Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit Plan of Operation

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-060-7122-00-8661; N64-93-001P]

Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit Plan of Operation

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Final Environmental Impact

Statement for the Cortez Pipeline Gold Deposit Plan of Operation for

mining in Lander County, Nevada.

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

Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 as amended, and to 43 Code of Federal

Regulations Part 3809, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Battle

Mountain District has made available the Final Environmental Impact

Statement (Final EIS) for the proposed development of an open pit mine

and associated facilities, in Lander County, Nevada.

DATES: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will publish its

Federal Register Notice of Availability on February 2, 1996. That

publication begins the official 30 day period required by the Council

on Environmental Quality for Final EISs.

ADDRESSES: Bureau of Land Management, Battle Mountain District Manager,

50 Bastian Rd., P.O. Box 1420, Battle Mountain, NV 89820 ATTN: Dave

Davis. Copies of the Final EIS may be made in writing to the preceding

address or by calling Dave Davis at (702) 635-4000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dave Davis, Pipeline Project Manager, at (702) 635-4000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Cortez Gold Mines filed a Plan of Operations

in October, 1992 for the development of the Pipeline Gold deposit open

pit mine. The Pipeline proposal calls for the development of an 1827

acre open pit gold mine operation located in the southern end of

Crescent Valley, Lander County, Nevada. In addition to the 235 acre

open pit, there will be a dewatering program required to keep the pit

dry during mining operations. This dewatering program will pump an

estimated 30,000 gallons per minute (gpm). Approximately 28,000 gpm of

the total 30,000 gpm will be returned to the Crescent Valley aquifer

through a series of infiltration ponds. Associated facilities include a

new 5,000 ton per day mill, constructing a new combined heap leach/

tailings facility, waste dumps and associated support facilities,

offices, etc.

The Draft and Final EISs evaluate the impacts of the Pipeline

proposal on a number of resources. The focus of both documents include

the impacts to ground and surface water resources, pit lake chemistry,

social and economic impacts to the region, air quality, cultural

resources and Native American religious concerns.

The Final EIS incorporates changes to the findings in the Draft EIS

that resulted from the public comment process on the Draft EIS. These

changes include an expanded regional ground water modelling study. The

regional study supports and expands upon the subregional ground water

modelling effort prepared for the Draft EIS. Water quality modelling

was expanded for the Final EIS. These expanded water quality modelling

results indicate some metal species and other constituents may exceed

current Nevada Drinking water standards in the long term (250 years

after cessation of mining operations). Precise estimates for such long

term predictions are impossible to predict with current technology. In

order to better understand the potential future impacts, the BLM also

had an ecological risk assessment for the pit lake prepared. This risk

assessment identifies some potential to affect avian wildlife in the

long term. Mitigation is proposed for those potential avian impacts.

Cortez has committed to an irrevocable, long term monetary contingency

fund. This funding will be used by the BLM for monitoring all aspects

of the project after cessation of mining operations; although the

primary focus of the funding will be used to monitor the pit lake water

quality. The contingency fund will also be used to mitigate any future

long term impacts resulting from pit lake water quality.

Dated: January 22, 1996.

Gerald M. Smith,

District Manager.

[FR Doc. 96-1627 Filed 1-29-96; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-HC-M