```

[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 193 (Friday, October 4, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Page 80918]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22867]

[[Page 80918]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[BLM_NV_FRN_MO4500181594]

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact 
Statement for Nevada Gold Mines LLC Robertson Mine Project, Lander 
County, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (NEPA), as amended, 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 Nevada Gold Mines LLC (NGM) Robertson Mine Project.

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 National NEPA Register website at 
https://eplanning.blm.gov/eplanning-ui/project/2023088/510.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jeff Kirkwood, Project Manager, 
telephone: (775) 635-4164; address: 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, 
Nevada 89820; email: [email protected]. Individuals in the 
United States who are deaf, deafblind, hard of hearing, or have a 
speech disability may dial 711 (TTY, TDD, or TeleBraille) to access 
telecommunication relay services for contacting Mr. Kirkwood. 
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 for the Proposed Action

    The BLM's purpose for the action is to respond to NGM's proposal, 
as described in its proposed plan of operations, and to analyze the 
potential environmental effects associated with the proposed action, 
which is the operator's proposed plan of operations, 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 subpart 3809 to respond to a proposed plan of operations and 
ensure that operations prevent unnecessary or undue degradation of the 
public lands.

Proposed Action and Alternatives

    Under the proposed plan of operations, NGM would construct, 
operate, close, and reclaim a new surface mine within the Shoshone 
Range approximately 58 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, Nevada, and 
70 miles southwest of Elko, Nevada. The proposed action would result in 
changes to the authorized Robertson Exploration Plan boundary (NVN-
067688), the Cortez Mine Plan boundary (NVN-67575), and the Pipeline-
South Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan boundary (NVN-067261). If 
the Robertson Mine Project Plan is approved, these authorized plans 
would be modified subsequent to that approval.
    The boundary of the proposed plan of operations would encompass 
5,990 acres. The total disturbance associated with the proposed action, 
including existing, reclassified, and exploration, would be 4,356 
acres, with 4,177 acres on land administered by the BLM and 179 acres 
on private land. The proposed surface mining activities for the 
Robertson Mine would include: three open pits (Gold Pan, Porphyry, and 
Altenburg Hill); haul roads; a waste rock facility; a heap leach 
facility, including a lined pad, process solution ponds and vaults, and 
carbon-in-column plant; and ancillary facilities, including three-stage 
crushing with associated conveyors; ore stockpiles; growth media 
stockpiles; a gravel borrow source; secondary roads; stormwater 
controls and diversions; a truck scale; power lines and electrical 
substations; water production, dewatering, and monitoring wells; water 
pipelines and loadouts; ready lines; fuel and reagent storage; fueling 
facilities; laydown yards; an assay laboratory; trailers; buildings; 
and communications sites. Shared facilities with the nearby Cortez Mine 
would include but not be limited to the haul road, a potable water 
well, water pipelines, warehouse and maintenance shops, hazardous waste 
storage, a petroleum-contaminated soils facility, ore stockpiles, the 
Pipeline Mill, carbon handling, a refinery, a laboratory, and the 
Pipeline Area 28 tailings storage facility.
    The Partial Backfill Alternative would be the same as described for 
the proposed action, with the requirement that the Gold Pan Pit would 
be backfilled to prevent the establishment of a post-mining pit lake.
    Under the No Action Alternative, the development of the Robertson 
Mine Project would not be authorized and NGM would not construct, 
operate, close, and reclaim a new surface mine. Modifications to the 
Exploration Plan boundary, the Cortez Mine Plan boundary, and the 
Pipeline-South Pipeline-Gold Acres Exploration Plan boundary would not 
occur.
    Based on the analyses contained in the EIS for the proposed 
Robertson Mine Project, and after carefully considering input received 
from the public and cooperating agencies, the BLM has selected the 
Partial Backfill Alternative as the BLM's preferred alternative.
    Comments on the Draft EIS received from the public and internal BLM 
review were considered and incorporated as appropriate into the Final 
EIS. Public comments resulted in the addition of clarifying text but 
did not significantly change the impact analyses.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6, 40 CFR 1506.10)

Jon D. Sherve,
District Manager, Battle Mountain District.
[FR Doc. 2024-22867 Filed 10-3-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4331-21-P
```