98b8584c78e869f"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6d1e09041e1908012d0f0100430a021b">[email protected]</span></a>; address: 50 Bastian 
Road, Battle Mountain, NV 89820. Individuals in the United States who 
are deaf, deafblind,

[[Page 77175]]

hard of hearing, or have a speech disability may dial 711 (TYY, 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

    The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to Ioneer's proposal 
as described in its proposed Plan of Operations, and to analyze the 
potential environmental effects associated with the Proposed Action 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 part 3800 subpart 3809 to respond to a 
proposed Plan of Operations.

Alternatives A, B, and C

    Under Alternative A, the Proposed Action, Ioneer is proposing to 
construct, operate, close, and reclaim a new lithium-boron mine project 
in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The proposed Rhyolite Ridge Lithium-Boron 
Mine Project Plan of Operations boundary would encompass 7,166 acres, 
which consists of a 6,369-acre Operational Project Area and a 797-acre 
Access Road and Infrastructure Corridor. The total surface disturbance 
associated with Alternative A, including existing and reclassified 
disturbance and exploration, would be 2,306 acres of BLM-administered 
public lands and private land.
    The Project would employ a workforce of approximately 400 to 500 
employees during initial construction and approximately 350 employees 
during operations. The Project would operate 24 hours per day, 365 days 
per year. The total life of the Project would be 23 years, including 
four years of construction (years 1 through 4), 17 years of quarrying 
(years 1 through 17), 13 years of ore processing (years 4 through 17), 
and 6 additional years of reclamation (Years 18 through 23). 
Reclamation of disturbed areas would be completed in accordance with 
BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection regulations. 
Concurrent reclamation would take place where practicable and safe.
    The proposed activities for the Project would include:
    <bullet> A mine, including an open pit berm and water storage 
tanks;
    <bullet> A processing facility, including a contact water pond and 
diversion channels;
    <bullet> Three overburden storage facilities (North, West, and 
Quarry Infill), including contact water ponds and diversion channels;
    <bullet> One spent ore storage facility, including an underdrain 
pond and diversion channels;
    <bullet> Project Area exploration, including access routes and 
drill sites with sumps;
    <bullet> Haul roads, service roads, and public road realignment;
    <bullet> Buckwheat exclusion area and critical habitat fencing; and
    <bullet> Ancillary facilities including an explosives storage area, 
communication towers, All-Terrain Vehicle trails, a batch plant, a 
proposed water supply testing facilities including pipelines, a sewage 
system including septic leach fields, a dewatering pipeline, growth 
media stockpiles, stormwater controls and diversions, monitoring wells, 
laydown yards, and fencing.
    Under Alternative B, the North and South OSF Alternative, which is 
the BLM's preferred alternative, all mine components and operations 
would be the same as Alternative A, but the facility layout would be 
modified to reduce surface disturbance within the Tiehm's buckwheat 
(Eriogonum tiemii) designated critical habitat. Surface disturbance 
under Alternative B would be less than Alternative A and total 
approximately 2,271 acres.
    Under Alternative C, the No Action Alternative, the development of 
the Project would not be authorized and Ioneer would not construct, 
operate, and close a new lithium-boron mine project.

Lead and Cooperating Agencies

    The BLM Battle Mountain District Office is the lead agency for the 
EIS. The Nevada Department of Wildlife, the Nevada Division of 
Forestry, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 
Service--Ecological Services, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service--
Migratory Birds Program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and 
the Esmeralda County Board of County Commissioners have participated in 
this environmental analysis as cooperating agencies. Several Native 
American Tribes have also participated in the environmental analysis.

Schedule for the Decision-Making Process

    Consistent with the NEPA and the BLM's land use planning 
regulations, the BLM is providing a 30-day public review period for the 
Final EIS and will not issue a decision on the proposal for a minimum 
of 30 days after the date that EPA publishes its NOA in the Federal 
Register.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)

Jon D. Sherve,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2024-21580 Filed 9-19-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P


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