[Federal Register: April 30, 2010 (Volume 75, Number 83)]
[Notices]               
[Page 22838]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30ap10-115]                         


[[Page 22838]]

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLNVE01000.L19900000.DQ0000; MO:4500011511; 10-08807; TAS:14X1109]

 
Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Genesis Project, Eureka County, NV

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, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Genesis Project and 
by this notice is announcing the opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the Genesis Project Draft EIS within 45 days 
following the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes its 
Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. The BLM will announce 
future meetings or hearings and any other public involvement activities 
at least 15 days in advance through public notices, media releases, 
and/or mailings.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the Genesis Project by 
any of the following methods:
     Fax: (775) 753-0255
     Mail: BLM Elko District Office, Attention Kirk Laird, EIS 
Project Manager, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada 89801
     E-mail: Kirk_Laird@nv.blm.gov or 
eiscommentselko@nv.blm.gov.

Copies of the Genesis Project Draft EIS are available in the BLM Elko 
District Office at the above address and at the following Web site: 
http://www.blm.gov/nv (click on Elko District link).

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information, contact Kirk 
Laird, EIS Project Manager, telephone (775) 753-0200; address BLM Elko 
District Office, 3900 East Idaho Street, Elko, Nevada 89801; or e-mail 
Kirk_Laird@nv.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Newmont Mining Corporation's Genesis-
Bluestar mining operations area is located in northeastern Nevada on 
the Carlin Trend, a 50-mile-long by 10-mile-wide geologic area that has 
produced more than 60 million ounces of gold from numerous mines over 
the last 30 years. The proposed action is to expand the Genesis Pit, 
develop the new Bluestar Ridge Pit, backfill the Beast and the Bluestar 
pits and partially backfill the Genesis Pit, expand the Section 36 and 
Section 5 Waste Rock Disposal Facilities, construct the necessary haul 
roads and access roads, and process 60 million tons of gold-bearing 
ore. The proposed project would disturb an additional 43 acres (25 
acres of public land and 18 acres of private land) and provide for 
continued mining activities on approximately 1,092 acres of previously-
disturbed lands.
    The Draft EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of the 
Proposed Action and No Action alternative, and identifies measures to 
minimize adverse impacts. The BLM reviewed several action alternatives 
to the Proposed Action, but eliminated them from in-depth analysis in 
the Draft EIS because they provided no substantive benefits to the 
environment. Major issues brought forward during the public scoping 
process and addressed in the Draft EIS include:
    (1) The cumulative impacts of mining and related actions on 
affected resources, for example water quality and quantity and wildlife 
habitat, in the Carlin Trend;
    (2) The release of mercury associated with processing the 60 
million tons of ore;
    (3) The impacts of 12 additional years of active mining as it 
relates to continued employment and economic activity for the local 
area; and
    (4) The impacts of a pit lake forming under the No Action 
alternative, but not in the action alternative.
    The Proposed Action includes an Adaptive Management Plan which is 
analyzed in the Draft EIS and included as an appendix to the Draft EIS. 
The agency's preferred alternative is the Proposed Action as described 
above.
    A Notice of Intent to Prepare an EIS for the Genesis Project was 
published in the Federal Register on March 18, 2008 [73 FR 14484]. 
Public participation was solicited through the media, mailings, the BLM 
Web site, and a public scoping meeting.
    Please note that public comments and information submitted 
including names, street addresses, and e-mail 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, e-mail 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.

Kenneth E. Miller,
District Manager, Elko.

    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

[FR Doc. 2010-10011 Filed 4-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P