From: Subject: FR Doc 07-1589 Date: Sun, 1 Apr 2007 23:41:54 -0700 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20071800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2007/07-1589.htm X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3028 FR Doc 07-1589 
[Federal Register: March 30, 2007 (Volume 72, Number 61)]
[Notices]              =20
[Page 15155-15156]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30mr07-94]                        =20

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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[NV-040-07-5110-CF05 1990-EX-1990; N82888]

=20
Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for=20
an Expansion of Mining Operations at Barrick Gold Corporation's Bald=20
Mountain and Money Basin Mines, NV

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of Intent.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with section 102(2)(c) of the National=20
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and 43 CFR part 3809, the Bureau of=20
Land Management (BLM) Ely Field Office, Nevada intends to prepare an=20
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a proposed consolidation and=20
expansion of the existing Plans of Operation for Barrick Gold=20
Corporation's Bald Mountain Mine and Mooney Basin Mine located in White=20
Pine County, Nevada. The two existing mines would be combined into one=20
new expanded operation which would be called the North Operations Area.=20
The EIS will analyze anticipated impacts of the expansion under this=20
new consolidated Plan of Operation, and will incorporate analysis from=20
a previous EIS and environmental assessments associate with the=20
existing disturbance.

DATES: Publication of this notice initiates the public scoping process.=20
Scoping meetings will be held in Ely, Elko, and Eureka, Nevada. All=20
public meetings will be announced through local news media, newsletters=20
or flyers, and will be posted on the BLM Web site, http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/leaving.cgi?from=3Dleavin=
gFR.html&log=3Dlinklog&to=3Dhttp://www.nv.blm.gov/ely/2007_releas=
es.htm
 at least 15 days prior to each=20

event.
    The minutes and list of attendees for each meeting will be=20
available to the public and open for 30 days after the meeting to any=20
participants who wish to clarify the views they expressed. Comments and=20
resource information should be submitted to the BLM within 30 days of=20
publication of this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
     E-mail: lynn_bjorklund@nv.glm.gov.
     Fax: 775-189-1910.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Ely Field Office,=20
Attention: Lynn Bjorklund, HC33 Box 33500, Ely, Nevada, 89301.
    Documents pertinent to this proposal may be examined at the Ely=20
Field Office.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have=20
your name added to our mailing list, contact Lynn Bjorklund, Ely Field=20
Office, at 775 289-1893 or by e-mail to lynn_bjorklund@nv.blm.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Barrick Gold Corporation has submitted a=20
proposal to expand and consolidate their existing Bald Mountain and=20
Mooney Basin Mines, which are located approximately 65 air miles=20
northwest of the town of Ely, Nevada. The project (consolidating the=20
existing Bald Mountain Mine N-68193 and Mooney

[[Page 15156]]

Basin Mine N-46-94-010P into one unified operation called the North=20
Operations Area) would consist of extending existing open pits,=20
expanding existing rock disposal areas and heap leach facilities,=20
construction of a truck shop, and continuing the operation,=20
reclamation, and closure of the existing Bald Mountain Mine and Mooney=20
Basin Mine operations (to include mine offices, truck shops/warehouse,=20
haul roads, ore stockpiles, access roads, diversion ditches, power=20
transmission lines, water wells and pipelines, process solution=20
transmission pipelines and a landfill). This proposed expansion is=20
entirely on unpatented mining claims on BLM-administered public land.=20
Project access would continue to be via existing public roads. The=20
projected life of the existing mine operation would increase=20
approximately 10 years under this proposed project.
    Under the proposed action, there would be an additional disturbance=20
of 3,808 acres. The BLM previously authorized Barrick Gold Corporation=20
to disturb 3,418 acres within the Bald Mountain Mine Plan boundary and=20
742 acres within the Mooney Basin Plan boundary (for a total of=20
approximately 4,160 acres) associated with pits, rock disposal areas,=20
heap leaching, roads, growth media stockpiles, exploration, and=20
underground mining activities. The Proposed North Operations Area would=20
include the 4,160 acres of previously permitted disturbance and 3,808=20
acres of new disturbance, for a final disturbance footprint of 7,968=20
acres. The North Operations Area EIS would incorporate existing=20
analysis that includes several environmental assessments and the 1995=20
Bald Mountain Mine Expansion EIS.
    Combining the Mooney Basin Mine and the Bald Mountain Mine into one=20
project area would result in the new North Operations Area project=20
boundary expanding to include an additional 3,738 acres of public land.=20
The original boundaries of the two mines encompassed 12,737 acres of=20
public land. The proposed project boundary for the North Operations=20
Area would encompass 16,475 acres. These project boundaries define an=20
area of potential operations although not all of the acreage within=20
these boundaries would be disturbed.
    The purpose of the public scoping process is to determine relevant=20
issues that will influence the scope of the environmental analysis and=20
EIS alternatives. Federal, state, and local agencies, and other=20
individuals or organizations that may be interested in or affected by=20
the BLM's decision on this Plan of Operations amendment are invited to=20
participate in the scoping process. To be most helpful, you should=20
submit formal scoping comments within 30 days after publication of this=20
notice in the Federal Register.
    Individual respondents may request confidentiality. Before=20
including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal=20
identifying information in your comment, be advised that your entire=20
comment--including your personal identifying information--may be made=20
publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to=20
withhold from public review your personal identifying information, we=20
cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so. All submissions from=20
organizations, businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves=20
as representatives or officials of organizations or businesses will be=20
available for public inspection in their entirety. The minutes and list=20
of attendees for each public meeting will be available to the public=20
and open for 30 days after the meeting to any participants who wish to=20
clarify the views they expressed. All comments will be available to the=20
public for review at the Ely Field Office BLM throughout the EIS=20
process.
    Potentially significant direct, indirect, residual, and cumulative=20
impacts from the proposed action will be analyzed in the EIS and will=20
include wildlife, BLM sensitive species, socioeconomics, and cultural=20
resources. Additional issues to be addressed may arise during the=20
scoping process.

    Dated: February 26, 2007.
John R. Ruhs,
Field Manager.
[FR Doc. 07-1589 Filed 3-29-07; 8:45 am]

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