[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 20 (Tuesday, January 30, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 3049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-1627]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
[NV-060-7122-00-8661; N64-93-001P]
Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit Plan of Operation
AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.
ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact
Statement for the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit Plan of Operation for
mining in Lander County, Nevada.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental
Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended, and to 43 Code of Federal
Regulations Part 3809, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle
Mountain District has made available the Final Environmental Impact
Statement (Final EIS) for the proposed development of an open pit mine
and associated facilities, in Lander County, Nevada.
DATES: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish its
Federal Register Notice of Availability on February 2, 1996. That
publication begins the official 30 day period required by the Council
on Environmental Quality for Final EISs.
ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain District Manager,
50 Bastian Rd., P.O. Box 1420, Battle Mountain, NV 89820 ATTN: Dave
Davis. Copies of the Final EIS may be made in writing to the preceding
address or by calling Dave Davis at (702) 635-4000.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Dave Davis, Pipeline Project Manager, at (702) 635-4000.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cortez Gold Mines filed a Plan of Operations
in October, 1992 for the development of the Pipeline Gold deposit open
pit mine. The Pipeline proposal calls for the development of an 1827
acre open pit gold mine operation located in the southern end of
Crescent Valley, Lander County, Nevada. In addition to the 235 acre
open pit, there will be a dewatering program required to keep the pit
dry during mining operations. This dewatering program will pump an
estimated 30,000 gallons per minute (gpm). Approximately 28,000 gpm of
the total 30,000 gpm will be returned to the Crescent Valley aquifer
through a series of infiltration ponds. Associated facilities include a
new 5,000 ton per day mill, constructing a new combined heap leach/
tailings facility, waste dumps and associated support facilities,
offices, etc.
The Draft and Final EISs evaluate the impacts of the Pipeline
proposal on a number of resources. The focus of both documents include
the impacts to ground and surface water resources, pit lake chemistry,
social and economic impacts to the region, air quality, cultural
resources and Native American religious concerns.
The Final EIS incorporates changes to the findings in the Draft EIS
that resulted from the public comment process on the Draft EIS. These
changes include an expanded regional ground water modelling study. The
regional study supports and expands upon the subregional ground water
modelling effort prepared for the Draft EIS. Water quality modelling
was expanded for the Final EIS. These expanded water quality modelling
results indicate some metal species and other constituents may exceed
current Nevada Drinking water standards in the long term (250 years
after cessation of mining operations). Precise estimates for such long
term predictions are impossible to predict with current technology. In
order to better understand the potential future impacts, the BLM also
had an ecological risk assessment for the pit lake prepared. This risk
assessment identifies some potential to affect avian wildlife in the
long term. Mitigation is proposed for those potential avian impacts.
Cortez has committed to an irrevocable, long term monetary contingency
fund. This funding will be used by the BLM for monitoring all aspects
of the project after cessation of mining operations; although the
primary focus of the funding will be used to monitor the pit lake water
quality. The contingency fund will also be used to mitigate any future
long term impacts resulting from pit lake water quality.
Dated: January 22, 1996.
Gerald M. Smith,
District Manager.
[FR Doc. 96-1627 Filed 1-29-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M