Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on a Plan of Operations for Alta Gold Company in Washoe County, Nevada; and Notice of Scoping Period and Public Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-030-96-1990-02, N36-96-001P]

Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement on

a Plan of Operations for Alta Gold Company in Washoe County, Nevada;

and Notice of Scoping Period and Public Meeting

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Carson City District Office.

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

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

will be directing the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement

to be produced by a third-party contractor on the impacts of a proposed

Plan of Operations for development of the Olinghouse Gold Mine, an open

pit, cyanide heap leach gold mine operated by Alta Gold Company, in

Washoe County, Nevada. The Bureau invites comments on the scope of the

analysis.

EFFECTIVE DATES: An open-house meeting will be held July 3, 1996, from

5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Washoe County Commissioners Chambers, 1001 E.

Ninth Street, Reno to allow the public an opportunity to identify

issues and concerns to be addressed in the Environmental Impact

Statement. This meeting will be a joint effort by the Bureau and Washoe

County. Representatives of Alta Gold Company will be available to

answer questions about the Plan of Operations. Additional scoping

meetings may be held as appropriate. Written comments on the Plan of

Operations and the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement will be

accepted until July 19, 1996.

A Draft Environmental Impact Statement is expected to be completed

by November 1996 and made available for public review and comment. At

that time a Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact

Statement will be published in the Federal Register. The comment period

on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will be 60 days from the

date the Notice of Availability is published.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scoping comments may be sent to:

District Manager, Bureau of Land Management, 1535 Hot Springs Road,

Carson City, NV 89706. ATTN: Olinghouse Environmental Impact Statement

Project Manager.

For additional information, write to the above address or call

Terri Knutson at (702) 885-6156.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Alta Gold Company has submitted a Plan of

Operations for development of their Olinghouse Gold Mine located

approximately six miles west of Wadsworth, Nevada in Washoe County. The

proposed operation includes; development and condemnation drilling

necessary for development of future operations; construction of an open

pit and associated overburden and interburden disposal areas;

construction of a heap leach pad for ore processing; construction of

recirculation and pregnant solution ponds; and construction of mine

facilities. There are approximately 4300 acres within the proposed

project area and 465 acres within the actual area of disturbance on the

proposed mine site.

The Environmental Impact Statement will address: surface and

groundwater quantity and quality; geology and minerals; air quality;

vegetation resources; soils; wildlife; threatened, endangered, or

candidate animal and plant species; range resources; land uses and

access; recreation; social and economic values; cultural resources;

reclamation; hazardous materials; and cumulative impacts. These topics

will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team and will include review

of the Plan of Operations as well as other pertinent environmental

documents and studies. A range of alternatives (including but not

limited to alternative reclamation measures and the no-action

alternative), as well as mitigating measures, will be considered to

evaluate and minimize environmental impacts and to assure that the

proposed action does not result in undue or unnecessary degradation of

public lands.

Federal, state, and local agencies and other individuals or

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

decision on the Plan of Operations are invited to participate in the

scoping process with respect to this environmental analysis. These

entities and individuals are also invited to submit comments on the

Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

It is important that those interested in the proposal participate

in the scoping and commenting processes. Comments should be as specific

as possible.

The tentative project schedule is as follows:

Begin Public Comment Period: June 1996.

Issuance of Draft Environmental Impact Statement: November 1996.

[[Page 30092]]

File Final Environmental Impact Statement: February 1997.

Record of Decision: April 1997.

Begin Expansion of Operation: Spring of 1997.

The Bureau of Land Management's scoping process for the

Environmental Impact Statement will include: (1) Identification of

issues to be addressed; (2) Identification of viable alternatives; (3)

Notification of interested groups, individuals, and agencies so that

additional information concerning these issues, or other additional

issues, can be obtained.

Dated: June 6, 1996.

Karl Kipping,

Associate District Manager, Carson City District.

[FR Doc. 96-14956 Filed 6-12-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-HC-P