Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Phoenix Project Mining Plan of Operation

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-060-1990-01; N64-94-008P]

Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for

the Phoenix Project Mining Plan of Operation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

for the Battle Mountain Gold Company Phoenix Project Plan of Operation

for mining in Lander County, Nevada and notice of scoping period and

public meetings.

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

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

Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended, and to 43 CFR Part 3809, 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, expanded heap leaching and tailings impoundment in

Lander County, Nevada. The EIS will be prepared by contract and funded

by the proponent, Battle Mountain Gold Company. The BLM invites

comments and suggestions on the scope of the analysis.

DATES: Scoping meetings will be held on February 27, 1995, from 7-9

p.m. at the Battle Mountain District BLM Office conference room, 50

Bastian Rd., in Battle Mountain, Nevada; and on February 28, 1995, from

7-9 p.m. at the Airport Plaza Hotel, 1981 Terminal Way, in Reno,

Nevada. The purposes of these meetings are to identify issues to be

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

process. Representatives of the BLM and Battle Mountain Gold Company

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 Operation and the scope

of the EIS will be accepted until April 14, 1995. A Draft EIS is

expected to be completed by November of 1995, at which time the

document will be made available for public review and comment.

ADDRESSES: Scoping comments may be sent to: BLM, Lynn Pettit, Phoenix

Project EIS Project Manager, Battle Mountain District Manager, 50

Bastian Rd., P.O. Box 1420, Battle Mountain, NV 89820.

[[Page 7784]] FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Lynn Pettit, Project Manager, at (702) 635-4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Battle Mountain Gold Mining Company has

recently submitted a proposal to develop a mining facility at the south

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

approximately 15 miles southwest of Battle Mountain. The proposed

mining development will involve an expansion of the current heap

leaching and tailings facilities, and a new mill. One extracted from

proposed open pits will be processed for gold recovery by milling and

heap leaching processes. Dewatering will be necessary in order to mine

several of the proposed open pits. To prevent anticipated pit lake

quality problems due to the composition of the host rock in one of the

pits, Battle Mountain Gold is proposing a permanent ground water

conveyance system that would begin at an entry way within the pit,

travel downgradient through an underground drainage system to a portal

opening and from there travel via an above ground channel to a location

that would serve as an infiltration basin and/or wetland. The majority

of the waste rock will be partially, or completely, backfilled into

open pits and used to cap existing copper leach run-of -mine dumps. The

total land disturbance (private + public) over the life of the mine

could reach 1,909 acres. Land previously disturbed by mining related

activity would make up 1,278 of these acres.

Potentially significant and significant direct, indirect,

cumulative and residual impacts from the proposal will be analyzed in

the EIS. Significant issues to be addressed in the EIS include those

relating to air quality, surface and ground water resources,

geochemistry, reclamation, and social and economic values, and

cumulative impacts. Additional significant issues to be addressed may

arise during the scoping process. Federal, state, and local agencies

and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or

affected by the BLM's decision on this plan of operation are invited to

participate in the scoping process.

Dated: January 30, 1995.

Michael C. Mitchel,

Acting District Manager.

[FR Doc. 95-3275 Filed 2-8-95; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M