Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Mule Canyon Project Mining Plan of Operations

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-060-1990-01; N64-92-001P]

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

the Mule Canyon Project Mining Plan of Operations

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS) for the Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation Mule Canyon Project

Plan of Operations for mining in Lander 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 (NEPA) as amended, and to 43 CFR Part 3809, the

Surface Management Regulations, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM),

will be directing the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement

for the proposed development of a new mill facility, tailings

impoundment, heap leach facility, five open pits, and ancillary

facilities in Lander County, Nevada. The environmental impact statement

will be prepared by third party contractor and funded by the proponent,

Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation. The BLM invites comments and

suggestions on the scope of the analysis.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held on May 24, 1995, from 7-9 p.m. at

the Battle Mountain District BLM Office conference room, 50 Bastian

Road, in Battle Mountain, Nevada; and on May 25, 1995, from 7-9 p.m. at

the Senior Citizens Center, Crescent Valley, Nevada. The purpose of

these meetings is to identify issues to be addressed in the EIS, and to

encourage public participation in the NEPA process. Representatives of

the BLM and Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation will be summarizing the

Plan of Operations and the anticipated environmental impacts resulting

from the project and will be accepting comments from the audience.

Additional briefing meetings will be held as appropriate. Written

comments on the Plan of Operations and the scope of the EIS will be

accepted until close of business, June 26, 1995.

ADDRESSES: Scoping comments may be sent to: USDI-BLM, District Manager,

P.O. Box 1420, 50 Bastian Road, Battle Mountain, Nevada, 89820, Attn.:

Dave Davis, Mule Canyon Project Manager.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Davis, Mule Canyon Project

Manager, (702) 635-4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corporation has

recently submitted a proposal to develop a mining facility on the north

end of the Shoshone Mountain Range, in Lander County, Nevada,

approximately 14 miles east-southeast of Battle Mountain. The proposed

mining development will involve the development of five open pits, a

heap leach pad, a tailings storage facility, four holding ponds,

several solution ponds, milling, processing, and other ancillary

facilities. There are currently two disposal plans for over/interburden

storage. The no backfill plan entails the construction of 12 overburden

facilities (total disturbance 504 acres). The backfill disposal plan

entails construction of fourteen facilities, including the backfilling

of the Main Pit area (total disturbance 521 acres). Total maximum

disturbance under either scenario is expected to be near 2,870 acres. A

fence surrounding the project will enclose approximately 6,606 acres.

The BLM has determined through internal scoping that the following

issues may be potentially significant and as such will be the focus of

the EIS: Minor dewatering associated with mining, water quality and pit

water quality after closure, socio-economic impacts to the region, air

quality, impacts to range and wildlife resources, cultural and Native

American Religious Concerns, reclamation, and cumulative impacts.

Additional significant issues to be addressed may arise during the

scoping process. Federal, State, and local government agencies and

other individuals who may be interested or affected by the BLM's

decision on this plan of operations are invited to participate in the

scoping process.

Dated: May 1, 1995.

Michael C. Mitchel,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 95-11391 Filed 5-8-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M