Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

[NV-020-4191-03]

Intent to Prepare Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for a mining Plan of Operations (POO) for the Twin Creeks Mine

project, Humboldt County, Nevada; and notice of scoping period and

public meetings.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 102(2)(c) of the National Environmental

Policy Act of 1969, and to 43 CFR 3809, the Bureau of Land Management

(BLM) will be directing the preparation of an EIS for the proposed

expansion of a gold mine in Humboldt County, Nevada. This EIS will be

prepared by contract and funded by the proponent, Santa Fe Pacific Gold

Corporation. Public meetings will be held to identify issues to be

addressed in the EIS, and to encourage public participation in the

review process. Representatives of the BLM and Santa Fe Pacific Gold

Corporation will be summarizing the POO and accepting comments from the

audience. The BLM invites comments and suggestions on the scope of the

analysis.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held August 9, 1994 at the Humboldt

County Library in Winnemucca, Nevada; and on August 10, 1994 at the

Airport Plaza Hotel on 1981 Terminal Way, Reno, Nevada. Both meetings

will be held from 7-9 p.m. each night. Written comments on the Plan of

Operations and the scope of the EIS will be accepted until September 9,

1994. The Draft EIS is expected to be completed by spring of 1995, at

which time the document will be made available for public review and

comment.

ADDRESSES: Scoping comments may be sent to: District Manager, 705 E.

4th Street, Winnemucca, NV 89445; ATTN: Gerald Moritz, Project

Coordinator.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Gerald Moritz, 705 E. 4th Street, Winnemucca, NV 89445, (702) 623-1500.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation of

Albuquerque, New Mexico has submitted to the Winnemucca District Office

of the BLM, a POO for expansion of their existing gold mine, the Twin

Creeks Mine (TCM). The POO describes proposed expansion and

consolidation of TCM mining operations in Humboldt County,

approximately 35 miles northeast of Winnemucca, Nevada. This mining

operation had previously been divided into Goldfields Operating

Company's Chimney Creek Mine and Santa Fe's Rabbit Creek Mine. A total

of approximately 931 million tons of oxide overburden and interburden;

534 million tons of sulfide overburden and interburden; 737 million

tons alluvium overburden; 60 million tons of subgrade ore; 33 million

tons of sulfide mill grade ore; 9 million tons oxide mill grade ore;

and 60 million tons leach grade material may be excavated during the 20

year mine life. These amounts may vary depending on the price of gold

during mining operations. The proposed expansion would result in an

additional disturbance on approximately 1,500 acres. Existing surface

disturbance for all mine facilities would be about 4,144 acres.

Existing key production facilities include mine pits, barren rock

piles, ore crushing, grinding, heap leach pads, solution ponds, gold

extraction and refining equipment, and tailings disposal facilities.

Nonprocessing ancillary facilities to support the mining activities

include administration, laboratory, warehouse, maintenance shop

buildings, fuel, oil, reagent and water storage facilities and other

small structures required for operations.

The EIS will address the issues of geology, minerals, soils, water

resources, vegetation, wildlife, grazing management, wild horses, air

quality, aesthetic resources, cultural resources, paleontological

resources, land use, access, recreation, social and economic values

related to expansion.

Federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or

organizations who may be interested in or affected by the BLM's

decision on the POO are invited to participate in the scoping process.

The Authorized Officer will respond to public input and comment as part

of the final EIS. The decision regarding the proposal will be recorded

as a Record of Decision, which is subject to appeal under 43 CFR part

4.

Dated: July 18, 1994.

Robert J. Neary,

Acting District Manager, Winnemucca.

[FR Doc. 94-18143 Filed 7-25-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M