Notice of Availability

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[CA-CACA 31137, DES 97-10]

Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Needles Resource Area.

ACTION: Notice of availability for the Castle Mountain Mine Expansion

Project, Draft Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact

Report, and notice of comment period and public meetings.

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

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

Policy Act of 1969, as amended, and in coordination with the County of

San Bernardino in its administration of the California Environmental

Quality Act, as amended, notice is given that the Bureau of Land

Management (BLM) has prepared, with the assistance of a third-party

consultant, a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)/Environmental

Impact Report (EIR), on the proposed Castle Mountain Mine Expansion

Project, and has made copies available for public and agency review.

This notice also announces public meetings for the purpose of receiving

comments on the draft document.

DATES: Written comments on the Draft EIS/EIR must be received no later

than 4 p.m., May 28, 1997. Oral and/or written comments may also be

presented at two public meetings. The public meetings will be held at

the following times and locations: 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 29, 1997 at

the Holiday Inn, 1511 East Main Street, Barstow, California; 7 p.m.,

Wednesday, April 30, 1997 at the Searchlight Community Center, Parks

and Recreation Department, 200 Michael Wendall Way, Searchlight,

Nevada.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to: George R.

Meckfessel, U.S.D.I., Bureau of Land Management, Needles Resource Area,

101 West Spikes Road, Needles, California 92363.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: George R. Meckfessel, Planning and

Environmental Coordinator, telephone (619) 326-7000.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Viceroy Gold Corporation has proposed to

mine additional ore adjacent to deposits currently being mined at the

Castle Mountain Mine, San Bernardino, California, an open-pit, heap-

leach gold mine. Under the present operating permits, mining,

processing and reclamation activities could continue through December

31, 2010. Under the proposed expansion, these activities would continue

through December 31, 2020. The Proposed Action consists of expanding

existing and planned open pit areas, expanding the existing heap leach

pad, creating a new overburden storage site and expanding growth media

storage areas on approximately 490 additional acres. The action would

also incorporate mine pit backfilling on 140 acres of open mine pits.

The proposed 10-year extension of the mining and processing phases of

the mine would ultimately affect up to 1,380 acres of public and

private lands, as compared to the 890 acres presently authorized.

The Draft EIS/EIR has examined potentially significant impacts to

geology, water resources, including groundwater quality and quantity,

vegetation, wildlife, air quality, visual resources, cultural

resources, land use, and hazards.

Public participation has occurred throughout the planning process.

A Notice of Intent was published in the Federal Register on July 18 and

August 29, 1995. Public scoping meetings were held in August 1995.

Molly S. Brady,

Acting Area Manager.

[FR Doc. 97-9172 Filed 4-9-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4310-40-P